14 MEETING THE DUKE (2)

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CHAPTER 14

"Colin!"

As soon as they had reached the group of three well-muscled men dressed in deluxe men's suits, Evelina pulled back. She watched Prissy run up to the curly-haired man and throw her arms around his neck.

Although he had his back to her, Evelina had a hunch it had to be Colin. His hair color, similar to Prissy's, also gave him away.

"You will not believe who I found on my way here." Priscilla shouted with laughter.

"Who?" Colin pulled out of the embrace seriously. "I warned you not to get ahead of yourself with this." Taking an aggressive step forward, he ignored her completely.

"It's not that."

"I don't believe you. As you can see, I was talking seriously before your intrusion."

"I'm serious, this is important."

"Run along, please. Go find yourself a suitable gentleman to share the dance floor with. Stop stalking me."

"I can not do that. The Duke is all I'm after."

"Well, isn't he here yet? Is he not what all this distraction is for?"

"It is not."

"What is the meaning of this, then?" Colin's eyes darted to her, but seeing something in her gaze, obviously, he quickly turned his attention back to the company in front of him. "Gentlemen, please excuse us. I'll find you in a moment to butter up our last conversation."

"That's all right, Viscount. This is a night for celebration and relaxation, not work. I must save myself a few dances before the Jamboree is over. Cheerio, my good friend."

A gentle squeeze of Colin's arm and a long, flirtatious look at Evelina, too long for what seemed like an eternity, and the man was gone, along with his partner.

"Now listen to me –"

The speed with which Colin suddenly tilted his mouth closer to the side of Prissy's ear snapped Evelina out of the reverie she had just been in, following the way the man had looked at her before he left.

"– if you're here to try and get me to help you curry favor with the Duke, who happens to be my friend, my answer is the same as it's always been, I won't… "

"Evelina."

Colin halted. "What about her?"

"The person I found on my way here is Evelina and she's right behind you." Prissy finished with a mischievous laugh.

"She what?" Colin turned quickly, but instead of the corners of his mouth curling into a smile, he raised an untamed brow in annoyance. "She can't be the one."

Now that could have meant a lot of different things, if the voice that was attached to those words hadn't just screamed 'condescending' in every sense of the word.

"Why can't she be the one? She's Evelina, the daughter of the Earl of Longdale."

"No… " Colin huffed then crossed his arms over his chest.

Evelina just stood there, unable to speak.

He was beautiful, yes, just as Prissy had described him to be, but there was a certain coldness about him.

"Well, she is." Priscilla held back her smile at the severe situation. "I thought you'd be happy to meet her, but you're not. I should not have bothered with the introduction if I had known you would react like this."

"It's not that. It's just … " Colin frowned, unsure how to go on.

"It's just what?" Priscilla pressed, then sighed. But Colin did not seem to want to say more.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Viscount," Evelina said, holding out her hand to shake. She did not want to make the situation any more awkward than it needed to be.

Courageous of her to think that Colin shared the same thoughts.

He looked away as if sick at the sight of her. And then he was gone.

"Have I said or done something wrong?" Evelina had to ask after a long look at Colin's retreat.

"Of course not, Lina. You have not said or done anything strange. Forgive him for being in a bad mood. Will you? His mind was somewhere else the whole time, I promise. Colin is the most considerate person you'll ever meet. So please, I beg you, don't be angry."

Even if that had been the case, even if he hadn't meant any of his rude remarks, what was the explanation for his receding gait, forcing her to relive a certain memory... one she'd rather forget.

'Pull yourself together, Evelina, it can't be.' Shaking her head, she rejected the thought.

"Lina? Are you all right?" Prissy's gloved hand, searching for hers, pulled her back into the present.

"Um... yes, Prissy. I am fine. I was just thinking of some- "

"Oh my God! He is here!" Prissy's shriek, followed by her dead-eyed stare, stopped her from finishing what she was about to say.

Evelina snapped her fingers before her eyes. "Wake up, Prissy, and talk to me. Who's here?"

"He... he..."

"Prissy?"

"Give me a minute, will you?"

Prissy tried to run, but was immediately grabbed by the arm.

"Wait. Can you at least tell me what's going on?"

"I'll come back and tell you all about it, OK?"

With that, Priscilla fled in the direction of the crowd of women who were also moving away from the dance floor to join the horde gathered at the entrance to the ball.

Evelina, who was not in the least bit interested in all that fuss, started walking in the opposite direction, away from all that noise.