Dashing Rogues: A Historical Romance Collection by Dawn Brower Amanda Mariel

Author:Dawn Brower, Amanda Mariel [Dawn Brower, Amanda Mariel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MONARCHAL GLENN PRESS
Published: 2018-10-15T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 4

MUSIC FILLED the ballroom as gentlemen led ladies to the dance floor. Marian remained poised near the wall as she attempted to blend in with Kaitlin on her right. She hated balls but came to help Samantha convince her brother to take them to the house party. Persuading him wasn’t going to be easy. They would be taking him away from London and all his favorite entertainments. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for them to arrive. No doubt Shelby had been delayed retrieving Samantha, but she was still eager for her friend to arrive.

“Where are they?” She sighed as she glanced at the entrance. Surely they would be announcing them soon.

“Patience isn’t one of your strongest attributes,” Kaitlin replied.

“The Earl of Harrington and the Earl of Asthey,” a Loxton Servant announced the lords.

“Well, Lord Shelby’s friends are here, so he can’t be far behind.” Marian kept her gaze on Harrington. His handsome face continued to haunt her. Too bad his attitude didn’t match his outward façade.

“They both look annoyed,” Kaitlin observed. “Do you think Lord Shelby made them attend?

The two men cut through the crowd, occasionally stopping to talk to a lord or lady they encountered. They didn’t stay long with any one person or group. They seemed to have a destination in mind and kept moving with purpose. They hadn’t opened the card room yet; that was meant for after dinner. What were they up to?

“I doubt anyone can make those two do anything they don’t want to do,” Marian replied almost absentmindedly. She couldn’t look away from the two men, or rather Lord Harrington. Her fascination with him was unnerving, and she wished she could forget about him. “They’re not known for their weak personalities.”

“That’s true,” Kaitlin agreed. “Individually, they’re rather intimidating, but together, they’re a force to be reckoned with.”

The two earls were getting closer to them. If she could sink farther against the wall, she would have. As it was, Marian and Kaitlin were almost flesh with it. A ball wasn’t something either one of them found pleasure in. She prayed that neither one of the earls noticed them. Marian had something much more important to deal with then the two of them.

Harrington paused mid-step and then changed his direction. The new trajectory led him straight toward her. Why had he altered his course? She glanced around the room and realized what made him turn in her direction. His grandfather, the Duke of Southington was in his path. Their discord was a known fact. She wasn’t sure what caused the rift between them, but it was real enough. Marian glanced up as Harrington closed the distance between them. His lips tilted upward as recognition crossed his face.

“Lady Marian,” he drawled. His voice was husky and warmed her. “May I have this dance?”

“No,” she said. “I’m fine where I am.”

“Are you?” He lifted a brow. “The wall must be a titillating conversationalist.”

“Quite riveting,” she said as she boldly met his gaze. “At least they understand proper etiquette and are dependable.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.