LITMIR.BIZ

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That had made her anxious and uncomfortable, as she had no wish to be kissed by him or any of her suitors. Kisses were, of course, highly improper and she’d never received more than a peck on the check or a lingering kiss on the hand. She had wondered briefly if she was leading him on, as Alexi had accused her of doing. But every debutante she knew enjoyed the company of numerous suitors, including those they did not take seriously.

      She had kept up a stream of lively conversation and he had never made the advance, much to her relief. Instead, the rain had abated and they had returned to Askeaton.

      He’d asked if he could call on her again. It had crossed her mind that she should do as Alexi had asked—she should tell Montgomery, very frankly, that he was just a friend. She did not want to lead him on or give him false hope, not really. But then she thought of how Alexi was ignoring her—and how preoccupied he was with Louisa. Surely she was entitled to a casual flirtation, when he was wildly involved with his paramour!

      So instead of telling Montgomery the truth, she had invited him to Adare. The earl had not been at home, but she had introduced him to the countess. Lizzie had insisted on giving them refreshments and her daughter Margery had joined them. It had been a very pleasant afternoon. Afterward she had given him a tour of the ancestral mansion, regaling him with the family’s long and convoluted history, which went back to Norman times. Montgomery had seemed at ease with everyone and everything, but when they were driving home he had confessed he had never met a countess before, much less been in a palace like Adare.

      “I would have never known.” Elysse had smiled. She decided not to tell him that Adare was hardly a palace.

      “I have never met a princess like you, either,” he had said, his gaze searing.

      His look was too bold for her comfort now. “I am hardly a princess! You are teasing me, sir.”

      “For a man like me, you are a dream come true,” he had said, obviously meaning every word. “When I am with you, sometimes I wonder if I am dreaming and I will wake up to find out that these moments have never happened. You are a princess in every possible way, to me, at least.”

      She had been flattered. Where Alexi thought she flirted like a harlot, William Montgomery thought her a princess. When he had smiled warmly at her, she had smiled back, and then they had driven the rest of the way to Askeaton, chatting, their friendship somehow stronger.

      She had received her invitation to Amanda’s “celebratory spring ball” a few days ago. A personal note had been enclosed. Amanda had written that the ball was being held in her stepson’s honor, to welcome Alexi home from China properly and to celebrate his stunningly successful run.

      Her heart skipped a beat or two. She knew Alexi’s plans—Montgomery had revealed them. He would not run for China till early summer, as the first pick of tea was in July and it took a good month or more to send it down to the Cantonese warehouses from the interior; it could take another month or more to negotiate for the cargo and its price. And that was if he got the first pick again, which the pilot said was by no means a certainty. The trade was so highly competitive! November was the most dangerous month in which to beat down the China Sea—while the monsoon which came from the northeast was a terrific boon, it was accompanied by terrible typhoons, and few captains would disembark that month. Even Alexi preferred to depart in December. Elysse realized that once he left in June, he would not be home until March—a full year from now.

      And he had no intention of carousing in Dublin or London until June. Next week he would return to Liverpool to pick up a cargo for a short Mediterranean run. When he returned from Cyprus, Elysse would be certain to be in London to see him. Maybe by then this strange impasse would be forgotten and they would be friends again.

      But did she really want to return to their old friendship? She thought about being in his arms and her skin tingled. Except Louisa Cochrane was the woman in his arms. She had, somehow, been completely forgotten.

      But tonight she intended to change that.

      It was their turn to alight from the coach. She was terribly nervous about seeing Alexi again. Jack dutifully helped her down, her voluminous satin skirts being somewhat treacherous. She was wearing her most stunning dress tonight. The gown was at once sophisticated and daring—even her brother’s eyes had widened when he had first seen her in it. Of lavender silk, the low-cut bodice revealed a great deal of her chest and shoulders. The dress boasted expansive demigigot sleeves while the equally full skirts were intricately beaded and the narrow waistline was banded with darker velvet and a bow. She wore amethyst and diamond jewelry to complete the ensemble. Surely Alexi would notice her now.

      As he guided her to the front door, Jack whispered, “I wonder, Elysse, just whom are you wearing that dress for?”

      She flushed and glared at him. Elysse kept her voice low. “I have no idea what you mean.”

      He grinned at her. “After you, sister.”

      Standing at the front door with Cliff and Amanda was the guest of honor.

      Alexi looked directly at her. Elysse paused behind her parents, trying not to make a sharp sound. She hadn’t seen Alexi in formal evening wear in years. He was so devastatingly handsome, so impossibly male. Now she knew she hadn’t imagined the desire she had felt earlier in the week. Her heart leaped. If she wasn’t careful, he would guess that she had somehow become terribly attracted to him. Suddenly, when she was usually the queen of every ball and the center of so much attention, she did not know what to do. How on earth could she get him to realize that she was a beautiful woman?

      She dared to glance at him again. Although he moved to greet her parents, his gaze was unwavering upon her.

      She wondered if he knew about her second outing with Montgomery. It was now her turn to greet their hosts. She kissed Amanda’s cheek, murmuring a greeting, and smiled at Cliff. Even as she gave Cliff her hand, she felt Alexi staring at her. Heat crested in her cheeks. Slowly, she looked up.

      “Hello, Elysse.” He spoke softly—intimately—taking her entirely by surprise. “You are stunning tonight. Clearly, you will be the belle of this ball.”

      She knew he meant it and she smiled at him, thrilled. “And you are so very handsome in your tuxedo, Alexi. Surely you are the most dashing gentleman here.”

      She thought she saw some amusement in his blue eyes, but she couldn’t be certain. His dark brows lifted. “Is Jack your escort?”

      She felt her tension escalate and she wet her lips. “I don’t have an escort,” she managed. “So we are no longer arguing?”

      His gaze held her own regard. “We are not arguing. I don’t want to fight with you.”

      She smiled happily, but she was aware of remaining incredibly nervous. “Do you really like my dress?”

      His long, thick, black lashes lowered. It was a moment before she realized that his gaze had moved down her bodice before jerking back up to her face. A slight flush marked his high cheekbones. “Of course I like the dress. Every man here will like the dress. It is indecent on an unwed woman, Elysse.” His tone seemed rough.

      Before she could protest that his claim was absurd, he said, “But when you chose it, you knew that you would attract even more attention than you usually do.”

      She trembled. She had chosen the dress to attract his attention, but she could hardly admit that. “Every woman dresses up for a ball, especially when there are so few these days.”

      He did not respond and she realized they were holding up the line. She lowered her voice and said, “I heard that you are leaving for Cyprus soon.”

      His gaze sharpened. Without turning, he said to Cliff, “Excuse us for a moment.”

      “What are you doing?” she asked, as he pulled her from the front of the queue. They moved toward the long ebony console set against the pale stone wall. A tall, gilded baroque mirror was above it. In it, she saw their reflections—his serious, hers almost frightened. From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Montgomery watching them, but

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