The Marquess Meets His Match by Laura Martin

Author:Laura Martin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-12-10T18:32:36+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Despite what he had told Charlotte and Miss Freeman earlier in the day, Robert would have been quite happy to miss the ball at the Assembly Rooms. Not because of the company, but because of the memories that assailed him when he walked through the wide doors into the high-ceilinged rooms.

Much of his courtship of Amelia had played out in the ballrooms and parks of London, but it had been here in Bath he’d first met her. It was at a similar ball at the Assembly Rooms that he’d first laid eyes on his future wife, where they’d had their first dance, where she’d first started to bewitch him. She might have been out of his life for well over two years, but he still felt the need to avoid the places that brought up too many memories of her.

He was good at hiding his emotions, though, and he doubted that anyone would see through the smile on his lips or the bland expression on his face. Gossip had followed him in the weeks and months after Amelia’s death, but he had soon realised if he didn’t react to people, didn’t give them any more juicy titbits to dissect over their morning cup of tea, soon some other scandal would take their attention.

As he entered the Assembly Rooms he allowed the other gentlemen to move on ahead, glad to be rid of their company for a while. They were not men he knew well. He might converse with them at the card tables or make polite conversation while passing at his gentlemen’s club, but a few days spent in their company was by far enough.

‘You’re getting old and grumpy,’ he muttered to himself. It was true, there were only a select few people he would actively seek out to spend his time with. His eyes flitting over the room, he didn’t want to admit there was only one person he was interested in spending time with tonight.

Even though she was turned away from him he recognised her immediately. She was dressed in an ivory dress with a gold thread detail. It was simple but elegant and dipped at the back to reveal the creamy smoothness of her skin. He had the urge to stride over and place a kiss on the nape of her neck, to feel her shudder as he knew she would under his touch.

‘Friends,’ he said to himself. ‘Just friends.’

It was a ridiculous prospect when he thought about it. Charlotte consumed his thoughts every waking minute and for the past two nights had been plaguing his dreams, too. The idea he could ever fall into an easy friendship with her, be content strolling arm in arm across the landscape they both loved in contented companionship, felt a little ridiculous, but he was a firm believer in needing to work at things to make them happen. If he told himself a thousand times they were only friends, at some point he might start believing it.

For a few

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