An Illicit Engagement (The Gentlemen Next Door) by Gray Cecilia

Author:Gray, Cecilia [Gray, Cecilia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: The Alpha Division, LLC
Published: 2011-11-30T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Lucas couldn’t help but notice that she wasn’t meeting his eyes, though he was making rather a fine point of staring at her from the other end of the table through three courses. Instead, she was focusing all her attention on Mr. Highster, which for some reason made him want to stab his quail repeatedly. Especially because Mr. Highster was failing to pay her any meaningful attention.

Not that he wanted Mr. Highster paying her the same sort of meaningful attention that he himself wanted to pay her, but the man could have the decency to be more than merely polite.

"—and if the routes were connected, then we’d have the advantage of inter-trading," she finished breathlessly.

Mr. Highster nodded politely, his jaw desperately masticating. How was he not taken in by her enthusiasm? By her pinked cheeks and bright eyes?

"I was also thinking," Chastity continued before launching into another round of benefits to linking the new Singapore route through the Pacific with another being planned around India. What kind of man was Mr. Highster that his eyes could glaze over with boredom?

Lucas noted that his brother, at least, was listening with interest, leaning forward over his plate. But then, his brother was a mercenary man—he would have to be in order to steal Grace from under his nose.

"How are you, Lord Willoughby?"

Lucas moved his gaze to Grace, his most recent ex-fiancee, who sat across from his brother but next to him at the long dining table.

"Hungry, which is fortunate, given the occasion." She frowned at him. He’d never been able to make her laugh, he realized. Not once, as much as he tried. "And you?"

"I am well. I hope…I hope you are well, too." She didn’t meet his eyes, instead staring intently at her quail.

She hoped he was well? He was well, of course he was. But he shouldn’t have been. That was the feeling that nagged at him. The idea that one shouldn’t be well when the sixth lady one has been engaged to runs off with one’s brother.

One should be miserable.

Especially when that lady was reasonably attractive, incredibly well bred, and of moderate fortune to boot.

"That is incredibly insightful," he heard his brother say.

Lucas snapped his head up. His brother was speaking to Chastity, who, for the first time, looked up from her end of the table although her gaze continued to avoid him.

"Thank you, my lord," she said to his brother, and this time Lucas did stab his quail.

"Do you think your ships capable of the journey through both routes?" he asked.

"They looked capable enough," Lucas found himself saying.

The table went still and quiet for three heartbeats.

"You’ve seen the ships yourself?" his brother said sharply. "When?"

Just then, Chastity looked at him. Finally—and then, slowly, reluctantly, she smiled. For the first time that dinner, he smiled, too.

"I saw the ships just this afternoon when I visited the port offices," Lucas said.

"You visited the port offices?" Mr. Highster said, drawing himself up in his chair.

The whole table went silent

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