Shall we celebrate by sharing an excerpt for the next book? The Ruined Marquis.
Yes... Meet Archie.
“You stupid, ignorant...” As Victoria started
to wind herself up into a full blown attack, Archie gathered his courage and
stepped into the line of fire.
“Lady Dunford,” Archie said loudly,
stepping in front of Colin and bowing to her. “May I have the honour of this
dance?”
Victoria shut her mouth and eyed Archie
with disdain. Archie made sure his body language left her no room for argument
and he stood in a way that completely blocked Colin from her line of sight.
“Of course my lord,” she managed, her
eyes flashing daggers at Colin even while Archie led her away.
Archie felt her hand on his arm like she was holding a
burning flame to his coat. He had avoided dancing with her since her come out
ball and this was why. He had always hoped that his reaction to her would
decrease, hoped his body would learn not be so sensitive to her, but it had
never happened. Archie pulled Victoria gently into a waltz position, (it had to
be a waltz, bloody bad luck he had) and started moving her expertly around the
room. Neither of them had spoken yet but her eyes told him volumes. Victoria
had now divided her anger and Archie wasn’t sure if he fared worse or better
than Colin.
“Go on, I know you want to,” Archie
encouraged, schooling his face into his normal mask of politeness. He had
thought that after a decade of pulling this face it would be second nature and
no longer feel like a mask. But when he was with her, every feeling was
intensified to the point of being almost painful.
“I have nothing to say.”
Archie bit back a smile. Victoria never
addressed him, never had. He found it quite funny. He had no title so she
couldn’t refer to him as that. He had never given her leave to call him Archie,
and yet having been around her brother for most of her life she could really
call him anything she wanted. And yet Victoria didn’t, she avoided referring to
him at all, and if she was really pressed she occasionally called him ‘my lord’,
with a wry twist to her lips. Victoria had a glass face, Archie could see every
thought, every feeling there. At the moment though it didn’t take a person
familiar with Victoria to see what she was feeling, it was there for the whole
world to see. She was very angry.
“Lady Dunford,” Archie began and heard
her hiss at him through her clenched teeth.
He had always referred to her as Lady
Dunford, partly because it was her title, due her because of her fortunate
birth but also partly because it annoyed her. For the first time since Archie
had met Victoria, he didn’t ignore her glare or her hissing at him.
“Well, what would you like me to call
you?” He snapped, letting some of his annoyance slip into his voice. Victoria’s
lips parted in shock and her eyes widened measurably. Archie didn’t know if it
was due to the tone in his voice or from his wording, but he couldn’t call the
words back now.
Victoria opened her mouth to reply,
then shut it again.
Archie waited, he danced them around
the room and he waited some more. Victoria looked too beautiful when she was
shocked. Her too full lips parted slightly and her bluer that blue eyes giving
him a look like she was trying to read him. He knew she wouldn’t see anything
on his face but it never stopped her from looking.
“Victoria,” she answered finally, her eyes
wary.
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