Page 3 of Taken By the Duke of Stone

"I am not trying to matchmake. Trust me, Vinny, I would not wish any of my friends for a husband to even a lady I detested."

"Why are you friends with those buffoons anyway?"

He led her to where three men stood in a group talking about hunting dogs of all things.

"Thornton!" One of the men exclaimed, "where have you been, man?"

"For a moment there, I was beginning to think you had been leg shackled and gone off to marital bliss," another one guffawed.

"Allow me to introduce you to my cousin, Miss Proctor," Noah said with a stiff smile, "Vinny, meet Lord Vale, Lord Remington and Mr. Forsyle."

"My lords, Mr. Forsyle," she dropped into a curtsy.

"Oi, Thornton, where have you been hiding her?" Lord Vale asked.

Lavinia laughed along, wondering what was so hilarious about the question. The men were too self-absorbed to realize they were talking to her and not with her. There was a clear difference between the two. It was a good thing that she had no intentions of wasting her breath on them.

She was trying to swallow back another yawn when she caught sight of a flash of red hair.

"If you will excuse me, I see someone I know," she interrupted Lord whatever his name was embellished story about touring the world.

"Leaving so soon?" the storyteller asked, "but I was just getting to the good part."

Lavinia really doubted there was any good part to the tall tale.

"I would really love to hear the rest of it," a suggestive smile curled her mouth. "Perhaps this will be an excuse to speak to you again."

The man's eyes lit up.

"Good evening, gentlemen," and with that she hurried away towards the redhead standing behind a large potted plant.

"Jen," a smile split her face as the girl turned and peered at her, "it's me, Lavinia."

Miss Jennifer Mallory was helplessly visually impaired and her mama wouldn't let her wear spectacles because they made her look like a bluestocking.

"How glad I am to see you," Jen said, "or not see you."

The two girls burst into laughter at Jen's words.

"I am far more relieved to see you," Lavinia told her, "you will not believe the sort of gentlemen Noah introduced me to."

"I am parched," Jen linked her arms with her friend's, "escort me to the refreshments and tell me all about it on our way."

"Of course."

They stepped out of the nook and made their way to the other side of the room where the tepid lemonade was positioned. For once, Lavinia wished a host would offer something better than the watered down, lukewarm juice.

She filled her cup and helped Jen fill hers too.

"I do so hate it when gentlemen talk at you," she began, "one of Noah's friends was telling me about his travels. If I was ever free to travel the world, I would not waste my time going to Paris and-"

Her words ended with a shriek as someone brushed past her and bumped his arm against hers, causing her to lose hold of her glass.

The contents of the glass ended up spilling down the front of her and soiling her dress.

With an outraged cry, she turned to the culprit and all the vile words she had wanted to spit at him caught in her throat as she came face to face with the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life.

"You should watch where you are going," the man said in irritation.

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