The music was impressive. Wonderful, in fact. Why not enjoy this dance before he confirmed what she had most likely guessed? The rhythm of the song and the graceful woman in his arms served to lift the looming darkness that followed him everywhere these days. A welcome reprieve from the shadows that plagued him.
All too soon, the final notes of the piece filled the air, bringing them to a halt. For a moment, he wished she weren’t Lady Charlotte. Then he could give in to the ridiculous urge to ask her to accompany him to the terrace where he might find a dark corner to dispense with the masks and share a kiss.
The thought shocked him to his core. This was Edward’s sister. He cleared his throat, hoping to chase away the alarming idea so it would never again see the light of day. She wasn’t simply an attractive lady, but Lady Charlotte.
“By now you must be aware that your brother is here.” James resisted the urge to look around for him.
Charlotte drew a quick breath. “I am. Will you tell him?”
“Not if you promise to return home immediately and not to attend this type of event again.” Parties like this were ripe with men who made lechery their middle name. He didn’t want any harm to befall her.
She smiled. “You are a good man, James.” His chest tightened at her use of his given name. “Thank you for the dance. Good night.” She turned and disappeared into the crowd in the general direction of the door.
Too late, he realized she had promised neither. “Damn.”
“Who was that?” Edward appeared at his shoulder, his gaze following James’.
The close call sent his heart hammering. “She didn’t give her name.”
“How unfortunate for you.”
James turned to face Edward. “It’s for the best. I’m not looking for any entanglements. What of you? Did you find success?”
Edward grinned. “Perhaps not success but progress. Shall we move on to the gaming hell?”
“Excellent idea.”
As they walked out of the mansion into the night, James thought he saw a green-gowned figure stepping into a nearby carriage.
One thing was certain, he intended to find out why Lady Charlotte had been at the party. He would call on Edward on the morrow with the hope of speaking with her to gain some answers.
~*~
James waited until the afternoon to call at Wynn House. He hoped that gave Edward enough time to sleep off the effects of their late evening.
The gaming hell they'd gone to had been entertaining. The cards had been in James’ favor, and he'd taken home a tidy sum. From what he could tell, Edward had luck as well. At least until he'd had one too many drinks. Then his decisions had been questionable.
James tended to keep his drinking to a minimum these days while gambling. His pockets weren’t so deep that he had extra money to toss away on a whim. He had his future to consider.
Once again, he found himself waiting in the drawing room for Edward, this time hoping Charlotte would emerge. He’d considered asking the butler if she was home but decided against it. He didn’t care to draw attention to his sudden interest in her.
He nearly scowled in disappointment when Edward arrived before he’d caught sight of Charlotte.
“Good day, Redmond,” Edward greeted him. “You must have had a better time than I realized if you've called to discuss our next outing already.”
“Yes, I'm quite eager to plan another evening’s entertainment.” James continued the conversation about trivial matters until he couldn't stand it anymore. “Have you seen your sister today?”
Edward frowned. “I can't say that I have. Why?”
“Just curious.” James shrugged. “It sounded as if she had a busy evening planned last night.” He avoided Edward’s gaze, hoping his friend wouldn’t make the wrong assumption.
Ladies like her weren’t for the likes of him. They, along with their families, expected proposals from an eligible man who showed interest. He was far from eligible. Not when he couldn’t control his inner demons.
Even as he opened his mouth with the hope an excuse for his query would come to mind, Charlotte started into the room only to pause at the sight of the two of them.
“Good afternoon, Lady Charlotte.” James bowed, studying her closely. Though she looked lovely, if he didn't know better, he would guess she wasn't feeling especially well.
Shadows marked her eyes, and her smile wasn’t nearly as vibrant as it had been the previous evening. He knew those signs well as he’d seen them in his own reflection far too often since his return to England, and they matched her brother’s. If he didn’t know better, she appeared to have overindulged the previous evening.
“Gentlemen. I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said even as a delicate pink bloomed in her pale cheeks. She gestured to a table near where he stood. “I only wanted to retrieve my book.”
Before he could think of a reason to detain her, she walked close to pick it up and turned to leave. The urge to reach for her hand to delay her came over him, but that would never do.
Just then Lady Wynn entered the room, her gaze fixed on her son.
“Mother, you remember Viscount Redmond, don’t you?” Edward asked.
“Of course. How good to see you.” She nodded politely at James, who bowed.
Lady Wynn had aged since James had last seen her. The corners of her mouth pulled down as if she were perpetually unhappy. The fine lines around her eyes and mouth had deepened significantly, making James wonder at the cause.
Her attention returned to Edward, and she asked him a question, allowing James to move closer to Charlotte. “I hope your evening went well?”
She met his gaze, her blush deepening. “It was lovely. Thank you. And yours?”
A glance at Edward confirmed he was still conversing with his mother. “Surely you realize the
