Page 38 of An Affair with a Notorious Heiress
“So you left Gina alone?” Her obvious displeasure irked.
“I left her in the company of others. She’ll be fine.” He noticed the rip in her gown then, and the anger rose up anew. He should have hit Evanston at least three more times. “You not so much. Your gown is torn. You can’t return to the main area looking like that. I’ll see you to one of the ladies’ lounges, then fetch Gina. We’ll go out through this door.”
She rolled back her shoulders, angled her chin, and somehow managed to look down her nose at him. “I can find the lounge myself. You need to return to my sister’s side.”
The haughty Lady Landsdowne had returned. Damn it all. Why the hell did her actions make him want to kiss her all the more? “Ah, bugger it.”
Once more he cradled her cheek, only this time he lowered his mouth to hers, relishing the plumpness of her lower lip, the taste of brandy—
She shoved on his shoulders, and he reluctantly relented, taking two steps back.
“What are you doing?” she demanded.
“Giving into temptation and kissing you, obviously.”
She narrowed her eyes, her lips tightening with disgust. “You’re like all the others, no loyalty, no allegiance. Naught but lies, deception, and false devotion.”
He didn’t much like being bundled with such an unfavorable lot, liked even less acknowledging that she was well within her right to find fault with him. He was no better than the other two men he’d witnessed with her. “Accept my profuse apologies. I have no excuse for my behavior except to admit that I have been drawn to you from the moment you walked into your parlor and offered me whisky.”
She appeared even more horrified. “Yet you continued to call upon my sister? You are the worst sort of blackguard. Your courtship of my sister has come to an end. We’ll find a hackney and make our own way home.”
She brushed by him with righteous indignation. He didn’t blame her, and he knew the next words probably weren’t going to gain any favor with her, but still he grabbed her arm. She swung around, her fist landing with a wallop on his shoulder that he rightfully deserved.
“I’m not courting your sister.”
Jerking her arm free of his hold, she glared at him. “I beg your pardon?”
He heaved a frustrated sigh. “I was never courting her, not seriously. Your uncle asked me to give her attention because he thought it would cause the other lords to take an interest in her.”
With her hands fisted at her sides, she took a step toward him, and he, for some inexplicable reason, felt compelled to take a step back. Perhaps it was the fury burning in her eyes. “Do you have any idea what this is going to do to her? She thinks you’re her knight in shining armor. She waxes on about your looks, your virtues, your kindness as though you are a god.” She punched him again. “You bastard! You will shatter her heart, and I will be left to pick up the pieces.” She hit him again. “You’re despicable!”
“I wasn’t giving her that much attention,” he offered ineffectually in his own defense.
“Why give her any at all? What did my uncle promise you?”
It seemed rather trite when compared with the possibility of shattering a girl’s heart, and yet he’d gone this far in revealing himself for the scoundrel he was. No sense in holding back now. “Black Diamond for stud.”
Her ugly and hideous scoff echoed with retribution. “I can promise you that you will never damned well get that. You will fetch Gina from the gaming room, you will escort us home, and once there you will tell her the truth of your dastardly deceit.” She spun on her heel and began marching away from him.
“Where are you going?”
She swung back around. “To find a room where I can wait for you. You are correct. I can’t go out onto the gaming floor with a ripped bodice.” She shook her head, and he could make out tears welling in her eyes again. “Damn you!”
Watching as she stormed away from him, he knew she was right. He was a complete and utter ass. His confession had caused him to lose any chance of obtaining Black Diamond for stud.
But more, he feared it had cost him Lady Landsdowne.
Chapter 7
Rexton had never been more disgusted with himself. While he’d questioned his fake courtship of Gina, Lady Landsdowne had managed to drive home the possible damaging consequences of what he was doing. It had never been his intent to cause Gina any hurt. He’d convinced himself that finding the proper gentleman for her would absolve him of any wrongdoing. It had helped matters because she’d not seemed particularly besotted with him.
He had to face the reality he’d behaved badly and that behavior had put Lady Landsdowne beyond reach. Not that he had a clear idea regarding what their relationship might have been had he caught her. Her reputation coupled with her desire to return to America indicated anything between them would be short-lived. Although now it wouldn’t exist at all.
As Rexton approached the roulette table, he noticed Andrew standing beside Gina, talking, laughing, pointing to where she should place her bets. She seemed to be having a jolly good time, and he loathed himself because he was going to ruin her evening.
“Andrew,” he said quietly, placing his hand on his brother’s shoulder.
“Rex.” Andrew stepped back, giving him room to get nearer to Gina. “I was just giving Miss Hammersley some tips on wagering.”
