Page 53 of A Rogue to Resist
Rosabel’s knowing gaze held no judgment, only understanding. “The terrace doors are open. Take a few minutes to compose yourself, but don’t linger too long—your absence will be noticed.”
“Thank you,” Katherine replied, grateful for her sister-in-law’s discretion. “I just need to clear my head.”
She made her way toward the terrace doors, slipping outside into the cool evening air. The garden below was beautifully illuminated with strategically placed lanterns, casting a soft glow over the manicured hedges and spring blooms. Katherine drew a deep breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions.
Before stepping back inside, she glanced once more through the terrace doors. Drake was still engaged with Lady Elizabeth, but as though sensing Katherine’s gaze, he looked up suddenly, his eyes finding hers across the crowded room.
For a brief moment, their eyes held. Then Drake’s mouth curved into something that wasn’t quite a smile—a knowing look that seemed to ask the very question Katherine had been avoiding all evening.
Are you jealous?
Katherine turned away quickly, unwilling to acknowledge the question or its answer, even to herself. But as she gathered her composure to rejoin the gathering, one truth became impossible to ignore: her feelings for Drake Halston had progressed far beyond professional respect or even friendship.
And that realization was more terrifying than any boundary dispute could ever be.
Chapter Thirteen
“Jealous, are we?” Drake murmured, materializing beside Katherine as she re-entered the drawing room from the terrace.
He had been watching her all evening, noting each flash of annoyance that crossed her face whenever Lady Elizabeth touched his arm or leaned close to whisper some inconsequential observation. The progression had been fascinating to observe—from initial irritation to barely concealed displeasure, culminating in her abrupt escape to the terrace.
Katherine’s spine stiffened as though she’d been struck. “I beg your pardon?”
“Your hasty retreat to the terrace,” Drake elaborated, keeping his voice low enough that the other guests couldn’t overhear. “One might almost think you found Lady Elizabeth’s attentions to me... distressing.”
“What an absurd notion,” Katherine replied, her chin lifting defiantly though a tell-tale flush coloured her cheeks. “I merely needed fresh air. The room was becoming rather warm.”
“Indeed?” Drake allowed his gaze to drift meaningfully toward Lady Elizabeth, who was watching them with thinly veiled curiosity from across the room. “And it had nothing to do with Miss Crawford’s particularly effusive admiration?”
“Why should I care who flatters you?” Katherine retorted, her voice sharper than she likely intended. “You are free to pursue whomever you wish.”
The vehemence of her denial was so transparently false that Drake couldn’t suppress a grin. “Of course. My mistake.”
Katherine’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “You seem remarkably pleased with yourself, Lord Greythorne. Enjoying your parade of prospective brides?”
“Not particularly,” Drake admitted, surprising himself with his candour. “Though your brother has certainly assembled an impressive selection. Lady Elizabeth is considered this Season’s incomparable, I’m told.”
“She is beautiful,” Katherine acknowledged stiffly. “Young. Well-connected. Precisely the sort of bride one would expect an earl to choose.”
There was something in her tone—a carefully suppressed bitterness—that intrigued Drake far more than Lady Elizabeth’s practiced charms had all evening.
“And yet,” he said quietly, “I find myself unmoved by her considerable attributes.”
Katherine’s gaze snapped to his, genuine surprise replacing her defensive posture. “Unmoved? But she’s—”
“Lovely. Accomplished. Eager to please,” Drake finished for her. “And utterly devoid of any quality that might sustain my interest beyond this evening’s dinner.”
A flash of something that looked suspiciously like satisfaction crossed Katherine’s face before she schooled her features into neutral curiosity. “How unfortunate. And the other ladies my brother has presented? Lady Eleanor seems intelligent, at least.”
Drake glanced across the room at the dark-haired young woman in question, who was engaged in animated conversationwith Sir William Harding. “She discussed poetry at length. Impressive knowledge of Wordsworth.”
“Yet you remain uninterested,” Katherine observed.
“I remain... unconvinced,” Drake corrected carefully. “Marriage is a lifelong commitment. I prefer not to make such decisions based on a single dinner conversation.”
Katherine’s lips curved in a small, sardonic smile. “How practical. Though with your deadline approaching, extended courtship seems an unaffordable luxury.”
“I’m well aware of my constraints,” Drake replied, a hint of irritation creeping into his tone. “But I refuse to be rushed into the most significant decision of my life merely because some long-dead Halston decreed an arbitrary timeline.”
