Page 23 of A Rogue for Christmas
Both men folded their arms across their chests as though they’d coordinated the movement. It was Seaford who spoke. “What are your intentions? Are you disappointed because you were hoping to spend another night with her before going on your merry way?”
Wentworth scowled. “No.” He realized he’d spoken far too loudly when several heads turned in his direction. “Iris is mine. I want to marry her.”
Thornton’s eyes widened in surprise. Seaford, however, clapped him on the back. He didn’t appear to be surprised by the outburst. “You left her satisfied?”
“Of course. I need to speak to her.”
Thornton let out a resigned breath. “We can hardly allow you to spirit her away. But perhaps our wives can lure her away from the ballroom so you can speak to her.”
Relief flooded through him. “Thank you. I am forever in your debt.”
“Don’t thank us yet,” Seaford said. “The Rowland women can be quite stubborn.”
They made him wait an interminable quarter of an hour before announcing it was time to join the women for the evening.
After entering the ballroom, Wentworth scanned the clusters of women. He found Iris sitting between two older women. She would have heard the men enter the room—several were arguing about whether they would wake up to snow tomorrow—but she didn’t glance their way.
Iris was definitely pulling away from him, and he needed to find out why so he could fix the situation. If she were any other woman, he would have celebrated the fact that there would be no awkward displays, simply a mutual parting of the ways after an enjoyable night together. But Iris’s distance left him feeling as though he were missing a part of himself.
He moved to one side of the room, careful to keep her within his sight lest she change her mind and give him a sign that she wanted him to approach her. But she concentrated on the two women sitting next to her to the exclusion of all else.
True to their word, Thornton and Seaford approached their wives. After a short conversation, during which both women glanced his way, Viscountess Thornton and the Countess of Seaford approached Iris and said something to her. Probably asked her to go with them since Iris rose and followed the women from the room.
She didn’t look at him, but it was clear she knew exactly where he was standing. It was the one part of the room she avoided looking at.
Seaford approached. “They’re taking her just down the hall. We’ll stand by the door to delay anyone from leaving the room, but we won’t be able to bar the exit for long.”
The constriction around his heart was beginning to ease. “Thank you.”
He slipped from the room and spotted the trio of women clustered down the hall a fair distance away. Iris was clutching her sister’s hand and whispering something to her.
He started toward the group, his steps faltering when Iris turned to look at him. The pain on her face tore at him.
He inclined his head to the two women. “Thank you for understanding and agreeing to give us a moment to speak.”
Seaford’s wife frowned. “Have a care with my sister’s heart.”
He nodded.
Iris watched them go, the expression on her face forlorn.
Somehow he kept from reaching for her. “Are you angry with me? Did I fumble last night horribly?”
She met his gaze then. “No, Harry. You were wonderful.”
He took heart from the fact that she wasn’t insisting on formality between them. “So why are you ignoring me now?”
She folded her arms around her waist as though he was hurting her. “I’m falling in love with you.”
Her admission left him stunned. He’d hoped for as much, but given the distance she was trying to erect between them, he feared he’d done something to make her hate him.
“Just so,” she said, her voice shaky. As though she were trying to hold back tears. “It’s a disaster. It seems that I am unable to conduct a short affair with you. I only ask that you respect my wishes and not press me further on this.”
She wasn’t making any sense. “Because you love me.”
“Yes. And you don’t engage in love affairs. Just physical ones.”
One corner of his mouth lifted. “What if I decided that I could?”
