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In her mind, Evie called Daniel a thousand and one names—some of which were quite unladylike and could not be uttered in polite company.

Not that she cared to be polite to him.

Phoebe had been right in that she was a little upset that her dance card had remained empty up until he had whisked her off to the dance floor as if that solved anything. In fact, she had a feeling that it would only make things worse.

As soon as they reached the dance floor, she noted the many stunned looks directed their way. As far as she knew, Daniel never danced at these events, and now that he himself had led her to the dance floor, what was everyone going to think?

“With the way you are looking at me, one would think that we are on opposite sides of a duel,” he remarked under his breath.

In spite of the displeasure in his words, he maintained a dashing smile that lent his normally icy features some degree of humanity.

If she did not find him so infuriating, Evie would have admitted that he was rather handsome with his dark hair and piercinggreen eyes. Most young ladies gravitated towards the likes of the Duke of Sinclair with his dazzling charm, but there was something about Daniel and the way his shuttered green eyes seemed to be holding a thousand secrets that seemed to make her weak in the knees.

Not to mention that she now knew for a fact that he was pure muscle under his exquisitely tailored clothes.

“Tell me how I am supposed to look at you, then?” she croaked.

His lips pressed into a grim line. “You are the debutante. I think you would know better how to go about these things.”

Evie nearly burst into laughter at that. “Well, it is true that you do resemble a fish out of water.”

“I most certainly hope not,” he scoffed. “I would like to think that I am doing a better job at moving to the tune instead of flopping about on the chopping board.”

The thought of him flopping about like a freshly caught halibut was so ridiculous that she could not help the giggle that finally bubbled up her throat.

“I suppose it is not polite for a young lady to laugh at her dance partner,” he surmised. “But it is infinitely better than you looking at me as if you could not decide whether you would like to shoot me or run a rapier through my chest.”

Evie, much to her surprise, found herself smiling up at him. “Not that I know which end of a pistol to point at you,” she told him softly. “But those are rather fine ideas.”

He gave her a strange look, one that made butterflies flutter in her belly. “If you so much as looked at a man like that, I suppose he can be persuaded to accomplish the task for you.”

“Look at him like what?” Evie looked at him in confusion.

“Never mind,” he said quickly, his eyebrows snapping together. “Just stay away from them altogether, and we might be able to last until your brother returns.”

She looked at him as if he had just lost his mind. “But is not the purpose of this Season to find a suitable match?” she asked him, feeling a little irked. “How am I supposed to do that if I am to stay away from every potential suitor?”

His mood seemed to grow even darker at her words. “Do you enjoy the company of these so-called suitors of yours so much?” he snapped.

Evie balked at his harsh tone. “Not really. I was just wondering if I had done something wrong… If I had embarrassed myself somehow and that’s why no one approached me tonight…”

His expression softened slightly, but his next words absolutely floored her.

“Do not be silly,” he told her. “I just forbade them from coming near you.”

“E-excuse me!?” she sputtered, her eyes wide. “You forbade them from coming near me? Just who do you think you are?”

He frowned darkly. “I am the man your brother entrusted with your well-being while he is off gallivanting.”

“Colin is not gallivanting, he is on his honeymoon,” she corrected him, feeling even more vexed by the minute. “And I am quite certain he would never agree to… to… to whatever it is you are doing right now!”

Her voice was rising as her frustration peaked. She had not done anything wrong—it was all due to his machinations! Now, how was she supposed to find a match when nobody was allowed to come near her?

Is he insane?

Even her own brother had not been as overbearing, and Colin was already considered exceedingly overprotective, as far as older brothers went.

“I would advise you to keep your voice down, My Lady,” Daniel told her in an icy tone. “You would not want to attract undue attention, would you?”