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"I wanted to travel away," he said dryly, his sidelong glance revealing his knowledge of his affect on her, "and spend some time with you and Spencer I had no notion this would turn into a gathering of all the people we ht their attention Walking backith his gaze directed elsewhere, her brother nearly ran her over Grayson, however, stepped in as a for your pardon," her brother offered quickly, then he looked at her with a tangible excitement about hi around his tall fra with Lady Haht of Lady Stanhope"

"Oh…Yes, I know her, although at the ail?"

"Ah, yes! Abigail Stewart Niece to Lord Hammond His sister and her entrepreneurial A Miss Stewart orphaned, though quite wealthy I’ve been told"

"An heiress," Rhys said softly

"Poor thing," Isabel said with a co shake of her head "She was hounded to death last season by every scapegrace and destitute land I spoke with her briefly once She is very bright A bit rough around the edges, but char"

"I never noticed her"

"Why would you? She hides herself well and she is not your type of female at all Too smart for you," she teased

"Yes…I’

"I think you were correct," Gray said, his voice low and near enough to make her senses leap to attention "I do believe he’s ill Perhaps we can follow his lead You and I can feign poor constitutions and lie abed for a week Together Unclothed"

"You are incorrigible," she said, laughing

With quiet efficiency, they and the other guests were settled in their roo meal Gerard made certain that Isabel ell established and tended by her abigail, before excusing hientleuests, he found soerie created by the presence of his reaves allowed hi illusions they had about his e to Pel His affairs were not to be interfered with Foolish of theet ho qualreat burden to ren of the rooe s framed with dark red, tasseled drapes, and the proliferation of burgundy leather chairs Ahe required to say what needed to be said

He gave a curt nod to Spencer, refused the cheroot offered to hi toward the here Hargreaves stood studying the view outside As he approached, Gerard exa and impeccable attire of the earl This man had shared two private years with Pel and knew her far better than he himself did

He remembered how she had been with Markha eyes The contrast to the purelyand disturbing The casual friendship they had once shared was now marred by tension He ed to bask in the kind of affectionate attentions she shared with others

"Hargreaves," he murmured

"Lord Grayson" The earl turned cool dark eyes on hi only a slight advantage "Before you try to waylay attempts on my part to woo back Isabel, allow ard"

"No?"

"No, but if she comes to me I will not turn her away"

"Despite the hazard such an action would place you in?" Gerard was a reaves gave hie a woman like Isabel, Grayson She values her freedo I am certain it chafes her to realize she married you to be free, and yet finds herself trapped" His shoulders lifted in a shrug "Besides, you will tire of her eventually or she of you, and this desire you have to claim her so primitively will fade"

"My claim," Gerard said dryly, "is not reaves shook his head "You have alanted wo to sos to me"

"Does she? Truly? Odd you should discover that after five years of ether since your return, as has everyone else In truth, it appears you barely tolerate one another"

Gerard’s mouth curved in a slow smile "We definitely more than tolerate one another"

The earl’s face flushed "I do not have time to school you on woasms are not all a worow an attachment to you, she is incapable of it, and even if she were open to elevated feelings, an inconstant man such as yourself will never appeal You are much like Pelham, you know He, too, failed to see the prize that was his I cannot count the number of times Isabel would tell me some humorous tale of your exploits and finish with, ‘Just like Pelhaut could not have struck Gerard harder Outwardly impassive, his insides knotted with apprehension Markhaainst him than to remind his wife of her late husband If he could not, at the very least, prove himself better than Pelham, he would never win Isabel’s affections

But she had written him faithfully every week, and held on to that tenuous tie Surely, there was soarded those letters?

"You say she is incapable of deep affections, and yet you think she may return to you, when she has never been known to revisit a paramour once finished with him?"

"Because we are friends I kno she likes her tea, what her favorite books are…" Hargreaves straightened "She was happy with me before you returned--"

"No She was not You know this as well as I" Isabel would not have been tereaves had been what she wanted She was not a fickle woman But she was a woman who bore wounds, and Gerard was deterhtened "I think we understand each other There is nothing left to be said You are aware of my position I ahtly in acknowledgreaves I am easily irritated and frankly, I will not have this conversation again Next tie, I shall demonstrate the finer points of this discourse with the tip of ale you withnervously between the country, I must say"

"Thank you, Ha"

He withdrew and crossed the room to Spencer, who raised both brows as he approached

"Only you, Gray, would be so brazen"

"Ti it when directness works so well"

Spencer laughed "I ned to a week of lassitude I am pleased to see there won’t be a dull moment"