The Duke of Aces by Smith Rachel Ann

Author:Smith, Rachel Ann
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2022-05-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

It wasn’t the sight of Isadora reentering the ballroom flanked by Charlotte and Lady Minera that caused Tom’s heart to thunder. No, his entire body tensed at the sight of Lord and Lady Torrance waltzing through the crowd headed straight for him. The couple rarely left the country early unless required to do so. Even before his parents’ demise, Lord Torrance, who was a decade and a half older than Tom, had been assigned as Tom’s primary contact.

The head of the Foreign Office preferred to separate the role of mentor and trainer from the role of a parent, which had been a blessing for both Tom and Charlotte when they lost their parents five years past. The stern look upon Lord Torrance’s features did not bode well. It was highly probable that the couple was here on Crown business. And since it appeared Tom was their target, it was also likely they were here to inform him of his next mission. If he were to be sent away to deal with a foreign affair, it would jeopardize his progress in securing Isadora’s hand.

Isadora. He searched the far side of the room to gauge her progress. Charlotte’s brow creased as she spotted the Marquess of Torrance, and oddly Lady Minerva mirrored his sister’s concern at the sight of the older couple. Isadora, on the other hand, appeared calm and unaffected. The sight of her lips brought back the memory of their kiss.

The passionate kiss had Tom questioning what type of marriage he truly wished for. He replayed their interlude multiple times in his head as he awaited Isadora’s return. The ache that had settled in the middle of his chest as soon as she had left his side was what alarmed Tom the most. Was he falling in love? Tom shuffled his feet and adjusted his stance, unable to remain still. The woman stirred his blood like no other.

From the corner of his eye, Tom noted that the marquess and his wife were making quick work of cutting a path to him. It appeared that they would reach him before he could whisk Isadora onto the dance floor. The trio of women, Charlotte, Isadora, and Lady Minerva, were currently waylaid by their host Lady Lowrington.

“A good eve to you, Your Grace.” Lady Ethel Torrance bobbed a quick curtsey and promptly straightened to her full height, which couldn’t have been more than five feet.

“Torrance. Lady Ethel. I was not informed you would be present this eve.”

Torrance nodded. “Neither was I until a day ago.”

The man whose skill at decoding was only matched by his counterpart at the Home Office, scanned their immediate surroundings once more. “There has been chatter across the channel that our leader believes warrants further investigation.” Torrance abhorred social events and idle chatter. The man never minced words, believing it best to always get straight to the point.

Damn the head of the Foreign Office. Tom may outrank his superior in title but not in the chain of command. “Send over the details in the morn, and I’ll arrange to leave within a fortnight.

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