Eddie stalked back to his room in a towering rage. As if it weren’t bad enough that his evenings were monopolised by trying not to insult the cream of the ton - he wasn’t so deluded as to pretend he was actually being sociable - now his private time was being encroached upon, too! You’d think that in a place the size of Longwold, he’d be able to find somewhere to escape, but no, that appalling young woman with a pelisse that looked at least three seasons old, and opinions that no young lady ought to have a right to, had managed to discover him there, too. He had no doubt whatsoever that she was on the catch for a wealthy husband, and shuddered at the idea she might actually have the audacity to set her cap at him.
He’d heard Violette speaking to Lady Russell about the girls and the fact that they had no dowry; and worse, that dreadfully encroaching aunt. As if any sane man would contemplate marriage to a woman with that connection? The younger daughter would manage, perhaps, as some young fool would fall desperately in love with her astonishing beauty - as long as she managed to keep her macabre inclinations for ghost-hunting to a minimum.
The eldest Miss Holbrook, however, had little to recommend her. She wasn’t a beauty, and from what he’d seen so far, she stumbled from stuttering shyness to being outrageously outspoken. Not to mention her interest in engineering and science would likely put off most men, as they would not marry a woman with more brain than they themselves possessed. And that was before he even touched upon the unmaidenly and frankly shocking behaviour she’d exhibited on seeing him half-dressed.
Any other young, unmarried woman would likely have either fainted or screamed and turned away. The Misses Holbrook, it seemed, were made of sterner stuff, though at least Miss Lucretia had averted her eyes. Mostly.
Not Miss Holbrook.
No. She had stared at him with such interest and curiosity that an unwelcome and fierce prickle of desire had seared his blood. Surprising, that, he mused, as he’d believed such feelings lost to him since ... Well, since he’d survived when so many others had not.
Even though his memories of living in the Dials were vague, he was fairly certain there’d been no encounters of that nature, and thank God for it. Heaven alone knew what filthy disease he might have picked up in such a place.
He reached his room and began to strip before stepping into the bath that Charlie was supervising as footmen strode back and forth with large cans of water. Wisely, the man had kept his own counsel since the incident with the sisters. Eddie sank into the hot water with a groan, his muscles unwinding a little as the warmth released some of the tension he was carrying. He waved Charlie away so he could soak in peace, and his valet nodded and silently exited his room.
Closing his eyes and leaning his head back, he was immediately confronted with the picture of Miss Holbrook surveying him like a prize bull. Despite himself his lips twitched as he wondered where exactly she’d have pinned his rosette. It was strange, however, that a woman like her should have looked at him with such blatant desire. She clearly guarded her younger sister’s virtue like a lioness, and showed every outward appearance of being, if not a prude, then certainly everything that was prim and proper.
And that had been desire he’d seen in her eyes.
It had blazed with such heat that if he’d been foolish enough to reach out and touch her, to run his fingers over the scorch upon her cheeks, she might well have combusted before his eyes.
He chuckled to himself as the heat of the bath and the fire blazing in the hearth made him relax further, his eyes growing heavy. His unguarded brain toyed with the idea of what exactly Miss Holbrook would have done if he’d touched her. Would she have slapped his face, screamed at him, fainted, or possibly even kicked him and run away? All of these possibilities were considered and rejected. No. The passion in those eyes had been bold and eager. He’d no doubt at all that if he’d have pulled her into his arms and kissed her, supposing they’d not had an audience, of course, that she would have responded with alacrity. The thought was as troubling as it was unnerving, and suddenly he felt very wide awake and a lot less relaxed.
Damn the woman.
Well, there was only one thing to do, and that was to stay as far away from the dreadful Miss Holbrook as was possible.
***
Belle congratulated herself that the evening had gone rather well so far. It had taken a little manoeuvring to find herself once more seated beside Lord Nibley at lunchtime, but thankfully Lady Russell had seemed well aware of her intentions. So it had likely been by design on the old lady’s part, rather than felicitous chance, that she found herself at his side for dinner, too. Hopefully, it had been done without looking too dreadfully obvious. Either way, it didn’t matter. After her conversation with Crecy in the garden, Belle was certain that her sister was hiding something. What, she had no idea, but there was some nefarious plot going on behind those beautiful eyes, and Belle had no doubt that whatever it was would likely bring on a nervous collapse if she discovered it.
She was also of the opinion that Aunt Grimble would not only turn a blind eye to whatever it was that Crecy was up to, but that if she thought it meant snagging a husband or even a wealthy lover, she’d go out of her way to help with enthusiasm. That being the case, she needed to get rid of the wretched woman with all haste. The only way that could be achieved was if Belle married well and to an amenable husband who would be willing to shelter her sister and allow Belle to take her out into society herself. Then Crecy would have the time she needed to find her feet, and more importantly, a man who loved her for who she was, not just for the lovely fa?ade.
She was beginning to realise, however, that this might be easier said than done.
Nibley was a shy fellow and hard to draw into a meaningful conversation about anything much, except his blasted rocks. He certainly didn’t appear to look upon her with any romantic eye.
Belle wasn’t exactly surprised. She’d been in Crecy’s shadow for too long to imagine that a man might have any reason to look upon her as anything but a sensible woman who could manage a household and raise children. But she was those things, and if, as Lady Russell had told her, he was on the lookout for a wife, she wasn’t such a terrible choice. Also, he wasn’t exactly a handsome fellow, and his lack of conversation would hinder his progress with any young lady of greater beauty or better social standing than Belle. He was wealthy enough to overlook her lack of dowry, surely, and she thought it unlikely that an intellectual sort with a scientific mind would hold out for a love match. Rather he would require someone to make sure his house ran smoothly, and to remind him to eat. The chap was so gaunt, she felt that must be a priority when she had achieved her end.
The way he stared at the Duchess of Sindalton did make her doubt that theory a little, but then the duchess was well worth staring at. Any man would find it hard to look away from a woman like that.