Marquess of Menace (Lords of Scandal 10)

Eliza wasn’t for him.

“Our bargain is done,” he said and then he walked away. Toward Lady Carmella Dumbly.

Eliza watched Dylan cross the room with her head held high. But inside, she shrank a bit. She’d just taken some big risks to learn very little.

Her uncle was forcing her hand. Drat the man.

She’d practically offered herself to a rake. In her defense, she had no intention of actually allowing him liberties. But that didn’t mean it had been a good idea. Women had been ruined for less.

She’d just been looking for a way to slip past his defenses and get what she’d needed from him.

Information.

She sighed as she watched him slide next to Carmella. Instantly he drew the girl’s attention away from the other men surrounding her. Eliza allowed herself another long sigh as she slipped back into the ballroom. Of course he had. The man was distractingly dashing.

There had been a moment where she’d brushed up against him that she’d nearly forgotten herself. She’d wanted to slide her arms up around his neck and touched her lips to his.

She shook her head. Despite her bluff that she had all sorts of experience, in truth she had very little. And a rake was no man from whom to learn such things.

She didn’t want to marry so she was less worried about her own reputation, but her sisters needed to wed, and she’d not allow a foolish crush on a rake to ruin their futures.

Once they were taken care of…she shrugged. Perhaps she’d never go near a man again. Or perhaps she’d take to the stage and become an actress, or mayhap she’d travel to America and visit the wild west.

She laughed despite herself.

Such adventures sounded exciting and a welcome change from worrying and work. Not that Eliza regretted caring for her sisters. She loved them more than anything. But once they were safely matched and her mother and father’s assets were back in her hands, the world was her oyster.

Her gaze darted to Menace again. Somehow, Carmella was already hanging off his arm as though he were the most fascinating man in all of England.

Perhaps he was.

Eliza would never admit this to anyone, but she might find him fascinating as well. She’d lied when she’d said he was simple. He was such a mystery that he sometimes stole her breath. How could one man create such a riot inside her body?

The warm air of the room made her shiver after the cold of the outside as she slipped next to Abigail.

“There you are,” her sister whispered. “Don’t worry. Aunt Mildred didn’t notice you were gone. She’s too busy with Emily. Yet another man is completely smitten with our youngest sister.”

Eliza smiled. As kind as she was lovely, it was easy for everyone to like Emily. “Don’t be jealous. Is that baron still seeking you out regularly?”

Abigail rolled her eyes. “You know he is. He came to calling hours yesterday. Aunt Mildred says I should marry him but I’m just not…”

Eliza stopped listening. Because just behind Menace, she’d spotted another man. Tall and dark-haired, he stared back at her with a knowing smirk on his face. He was their mystery man from their carriage rescue. Here. Tonight.

His gaze held hers and he gave a single sideways nod of his head, gesturing toward the door to the hallway. Then he pushed off the wall and began to slowly make his way in the direction he’d indicated.

Her breath caught. Should she go? Should she tell Abigail?

But just then Baron Rumples arrived, requesting a dance even as Aunt Mildred, the major, and Emily continued to converse.

She let Abigail go, giving a smile of encouragement. This was what her sisters were supposed to do. Meet men they might marry. And she would continue to investigate their father’s disappearance and their uncle’s involvement.

Taking a deep breath, she started for the door.

The crowd was thick, and she lost sight of him several times but finally found him leaning against the door jamb leading out to the hallway.

Meeting with Menace had been one thing. Though he was a rake, she also knew he was her brother-in-law’s dear friend. His relationship with Bash would keep him in check. Not only that but she inherently trusted him for some reason.

But this man…