"You left us to our own devices all for the sake of an acquaintance you don't even deem worthy enough to mention. How is that not offending?" she asked, smiling playfully.
"You, dear sister, are a menace," Cross replied, crossing his arms. "If you want the truth, with Trighton walking into the room with the Montray girl on his arm, acting besotted and as if he had never offered for Essie here, I needed a moment to myself before I made a scene of mopping the floor with his cravat." He spoke succinctly, daring his sister to reply with a smart comment.
"Oh," Anna replied, her eyes widening.
Essie felt herself grin, delighted that Cross would champion her so. Trighton wouldn't stand a chance. He was almost petite in comparison with Cross' broad stature.
"What a pity," Essie commented, her smile growing as Cross met her gaze with a surprised expression that shifted to an amused grin of his own.
"Blood thirsty lot," Anna replied.
Essie shot her a disbelieving glare.
"Oh, very well, I'd like to have seen that too." She threw her hands in the air and chuckled. "But someone has to act mature with you two acting to strangely. I had no idea that when you two agreed to do this, that it would feel so… I don't know… real?" She shrugged, then tugged on her white kid gloves.
Essie glanced to Cross.
He was watching her, searching her expression. Not knowing what to do, she glanced down to the marble floor, feeling a blush heat her cheeks.
If Anna only knew how real it felt, this whole forsaken ruse. Right down to her present blushing state.
"Essie?" Cross spoke her name softly, almost intimately.
"Ah, look who we have here." Trighton's familiar voice sliced through the moment like a sharp knife.
Essie glanced to her right as Lord Trighton walked onto the balcony, Miss Montray on his arm. His expression was smug and arrogant, his lips twisted into a smirk.
"Trighton." Cross spoke with a confident tone, yet as Essie glanced to him, Cross' gaze was focused on her, watching her reaction.
"How… enchanting." Essie turned her gaze back to Trighton and Miss Montray. Trighton patted her arm possessively as Miss Montray's gaze shifted in an uncomfortable manner.
"It is a lovely evening, is it not?" Miss Montray spoke hesitantly as her gaze darted between Trighton and Cross, her brow pinched with concern.
"It is, indeed. We'll leave you to enjoy the air," Essie replied with a polite tone, tugging on Cross' arm.
He bowed to Miss Montray and nodded to Trighton, but his polite actions were at war with the hard expression on his face.
Cross began to follow Essie out when Trighton spoke up once more. "Miss Flanguard?"
Essie sighed silently and turned to face her former betrothed, wondering what she had ever seen in him. "Yes?"
Trighton lowered his hand from Miss Montray's grasp and took a few steps towards Essie, his gaze locked on her as if stalking prey.
He leaned in slightly. Essie leaned away, tightening her hold on Cross' arm. His forearm was hard, as if flexing and practicing acute restraint.
"Desperation does not become you," he whispered, offering a knowing grin.
"Fortune seeking doesn't become you. And while a precious few know the truth about the previous arrangement, the persons who are aware are more than willing to destroy any threat to Miss Flanguard's well-being or reputation." Cross spoke with lethal clarity as he deftly shifted Essie behind the shield of his body.
"I could call you out for such an allegation." Trighton took a menacing step towards Cross.
Essie reached up, placing a soft hand on the small of his back, reassuring him and herself.
"You could…" Cross shrugged, utterly unthreatened. "But it would be to your own detriment… but then again…"Cross leaned forward and whispered. "We already knew you were a fool."
Essie peeked around Cross' broad shoulders, watching the fury mottle Trighton's face. Her gaze shifted to Anna and Miss Montray, their eyes wide as they watched the verbal fisticuffs between the gentlemen.
"Do enjoy your evening." Cross nodded, offering Trighton a tight smile as he held out his arm for Essie to take. She obliged and tried to still the pounding beat of her heart as they walked from the balcony and into the hallway leading to the ballroom. Anna's footsteps followed them.
"More a moment I thought you'd come to blows! What in heaven's name did you say to him?" Anna asked, her footsteps quickening to catch up.
"Nothing that wasn't the utter truth," Cross mumbled, his nostrils flaring.
Essie couldn't' take her eyes from him; he appeared like a dark avenging angel, furious and strong.
It was magnificent.
"Well… Miss Montray certainly seemed shaken up from the whole scene. You should have seen her face as she watched the whole thing unfold. You know she did hear the part about fortune hunting." Anna spoke in a warning tone.
"Hopefully she'll prove to be a wise young lady and run from the wolf," Cross replied.
"He did seem not quite right in the head," Anna said thoughtfully.
"I must have been daft," Essie said, voicing her earlier thoughts.