The Lady Travelers Guide to Larceny with a Dashing Stranger by Victoria Alexander

Author:Victoria Alexander [Alexander, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-28T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

“IT DOES NOT serve your cause to appear quite so grim,” Roz said in an overly casual manner, as if her words were of no particular importance. Which always meant they were.

Dante took a sip of champagne, his gaze on one of the couples swirling around the crowded dance floor in the grand ballroom at the Hotel de Paris. Willie was breathtaking in a pale gold gown that complemented her hair and was entirely too revealing in the front and too low in the back, with gathered sleeves low on her shoulders that left her arms bare except for her gloves. She was dancing with Brookings. Again. “Appearances, my dear sister, are often deceiving.”

“My dear sister? My, you are in a foul mood.”

He glanced at her. Her gaze too was fixed on the dancers or rather on one dancer in particular. Harriet had been partnered with one eager gentleman after another from very nearly the second they’d stepped into the ballroom. Apparently, a popular daughter was as much a curse as a blessing. And while they had no indication that Goodwin was in the vicinity, Roz refused to let the girl out of her sight.

“My mood is fine, thank you. I simply don’t know why we’re here in the first place.” He noted the petulant tone of his voice but he didn’t care. Petulant suited him.

“We’re here because Lord Brookings was kind enough to procure us all invitations.”

“I would dispute the word kind.” At that moment, Brookings must have said something amusing and Willie laughed. Dante’s stomach twisted. “More self-serving I would say.”

“Don’t be absurd.”

He ignored her. “He said it was a small gathering of friends.” In truth, the ballroom was filled to overflowing. “This is scarcely a small gathering.”

“Yet another reason to dislike him.”

“I don’t know him well enough to dislike him.”

And yet he did. Quite a lot really. Dante had thought once they’d left the villa, they’d leave Brookings behind, as well. But every time he turned around, the blasted man was right there by Willie’s side. Right after they’d checked in yesterday, he’d appeared with an invitation for a sail on the yacht of an acquaintance. Dante had declined—he had no desire to spend more time on the water than necessary—but the rest of their party was delighted. Last night Brookings accompanied them to the casino and seemed to take it upon himself to make certain Willie had an enjoyable evening. And indeed, she did appear to be having a good time of it. At least she had laughed a great deal. Far more than Dante deemed necessary.

Even today Brookings had joined them for lunch and when Dante had spotted Willie on the hotel terrace studying her guidebooks and had started toward her, Brookings was there before him. And tonight, Brookings had danced entirely too many dances with her. Not that it mattered. Not that Dante cared. Admittedly, he had thought himself in love with her but upon further consideration, he might have been mistaken. He wanted the Portinari, nothing more.

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