When Cordelia had nearly fallen directly into his arms, she’d blushed and apologized. He’d held her close, taken off her domino, and studied her face. She was pretty, petite, almost pixie-like. Quiet and unassuming. He’d decided right then. He’d marry her, make an heir, and settle her into his country estate leaving her to raise the child. Easy.
She squinted her eyes. “Really? I was thinking a little of this and a bit of that didn’t sound like anything at all.”
He looked back at her, his mind refocusing to the present. Was the sun reflecting off her glasses or was there a glint in her eye? “Precisely.”
Her small pink tongue darted from her mouth and licked her full upper lip, starting in one corn
er and sliding across the entire bow of her mouth until it finally finished on the opposite side. His insides tightened in the strangest way. He knew what lust was, he was a seasoned man of eight and twenty. He’d had more than his fair share of partners. But Cordelia should have nothing to do with such emotions. Why was his body responding to her? She was the safe and predictable choice.
He’d chosen her so that he’d have a wife from whom he could remain detached.
“What do you mean, precisely? Precisely what? That doesn’t make sense. You don’t want me to say anything of consequence?” She narrowed her gaze. “Why do you care what I say at all?”
He frowned. They were already getting off topic. “You’re missing the point.”
“I don’t think I am.” She curtseyed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Lady Cordelia gave a small sniff and then she turned to go.
Malice dropped his hands, his brow scrunching. What the bloody hell was she doing? Letting out a frustrated breath he crossed the garden and grabbed her arm.
* * *
Cordelia started down the path, determined to leave the Marquess of Malicorn where he belonged—in her past.
It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, precisely. He was darkly handsome with a square jaw and features that were disconcerting in their sharpness. Prominent cheek bones and a heavy brow that lent him an air of danger.
She shivered, despite herself. His large frame hinted at muscles that surely were a hazard to any upstanding lady. Both because she knew him to be a man that didn’t follow rules and because all his features put together, made him rather…exciting.
As if he were reading her thoughts, he reached out and wrapped his fingers about her arm at the same time he spoke her name. “Lady Cordelia.”
She jolted, her insides going silly as she whirled about. “You frightened me.”
He immediately dropped his hand. “My apologies. I simply would like to continue our conversation.”
Cordelia caught her lip between her teeth. “Very kind of you, but I must decline.”
He stared down at her, his brows drawing together. She’d thought his eye color was near black but out here in the light, she could see they were far more chocolate in their shade of brown and rather endearing. “Why?”
Her mouth opened as she tried to form words. Why? Was it not obvious? “You are an eligible man and I am an eligible woman. We should not be found alone together. We’ve enough scandal floating about us already. You know the Countess of Abernath has threatened to expose me and my family for our visit to your club. We should take every precaution to be proper.”
He relaxed at those words, his shoulders easing down. “I agree and I appreciate your sense of propriety. It’s a most advantageous quality.”
Cordelia stilled, his words tumbling about her mind. There it was again. He was complimenting her on some attribute that he found pleasing. Why? “You like my propriety and my hobbies that I haven’t even named. Which actually makes no sense.”
His brow dropped low, his mouth pinching into a frown. “You’re smarter than I thought you’d be.”
“Thank you?” she said, giving her head a small shake.
He waved. “No matter.” Then he reached out to her again, taking her hand in his. Even with her gloves on, a tingly sort of sensation travelled up her arm. “What I wish to discuss with you would solve all of your problems with the countess and with propriety and so on and so forth.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “Why do I get the impression that I want to know the details of the so on and so forth?”
His mouth pulled to one side. “You ask a lot of questions.”
“Again. Thank you.” The tingling was growing distracting and so she pulled her hand from his. Then she bobbed another quick curtsy. “If that is all, my lord.”
“No.” He crossed his arms. “That isn’t all.”
She suppressed a sigh. He clearly wasn’t going to gracefully allow her to leave until he’d said whatever he was hinting around. “Pray, continue.”