Page 29 of A Caribbean Heiress in Paris
“Who is that?” Unsurprisingly, the answer came from Manuela.
“You don’t remember Magdalena Alcazar? You were there when she talked our ears off about her Arabian horses.” Luz’s mouth twitched as she kept her eyes on Magdalena’s partner. He had that same commanding, slightly dangerous presence as Evan.
Making everything about that blasted man was becoming a compulsion.
“I meant her dancing companion.”
“Oh, you meanel heredero.” Aurora scoffed as she glared at the gentleman in question. “God’s gift to women, or so one would think with the way the entitled pendejo walks around.”
Both Luz and Manuela turned to their friend in surprise. This kind of outburst was very unusual for her.
“He asked Aurora to dance, or more like let her know what an honor it would be for her to dance with him,” Manu said through a fit of giggles. Aurora scowled.
Luz was about to ask again for the man’s name but was interrupted by Manuela’s gasp.
“The Duke and Duchess of Sundridge,” an usher bellowed before an elegant couple descended the stairs to the dance floor. The woman certainly had bearing. The only word Luz Alana could come up with wasstatuesque. Tall, with bronzed skin, jet-black hair and violet eyes. Luz Alana could see why Manu was captivated.
“They certainly know how to make an entrance. Do you know her?” Even Aurora seemed somewhat stunned by the Duchess of Sundridge.
“I...” Their friend hesitated, still at a loss for words. “She was at Le Bureau. In the upstairs area,” Manu said in a faraway voice. The upstairs that offered a variety ofSapphic pursuits.
“Did you talk?” Luz Alana inquired.
Manu shrugged, uncharacteristically shy. “There was an exchange,” she answered vaguely. At that moment, the duchess reached the edge of the dancing area, her head held high as she surveyed her surroundings. The very portrait of urbane aristocracy.
“Is that her husband?” They’d announced him as the duke.
“It’s her stepson,” Antonio said quietly as he joined their trio. “He’s only a couple of years younger than she. She’s Chilean. Father’s American, ungodly wealthy. Silver mines.” Well, that explained the belt entirely covered in onyx the woman was wearing.
“When the duke died she changed her residence from London to Paris. The new duke and his stepmother share the same...” Antonio loved a dramatic pause “...preferences.”
At that moment the woman’s gaze landed on them—well, more precisely on Manuela, who seemed to bloom under the older woman’s attention. The duchess did not even attempt to be discreet in her examination of their friend.
“Well, this is an interesting development,” Aurora muttered as their friend exchanged several more heated looks with the duchess. Luz was about to concur with the sentiment when Antonio spoke. “Alerta, Luz Alana. Llego tu escoces.”
Luz’s whole body reacted to his words. For a moment she felt slightly disoriented. Almost afraid to look where he was pointing.
Aurora made a pained sound. “We might as well head home now, Antonio. These two will be useless the rest of the night.”
“Very funny, and please stop calling himmyScot.” She chastised even as her stomach churned with excitement and a not a small amount of nausea.
She could feel his presence before she laid eyes on him. And then there he was, at the top of the stairs, irrefutable in that blunt elegance of his. He looked dashing in his formal wear, with a pretty blonde on his arm. She fought the wave of jealousy that flashed through her as she took the woman in. She was dressed in a lovely pink gown that was unassuming yet seemed to complement all her attributes—and she was staring up at Evan like he’d hung the moon. She’d let the man play her for a fool, and now here he was, with another woman. He’d probably come here just to rub it in her face.
As they approached the steps, Evan’s companion pointed at one of the enormous flower arrangements on the far side of the ballroom with an awe-filled expression. He looked down at her with such naked affection that all the air went out of Luz’s lungs at once. She was still struggling to get herself under control when their names were announced and then she truly feared she would be sick.
“The Earl of Darnick and Lady—” The blood rushing to her ears didn’t let her hear the rest of the usher’s announcement.
“Earl?” Luz heard her three friends whisper in unison.
“He can’t be married, can he? Did you know about the...” Manuela made a gesture with her hand and bowed, which Luz assumed meantEarl, but she only shook her head in response.
Earl.
The word continued to ring in her head until she felt light-headed. Luz decided the best course of action was to remove herself from the room before she did or said something she would absolutely regret. She knew she should move her feet, exit the premises, but something about the way he was looking around, searching, scanning the room kept her rooted in place. Then his eyes found her, and his expression transformed into something quite different. He took her in with such unguarded pleasure that for a few seconds she felt her heartbeat in her whole body.
How bloody dare he?
“I have to go,” she told her friends as she pushed into the crowd of people.
