Page 35 of Unmasked By a Captivating Lady
Miles had stiffened further. The last thing that he needed was a lecture. He already felt bad enough about the whole thing as it was, without some damn sermonising from his older brother about the error of his ways.
“Is that all?” he had barked. “Can I go?”
Andrew had kept gazing at him sadly. “Go, then. I shall see you in the morning, I expect.”
He hadn’t bothered to say farewell or wish him a good evening. He had simply turned and left the house without another word. Once safely in the carriage, he had instructed the driver to take him straight to Brown’s. The place had been almost empty when he had walked in, and it wasn’t much better now. He knew why. Everyone who was anyone was at the damn ball.
He took out his fob watch, gazing at the time. She would surely be there, by now. She would be inside the house, in her beautiful new gown. She would have been introduced to the Duke and know that everything he had said to her had been a lie.
His face twisted as he put away the watch. He pictured her face, devastated and confused. Would she stay, or plead illness so that she could escape?
How could he have done it to her?
“Mind if I sit with you, old chap?”
He glanced up. The club’s owner, Richard Michaelson, was standing there, gazing down at him. He looked concerned.
Miles shrugged. “Of course, Michaelson. Have a seat.”
Michaelson reached out for the whiskey decanter. “Mind if I have one with you? It might make your head a bit more bearable in the morning…”
Miles smiled faintly. “I am not really caring about the state of my head at the moment, old chap.” He paused. “It is the least of my worries.”
The man nodded, pouring himself a glass, and sipping it reflectively. “Why are you here, Miles?” he asked quietly. “It is the Duke’s grand ball tonight. Everyone else is there, and yet here you are, drinking alone.”
Miles shrugged again. “Let’s just say there are certain things that I must avoid tonight.”
Michaelson nodded, sipping his whiskey again. “They say that a problem shared is a problem halved, old chap. And I am a good listener, if you need it.”
Miles sighed deeply. He didn’t really want to talk about it with anyone. What was the point? It was done now, and he couldn’t change it, could he?
But Michaelson was staring at him expectantly. And suddenly, he wanted company tonight. It was too damn depressing, sitting here alone, wallowing in his misery like a pig in mud. He picked up his tumbler, taking a deep gulp.
“Woman trouble,” he said slowly. “I have woman trouble, Michaelson.”
Michaelson sighed. “One of the worst kinds of trouble, in my opinion. On a level with money trouble, certainly. Both can break you, if you let them.” He paused. “Have you broken a young lady’s heart, old chap?”
Miles sighed deeply. “I do not know if I have broken her heart. But I have certainly deeply disappointed her.” He hesitated. “My brother and I had a wager, Michaelson. I bet him that I could attract any young lady if I pretended to be him. The point was that it is his title alone which has them all falling at his feet. He accepted it, and so…. I introduced myself to a young lady as the Duke of Lancaster.”
Michaelson nodded, taking another sip of whiskey. “Go on.”
Miles sighed again. “She is a beautiful, spirited young lady. I met her by chance and walked her to her home.” He hesitated. “I was not intending to see her again…but somehow, I was compelled to. And by that time I was so deep into the lie that I could not tell her who I really was.”
Michaelson grimaced. “Oh, dear. I think I see what is coming…”
“Indeed.” Miles downed the last of his drink, reaching for the decanter again, and filling his tumbler. “I find that I am deeply attracted to her, and she is to me as well. I could not tell her the truth, but I knew she would discover it when she attended the ball tonight, and was introduced to my brother instead of me.” He hesitated. “There is another reason, also, why I wanted to avoid the ball.”
Michaelson glanced at him sharply. “Another reason? What is it?”
Miles took a deep, ragged breath. “My past has come back to haunt me, Michaelson. In the form of another young lady, who broke my heart years ago. I have discovered that she was invited, and that she is still single.” He paused. “The reason she left me, all those years ago, was to marry another. Someone who was richer than I. But she lied to me, it seems, and I have no desire to see her again…”
“I see.” Michaelson put down his glance, gazing at Miles intently. “It is complicated. Very complicated. You wish to avoid the young lady you once loved, and also the one you seem in love with now.”
Miles cursed underneath his breath, leaning towards the other man across the table. “But that is just the problem, Michaelson! Apart from the lie, I have nothing to offer this new young lady. Nothing at all.” He took another deep breath. “The other young lady broke my heart, well and truly. I vowed to never fall in love again, or marry, because of it…”
Michaelson downed his glass, reaching for the decanter. “The horse has bolted already, my good man. Look at you.” He gazed at Miles steadily. “You would not be feeling this way if you werenotalready in love with the new young lady. Can you not see that?”
Miles shook his head. “No, no, you do not understand at all….”
