Page 37 of His Forbidden Duchess
“He was also a gambler and played away our livelihood,” Eloise retorted in a loud whisper, glancing around in the hopes that nobody else had heard. She knew she shouldn’t talk in such a way, least of all in public, but her emotions were so riled that she couldn’t stop herself. “We really should not thank him for that.”
“Oh Eloise,” Lady Danridge said. She put the back of her hand to her forehead as if she was about to swoon. “You do not knowhow much it pains me to hear you say such hurtful things. That man brought you into this world and protected you every day of his life. How could you speak of the dead with such disrespect?”
“You mean to say I have imagined the debt?” she snapped with a false laugh. “Oh, what joy! I shall write to Jeremy immediately and let him know he has no need to rush home.”
Lady Danridge leaned in close and spoke through gritted teeth. “Do not be so cruel, daughter. If your father had any faults at all, it was that he was too kind-hearted and easily led. He trusted the wrong people. Yes, it is sad that we must now deal with the consequences, but we must not lay the blame at your father’s feet.”
Eloise closed her eyes and forced herself to breathe. If anyone was too trusting, it was her poor old mother. Lady Danridge would believe whatever she wanted. Eloise sighed and shook her head in resignation.
“You are right, Mother. I am sorry. Let us not bicker.” She forced herself to smile. “After all, we are at a ball.”
“And a beautiful one it is,” Lady Danridge said as her entire mood instantly changed. “I so admire the way the Pembrokes have decorated this room. Perhaps we could do something similar in our own house. When Jeremy returns, of course.”
With all the spare money, Eloise thought bitterly, but then quickly reminded herself it was not her mother’s fault.
“Yes, perhaps,” she replied.
“Now, if you do not mind, I would like to catch up with some friends,” Lady Danridge said brightly. “Perhaps you can find yourself another handsome gentleman to dance with.”
Eloise sighed as she watched her mother skip away. The weight of her family’s burden fell heavily upon Eloise’s shoulders. Jeremy was too far away, and her mother… well, her mother could barely think straight.
She wished Felix was near. At least when he was around, she laughed instead of worried. She smiled to herself. He was a good teacher indeed.
Her eyes scanned the room for him. She found him in a dim corner, huddled with an attractive older woman. The pair was close, too close, and Eloise suspected they were flirting.
Her suspicions were confirmed, and anger flowed through her as Felix raised his hand to brush his fingers through the woman’s hair.
But truthfully, why should he not flirt?
The rules surrounding our bet do not include a hiatus on flirting, so why does it bother me so much?
With a frown, she stalked away from the ballroom, deciding it was time to refocus her efforts and find Mortcombe.
Chapter Fifteen
“You have something in your hair, Lady Chastity,” Felix said, spotting a dark thread in her otherwise golden locks.
Lady Chastity pursed her lips. “Then perhaps you ought to assist me in removing it, Your Grace.”
Felix offered her a weak smile. It was the kind of flirtation he used to enjoy immensely and use as an excuse to touch a woman in public, yet this evening, it felt lackluster. He grimly realized that it was not because he no longer enjoyed it, but because it was not withher.
He gently extracted the thread from Lady Chastity’s hair then looked around the ballroom in the hopes of catching Eloise’s eye. The blasted woman had enchanted him so entirely that Felix had lost a part of himself. He felt broken, and she was the only one who could fix him.
“What has she done to me?” he muttered to himself.
“Who?” Lady Chastity asked, leaning into him seductively.
As she inquired, Felix spotted Eloise slipping out of the noisy ballroom and into the quieter corridor.
Felix narrowed his eyes. “It matters not.”
He didn’t wait for Lady Chastity’s response before turning and weaving his way between dancers, couples, and friends to reach the place where he had seen Eloise disappear.
The corridor was long and thin. He saw Eloise up ahead, her form silhouetted by the dim light cast by a handful of flickering lamps. She was quite alone, and as she walked, her hips swayed from side to side. Felix watched for a moment, enjoying the sight of her behind. He longed to run his tongue down the curve of her back then sink his teeth into her buttocks.
“Eloise! Wait!” he called in a loud whisper. If ever there was a time he wanted to talk to her, it was when they were alone in a dark corridor.
She turned and gasped then immediately glared at him. “What are you doing here?”
