She saw it, read it; a frown in her eyes, she waved him to the door.
Smiling, he turned, glancing at her as she fell in beside him. Before the door, he halted, caught her eye as she looked up. “I’ll send Maggs this afternoon.”
She blinked at him. “Maggs?”
“The footman.”
“Ah.” She drew herself up, nodded. “Yes, of course. Thank you.”
He grinned, ducked his head, and kissed her—stole one last kiss from her luscious lips—then straightened and met her eyes, green and slightly dazed. “I’ll see myself out.”
He managed to suppress a smirk; feeling positively virtuous, he opened the door, gracefully saluted her, then closed it.
Alicia stared at the panels. Beyond them, she heard his footsteps recede, then the front door opened, and shut.
He was gone.
Reason and logic returned in a flood; the last minutes—however many minutes it had been—replayed in her mind.
Her increasingly horrified mind.
Her lips still throbbed, her skin still tingled, her breasts… she could still feel the sensation of his mouth moving over them…
With a groan, she closed her eyes and slumped against the door.
What was she going to do?
SEVEN
“MY DEAR MRS. CARRINGTON, MAY I PRESENT SIR Freddie Caudel?”
Lady Hertford beamed at Alicia, who divined that gaining Sir Freddie’s notice was something of a coup. She extended her hand with a polite murmur.
Sir Freddie took her fingers and bowed gracefully. A gentleman in his middle years, he was handsome in a quiet, patrician way.
Alicia smiled. In a few short minutes, she established that Sir Freddie was a scion of an old and ancient house and consequently socially prominent, held a political post in the government, possessed a degree of polish and address to which younger men could only aspire, and was on the lookout for a wellborn, beautiful, and young bride.
Not surprisingly, Adriana had caught his eye.
Alicia hestitated, wondering if she should, in all compassion, nip Sir Freddie’s aspirations in the bud; from all she could see, Adriana was fast losing her heart to Geoffrey Manningham.
Sir Freddie had followed her gaze to where Adriana stood by Lord Manningham’s side. “I realize, of course, that youth and beauty go hand in hand, yet often you ladies have a remarkably discerning eye.”
Alicia met Sir Freddie’s blue eyes, guileless and amused. Geoffrey might be younger, yet Sir Freddie was undeniably distinguished, and his manners, while absolutely correct, had an ease about them, a comfortable confidence deriving from years of moving in the first circles.
Sir Freddie might give Geoffrey a run for his money.
More particularly for Adriana’s heart, which her hand would follow.
Lips curving, Alicia inclined her head. “If you wish to join my sister’s circle, I have no objection.” She seriously doubted Sir Freddie would succeed, but there was no harm in him attempting to upset Manningham’s applecart.
Sir Freddie offered his arm. “If you would introduce me?”
Placing her fingers on his sleeve, Alicia allowed him to lead her to Adriana’s side.
Adriana was, as always, polite to anyone who sought her attention. Introduction completed, Alicia withdrew, rejoining Lady Hertford at the side of the room.
“He’s very highly thought of,” her ladyship whispered.