Page 16 of Escaping the Earl
“Not very well. I thought after these last eight months, I’d be more comfortable, but I’m not.” Peregrine winced at his thought of his loneliness that evening and being overwhelmed by the entire situation of taking over another man’s life.
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“It’s that damned empty house. I’m simply not used to it.” Peregrine rolled his glass between his palms.
“There is one solution.” Adrian motioned for one of the servers to refill his brandy.
“If you say marriage...” Peregrine growled in warning.
“Surely it isn’t as bad as all that? Marriage surprised me. I never imagined it would be enjoyable, but here I stand... Or sit.” He chuckled. “And I can say truthfully that it has been good for me.”
“You are lucky. You do not have women after your title, tripping over themselves trying to get you to compromise them. I’m at the point of checking closets and behind curtains of any room I walk into now. It’s only a matter of time before some debutante’s father pops out from behind a curtain and criescompromiseon me.”
“Ah, but if you marry, you’ll no longer be chased about like that.” Adrian tapped his own nose as he winked. “That’s how you outfox them.”
Adrian’s mood was infectious, and Peregrine already felt better. “You almost have me considering it, yet...”
“Yet what?” Adrian leaned forward. “I sense there may be a reason you are not saying that is keeping you from contemplating marriage.”
“You know my views on marriage. It’s a travesty inflicted upon men and women.”
Adrian’s jovial expression faded. “Yes, I remember you telling me about your parents, but most marriages are not unhappy, Peregrine. Even those not based on true love are often friendly alliances. You must trust that there is goodness to be had, happiness and joy to be found with the right woman. Haven’t you met anyone who has tempted you to think about that?”
Peregrine was silent a long time. “There was a woman... last fall. I met her at Lady Germain’s masquerade ball. There was something about her, somethingwonderful. She would be one I would consider, but...”
“But?”
“I lost her.”
“How so?”
Peregrine smiled ruefully. “You will think me mad.”
“Try me,” Adrian said.
He told Adrian all about how he’d been at Lady Germain’s ball and how a beautiful stranger had waltzed into his arms—and just as quickly out of them. He spoke of his connection with her, his desire to simply hold her, and how he’d felt an affinity for her, something that had frightened and fascinated him all at the same time.
“I may have let myself do something very foolish,” Peregrine admitted.
“Such as?”
“Well...” He lowered his voice since he knew that it was impolite to speak of a woman in a club if he wasn’t married to her. Of course, he didn’t even know the woman’s name, but still...
“We took a walk in the gardens.”
Adrian lowered his voice as well. “I assume byawalkyou mean...”
“Yes, and it was her wish, not mine. She told me something rather peculiar.”
“During thiswalk?”
Peregrine nodded. “She claimed she was trying to avoid marriage to someone and she could only do so by disposing of her maidenhead.”
“And you believed her? That is exactly what a woman would say to entrap a man in marriage.”
“It occurred to me as well, but no one discovered us. She kept her word, and neither of us removed our masks. I don’t even know what she looks like.”
“And you simply...”
