Page 21 of Stolen by My Knave
CHAPTER EIGHT
Adamned ball. There was no avoiding the dratted thing. He’d promised Clifton he’d stay at the party and that meant attending all the events too. Elizabeth had been persistent in attempting to talk to him, but by some miracle he’d escaped each time. His luck wasn’t going to hold out for long though. She would make him tell her why he was avoiding her. That was inevitable... He hoped to put it off for as long as possible.
Because his feelings for her were—wrong.
How was he to explain that to her. He shouldn’t desire someone he was directly related to. She was his sister’s granddaughter—his niece’s daughter. It was dirty to think of her the way he did. Until he found a way to remove that disgusting emotion from himself, he couldn’t be near her. The temptation was too great, and Jack didn’t believe he was strong enough to resist it.
He adjusted his cravat one last time and took a deep breath. It was time to go downstairs and face his fate. If luck was on his side, and it usually was, he’d be able to continue to steer clear of Elizabeth. He’d do as Clifton asked and pay attention to his sister, Lady Bianca. It might even offer discouragement to Elizabeth, something he desperately needed in order to make it through the night’s festivities.
Jack left his room and headed toward the ballroom. He stopped outside the entrance and stared at the sea of gowns glittering under the candlelight. There were a lot of people inside the room. Lady Clifton had invited all the neighboring estates, and if Jack had to guess, an additional set of invites went out to a great deal of the aristocracy. She was one hell of a determined mama ready to find her daughter a husband of means. The mercenary side of Jack appreciated her efforts, but he rather felt sorry for Lady Bianca. She must feel a little lost in the sea of sharks at the ball.
He located Lady Bianca and made his way to her side. She glanced up at him with a ready smile. “Lord Whitewood, it’s good to see you. How are you finding the ball so far?”
Horrible, and he’d been in attendance less than a quarter hour. He couldn’t very well tell her that though. “It’s lovely. Your mother has a nice touch.”
She was one of the scariest people he’d ever met, and that was saying a lot considering his former pirating days. He handled her tenaciousness, but only because he had experiences wrangling people. A ship’s captain had to have complete authority and respect. There was one crew member who’d dare to defy him though. Percy... Jack hoped that Paul had managed to kill the man when he'd failed. Percy had dared to throw Evelyn overboard and when that hadn’t killed her, he’d been ready to slide a saber through her. Jack had been enraged when he realized Percy had defied his orders and given in to his ridiculous superstitions about a woman aboard a ship. The damned man had blamed Evelyn for all their misfortunes.
Lady Bianca bit her bottom lip and stared across the room. Jack turned to see who had her attention. Lord Redmayne was in her line of sight. Did the girl have an interest in the earl? That made his job a little easier if she did. If the earl was her preference, perhaps he could encourage a courtship between the two of them.
“Mama has the determination of...” Lady Bianca blushed prettily. “I probably shouldn’t finish that thought. It’s not very ladylike.”
Jack’s lips tilted upward. “With me, you may speak your mind. I like a woman who isn’t afraid to say what she’s thinking.”
“That’s good advice,” a familiar female voice said. “Do listen to him.”
Jack swore under his breath.Bloody hell. His luck wasn’t holding out. He should’ve known Elizabeth would show up and ruin his good mood. It was a ball, after all. Everyone was expected to attend. Instead of addressing her, he kept his focus on Lady Bianca.
“Has your dance card been filled?”
Lady Bianca shook her head. “I have a few still open.”
“Let me see it.”
Lady Bianca handed him her card. He quickly wrote his name down for an innocent quadrille and then handed it back to her. “I look forward to our dance.”
“As do I, Your Grace.”
“Are you going to dance with me?” Elizabeth tilted her chin upward and smiled at him with all the innocence of a... Jack paused and stared at Elizabeth as if he was seeing her for the first time. He’d been about to compare her to a pirate. Where had she learned to bring a man down with one look? Her face nearly danced with defiance as if daring him to refuse her. Her lips were open slightly and she’d lifted one brow mocking him.
Jack gritted his teeth. It was beyond rude for a lady to ask for a dance, but Elizabeth wasn’t afraid to be bold. He had a choice: either give her the cut direct or sign his name to her card. The easiest with all of society watching them was to accept his fate and dance with her, but it would be no simple task for him. He wanted more than anything to hold her in his arms. It was his deepest, darkest desire. Instead of speaking, he snatched her card from her and wrote his name on the first line he saw. He didn’t even look to see what the dance was.
She glanced down at the card and smiled coyly. “A waltz? How nice. I look forward to it.” Elizabeth’s eyes appeared to gleam with amusement. “By the way, I spoke to my mother. She would like a word with you at your earliest convenience.”
With those words, she spun on her heels and left them alone. He didn’t know what to make of that, but inside he had the dueling emotions of dread and excitement. How could he have signed to dance a waltz with her? He was a bloody fool. She didn’t understand, and it was time for him to explain why they couldn’t explore their desire—and it was there. It blossomed whenever she was near and ate away at him. He was doomed to always want her and long for her at a distance. Was this his fate for being a pirate?
“Do you have an interest in Lady Elizabeth?” Lady Bianca asked quietly.
Jack turned toward her. “Not at all. It’s a long-lost family connection.”
She quirked a brow. “How so? The Weston line is extensive. Is that how you’re acquainted?”
Not exactly, but he couldn’t very well explain that to her. “It’s a long story and complicated.”
“I understand.” She nodded. “Oh, there’s Lady Hyacinth. Have you met her?”
“I can’t say I have.”
A woman with midnight tresses styled in the latest fashion walked up to them. She leaned over and gave Lady Bianca a quick hug. She was a beauty, but Jack wanted a golden blonde temptress.
