The Counterfeit Attachment by Holli Jo Monroe

Author:Holli Jo Monroe [Monroe, Holli Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781958270066
Publisher: Brillig Press

Eighteen

As Edmund sat in the Glenhaven box at Covent Garden, he regretted attending. Bringing Sophy had allowed him to pretend he wasn’t there to see Miss Radforde. Certainly he hadn’t come with the intention of spying on her. Yet that was precisely how he had spent the evening.

By some cruel coincidence, she was sitting in a box opposite and lower than his, affording him an excellent view. He was reasonably sure that his seat at the back of the box made him invisible to her and her companions.

Watching her sit beside Hunter had been annoying. The man was constantly whispering in her ear. But that was easy compared to witnessing the stream of eligible gentlemen coming to pay court. He knew Miss Radforde was sought after but seeing it for himself was unsettling. His hands ached from being clenched into fists for most of the night.

When he departed England, which of those men would she spend time with? Would she marry one of them? The more time he spent with Miss Radforde, the stronger his desire to keep her single had become.

He should be at her side, in Hunter’s place. All those men should understand his position in her life, or rather the position he was pretending to occupy.

But with Sophy by his side, he must stay. He glanced at his little sister. Seated on his left, her eyes swept about the theatre eagerly.

Almost seventeen, Sophy was not out and Edmund was under strict orders to not socialize or leave her side. Normally, Edmund agreed with the strictures on Sophy; she was far too young to be entertaining suitors, but tonight he wished his parents were more permissive.

All he could do was watch Miss Radforde.

“Edmund?”

Sophy’s hand on his arm brought him back to their box. He vaguely realized she had been speaking for some time.

“Hmm?”

“I said, who are you looking at?” Sophy brought her opera glasses to her eyes and gazed directly at Miss Radforde’s box. She leaned forward in her seat.

Edmund pulled her back. “Do not stare so, they will see you.”

Sophy gave him a look. “You were staring.”

“I was thinking.”

“About Miss Radforde?” Sophy had a particular skill of being infuriatingly correct.

Edmund did not deny her guess.

“Why would you stare at another woman while thinking about Miss Radforde?’

“I wasn’t staring at another woman, but at Miss Radforde.”

His sister immediately went back to looking through her glasses, though she did not lean forward, which he hoped would keep her hidden.

“Which one?”

“The one in blue.”

“And the others?”

“The young lady in cream is a school friend, Miss Gilbert, and the one in grey is her companion, Mrs. Aston.”

“And the handsome young man?”

“That is a Mr. Hunter. He is connected to Miss Gilbert by—do you really think him handsome?”

“Not very handsome. I am sure Miss Radforde cannot prefer him. She is very pretty and elegant, but not too elegant. Such fashionable hair and that color becomes her. Mother says she is intelligent and genteel. Oh, her friends are leaving. It is a pity that we cannot go and meet her.

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