Merely the Groom (Free Fellows League 2)

His breath caught in his throat. “Sarah, I’m not—”

“Looking?” Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “I beg to differ, Jays.”

It took a moment for Jarrod to recover his speech. “It’s not what you suppose. I’m not interested in dancing with Gillian Davies or in making her my marchioness.”

“Why not?” she demanded.

“I don’t happen to be in the market for a wife,” he answered.

“Then what are you doing here?”

He shrugged. “Would you believe I came to dance?”

She didn’t believe it for a moment. “You don’t appear to be dancing.”

Jarrod grinned at her. “Only because you haven’t asked me to.”

* * *

“What kept you?” Jarrod inquired after Colin managed to make his way through the crush of people surrounding the refreshment table.

“Nothing kept me,” Colin told him. “I’ve been here well over two hours.” He watched Jarrod deposit two soiled buffet plates and two empty punch cups on a large tray near the refreshment table for removal to the kitchen.

“I didn’t see you arrive,” Jarrod admitted.

“I was here when you got here,” Colin explained. “Over there—” He nodded toward the far end of the ballroom, where chaperones sat on a row of chairs keeping close watch on their charges. “Talking with my mother.”

“Your mother is here?”

Colin nodded once again. “Chaperoning my younger sister.”

“It doesn’t seem possible that little Liana’s ready to come out.”

“She’s seventeen,” Colin confirmed. “And looking forward to her first real season.” The rounds of parties heralding the little season had begun several weeks ago, but the real season didn’t start until parliament began its session in May.

“Why aren’t they at Almack’s?”

“They haven’t received vouchers. And frankly, my mother was relieved, because she didn’t know how she was going to finance Liana’s debut. Especially when everyone knows my father has gambled everything away.” A flush of color rose from Colin’s neck to the tips of his ears, and he glanced down at the floor. “She needs my help.”

Jarrod sighed. Lady McElreath routinely needed Colin’s help with the day-to-day expenses of running a home and rearing his siblings. “Seasons are damnably expensive,” Jarrod reminded him. “Do you have that kind of blunt?”

Colin looked up from his perusal of the polished leather top of his right shoe. “I’ve got some capital put away. It should cover the cost of a full season. It won’t leave me with much, but Liana’s a good lass. She deserves the chance to make a good match, and a full London season with all the trimmings is the best way to accomplish that.”

“I could—” Jarrod began.

“No,” Colin said firmly. “Thank you, but no. You do plenty.” He smiled. “I already owe you the roof over my head and a great many of the clothes on my back. I can’t accept more.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Jarrod protested. “And I have plenty of money. There’s no need for you to spend all of your capital on Liana’s coming out when I can easily afford to finance it.”

Colin managed a self-deprecating laugh. “I know you can. Hell, everybody in London knows you can.” His voice deepened to a low, rough burr. “I deeply appreciate your most generous offer. And, believe me, I’m very tempted to take you up on it, but I’ve managed to make a bit of money off the investments I’ve made for you and Griff. It’s not a big fortune, but it’s a tidy sum, and it will be put to good use in launching Liana into society.”

“Launching?” Jarrod smiled. “Unleashing is more like it.” Colin’s younger sister was a true beauty with a mind and a will of her own.

Colin grinned. “Aye, our Liana will cut a wide swath among London society. And we’ll get to enjoy watching her winnow out the lesser men and boys.”

Jarrod sobered. “We’ll have to be on our guard. We’ve a charlatan in our midst, preying on the hearts and purses of young girls and their families.”

Colin studied the expression on his friend’s face. “Was that the case with her?” He nodded toward the dance floor. “Did our impostor prey on her?”