How to Marry a Marble Marquis(52)
He was trailing after her like a stray cat, and he had something to say about every man in attendance. He knew them all, of course, and had known them all for years, no doubt. He knew their peculiarities and their perversions, and under different circumstances, she would quite welcome his counsel . . . But it seemed he was determined to turn her away from every potential suitor. It was only the first night, she reminded herself, but considering the ball was only three days long and engagement announcements would be made upon the third, it seemed like no time at all.
She noticed her bookish new friend engaged in conversation with the blue flame man a short while later, and her other neighbor, the lovely woman with her chaperone, was being entertained by the serpent. She was not the only woman in attendance who was not yet definitively paired off, for there was a handful of the regular wallflowers these events always attracted and few others like her, yet undecided.
“Miss Eastwick, I crave the opportunity to speak with you privately.”
She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath between her teeth, avoiding having to smell his familiar, comfortable scent.
“I can’t imagine what it is you have to say, my Lord, considering you had two weeks in which to do so. The full month, technically. You were asked by the Earl to assist me, and you assisted. I thank you for your help, and if repayment is what you seek, I assure you, my Lord, I will find a way to do so. But if you do not leave me be and let me find a husband this weekend, Lord Stride, I promise you that I will return to Basingstone in the middle of the day with every pigeon in London and introduce them to the roof of the moon temple.”
His laughter was still an icy white slide of satin, gliding up the back of her neck. “Little moth, please. I’m begging you. Please meet me at the hedge maze after the next quadrille.”
He vanished from her side after that, and she allowed herself to be pulled into the dance by the lagomorph. He was charming and funny, and as she moved through the dance with him, the orc catching her eye as he watched their quadrille from the side, she wondered why it was that she was not putting her whole heart into a single potential match. Because next to him, they’re all dull and unamusing. Because none of them infuriate you and excite you at the same time. Because none of them are him.
“Miss Eastwick? If you’re looking for the hedge maze, the doors at the other end of the ballroom would be most expeditious.” The countess gave her another one of those knowing, cat-like grins, motioning to the doors in question, and Eleanor paused, wondering whose side she was even on.
She slipped out the doors, after navigating her way through the crowded ballroom, sucking in a lungful of the cool night air. Leaving during the dancing was the done thing, he had said. Pausing at the top of the stone staircase, Elanor looked out at the wide expanse of the grounds before her. They were not the only couple to have taken to the outdoors. She could see them pairing off, headed to the lake, the sculpture garden, and the fountain. Pairing off, which meant already paired. And here she was, partnerless, preparing to argue with Silas Stride. You’ve ruined everything. You may as well go home now and start looking for cleaning work.
“Miss Eastwick.”
She startled the sound of his voice, turning to find him there, a soft smile curving his lips.
“I saw you coming. The hedge maze is that way,” he gestured over his shoulder. “I thought you might be headed to the lake.”
“Well, I don’t exactly know my way around, particularly in the dark. What is it that you wanted to speak with me about, Lord Stride? Why did you follow me? Do you hate me so much, my lord?”
“Hate you? My dear girl, why would you even say something like that? Quite the contrary, I lo —“
“Why would I say that?” She backed up, incredulous. “Why would I say that? What else am I supposed to think?! You know how important this is. This isn’t a game for me, Lord Stride. This is a matter of my entire family’s survival, and you know that. And yet here you are, actively sabotaging my every move. What else am I supposed to think?”
“Miss Eastwick, please. You’re right, I am getting in the way of you making a match with another lord. Why would you marry them? Why not me, Eleanor? You’ve been a guest at my home, you know that I am well-provisioned to take care of a family, to raise a family. Some of the lords here tonight are practically paupers, with a title and little else. You know I can take care of you. Your sisters will be well-educated as the finest young ladies, and your grandmother can enjoy her golden years with every comfort at her disposal. I love you, Eleanor. I’ve come to claim you as my bride, Miss Eastwick, and bring you home to Basingstone, where you belong.”
She was speechless. It was the last thing she expected him to say, and while it might have been what she was pining for a brief moment two weeks ago, now all she felt was fury.
“You . . . love me. Now, you love me. Now that I’m here, trying to make a change for the better in my life. Not at any point in the last month, but now.“ A red mist swam over her eyes, and she could barely control her actions as she pounced on him, gripping the lapels of his jacket. “I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man in London with a pulse, my lord. You had every opportunity to let me know this is what you were thinking, and you did nothing. You did nothing but remind me that all that was between us were lessons. You had me in your bed, and you could have claimed me as yours then.”