Page 53 of The Beauty and the Boxer
His voice was low and honest and his wordshad the most brilliant effect on Meredith, because for the rest ofthe dance, she smiled at him, seemingly unable to stop herself.
She was beautiful, inside and out, and Jackbarely had the good manners to let go of her when their danceended. All he wanted to do was pull her away with him, to some darkcorner of the manse and kiss her, consume her with all hissenses.
Meredith was the kind of woman that Jack hadnever really expected to exist. There was a humility about her thattouched him and while she was a little tight-laced, it wasn’tbecause she was prejudiced to others. If anything, it was becauseshe was overly cautious and protective of herself.
Because she had been hurt once.
It was odd how much it bothered him to learnher secrets. She hadn’t told him much the last time they were ineach other’s company, but damn if he didn’t want to know everythingthat had ever happened to her.
They were approached by the same gentlemanJack had first seen holding her and while his instinct told him tognash his teeth and pummel the man, he forcibly decided to removehimself from the room to stop himself from making a scene. He bowedslightly at them both, aware that the gentleman didn’t seem tooconcerned with Jack.
“Thank you for the dance, Mr. Archer,”Meredith said as she was gently pulled back onto the dancefloor.
He nodded, not trusting his own words as hemoved away. Uncomfortable with the looks he was receiving from theguests in the ballroom, he decided to go to the billiards room, inhopes of sequestering himself from inquisitive eyes. He hadforgotten that his scarred face was unsettling to most, but then,being in Meredith’s company often did that to him. She had made himforget the one thing he was constantly aware of, if only due topeople’s reactions.
Unaware of the direction he was meant to go,Jack moved through the foyer and then a gallery before ending up ina long hallway with what seemed to be a dozen doors. Seemed ratherfoolish to have so many rooms, Jack thought as he opened and shuteach door, searching for the billiards room. One door in particularopened up into an elegant sitting room that had been styled almostcompletely in gold decor. If ever there was a room that signifiedthe vast difference between the upper and lower classes, this wasit.
Jack frowned at the excessive design, notingthat this room was not too unlike Lottie LaMont’s bedchamber. Heglanced around and was about to retreat when a feminine yelp caughthis attention. Tucked away in the corner of the room stood twopeople, a blond-haired man, and a raven-haired woman, locked in atelling embrace. From the sight of it, she was nearly halfwayundressed.
“Excuse me!” the woman shrieked.
“Beg pardon,” Jack said as he dipped hishead and quickly backed out of the room.
He slammed the door shut.Damn peers.Didn’t they have the decency to wait until after the party? Jackhad no issue with an impromptu rendezvous, but he doubted those twowere meant to be together, having snuck off in the very beginningof the night. No doubt it was some peer’s wife, cuckolding herhusband with some other peer.
The hypocrisy of it all made him sick.
Annoyed, he continued to stalk through thehouse. When he finally found the billiards room, he asked a servantfor a glass of scotch and was promptly delivered one. He took along sip as he sat to watch the match that had called most of thegentlemen’s attention in the room.
Evidently, there were too many men inattendance which had led to a sporting competition of billiards.After a lengthy match, an older, red headed man won, and wasinstantly challenged by a handful of younger blokes, eager for achance to beat him.
Jack watched with mild interest. He wastrying to push all thoughts of Meredith from his mind when heoverheard her name.
“Miss Taylor is a fine enough woman,”someone one saying behind him, “but a little long in thetooth.”
Jack cocked his head a fraction, eyes on theground as he listened.
“I didn’t expect the countess to have such apretty sister,” the other voice said. “Usually, only one sisterinherits the beauty. But to be sure she is as fine a woman, if notfiner.”
“Don’t let that husband of hers hear that orhe’ll take your head off,” the voice said lowly. “He’s a devil of aman. But I believe there’s another sister as well. Youngest of thethree.”
“Well, where is she? Mountebank certainlymiscalculated,” he said. “Besides, I’d take a go at the youngest,especially if she is as pretty as her sisters.”
“To be sure. Miss Taylor is fine, butprobably better suited as someone’s second wife.”
It irked him to hear Meredith spoken aboutlike she was day old bread, yet Jack was satisfied for some reason.He stood, decided he heard enough when the first man spokeagain.
“Sir Kent seems interested enough.”
The rack that held the cue sticks stoodinches away from Jack. Who the hell was Sir Kent?
Deciding to pretend that he was interestedin a match, he picked up one of the sticks and began to inspect thefine, smooth wood. He took a step back to hear the men better.
“Perhaps,” the other spoke as his voicedipped. “But Sir Kent keeps a lady in London.”
“Does he? I didn’t know that.”
“Not many do, but I have it on goodauthority that he’s kept company with Madame Travers.”
