Page 7 of A Scottish Bride for the Duke (Scottish Duchesses #1)

Adrian did not know precisely why he had attended this dull event in the first place, and seeing Isobel glowering at him did nothing to improve his mood.

He had sent those pups away because they were being rude to her, and now she had the audacity to stare at him as though he had drowned kittens in front of her.

He’d had enough of contrary women.

“You can thank me if you like,” he said.

“Thank ye for what? Scaring away potential suitors?” She folded her arms. “As tempting as it is to thank ye, I am forced to decline.”

Suitors? He forced the irrational wave of jealousy back into its proper place and raised a brow. “Those idiots are what you’re looking for in a husband?”

“Those idiots might have warmed to me if they were given the chance. Ye never like to give anyone the chance.” Her folded arms hitched a little higher. “All ye ever do is decide ye know best.”

“Why are you here?” Eliza asked.

Adrian barely spared her a glance.

“Because I saw the way your mother looked at Lady Isobel and I decided neither of you could be relied upon to look after her properly. As was evident here.”

He looked down his nose at Isobel, who glowered right back at him. The other reason he had come—really, the main reason he had been so eager to attend despite his distaste for such events—had more to do with the way her gown packaged her up so nicely.

On the way, he had rationalized it. As his guest, it was his responsibility to see that she was well looked after.

But in reality, it had more to do with the way her breasts heaved when she took a full breath, and the effect he knew it would wreak on a room filled with young men. The young bucks here would be instantly intrigued by her, and they would make their advances, in whatever form they would take.

As he had witnessed, these advances would not always look particularly nice.

He had to protect his mother’s reputation. If Lady Isobel was to be sponsored into society, it fell to him to see that she was accepted.

“Adrian, what a pleasure to see you here.” Joseph, one of his oldest friends, joined the small party. “And I see you have brought entertainment to make the tedium of the evening more bearable. You are a delight to the eyes, my lady.”

Isobel’s brows raised higher, but she looked Joseph over with approbation. Joseph, the Marquess of Rowton, bowed over her hand.

Adrian sighed, already irritated by the way Lady Isobel, like every other lady in every ballroom, succumbed to Joseph’s soft blue eyes and air of effortless charm. They had always been different in this way, and now, more than ever, that difference became apparent.

Unlike Adrian, Joseph preferred the lighter things in life. One of those things involved charming young ladies.

“My friend, Lord Rowton,” he said. “And this is Lady Isobel.”

“Not just Lord Rowton,” Eliza said slyly. “The Marquess of Rowton.”

Adrian glared at his cousin, who grinned unabashedly back.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Joseph said, the cad taking Lady Isobel’s hand and bringing it to his mouth.

She flushed, and Adrian clicked his tongue, looking away from the irritating sight. This was just like Joseph, and if he was honest with himself, he found it especially annoying that Lady Isobel tumbled so headlong into his charm.

“How are you finding the soiree?” Joseph asked. “I hope you are more entertained in present company than you were before. I have to say, I find the society of some to be tedious.”

Lady Isobel looked pointedly at Adrian. “I wonder who ye could mean,” she said flatly.

“I would never refer to the duke in that way.” Joseph winked. “He is excessively good with a blade, and I could never win in a duel.”

Adrian could practically see the way Lady Isobel’s gaze tracked across his shoulders and down to his waist.

“I don’t know,” she said, responding to the flirtatious lilt in Joseph’s voice. “I think ye might have a chance.”

“Do you now? Hear that, Adrian?”

“I hear,” Adrian said, turning his glare on Joseph now. “Are you done flirting with my guest?”

“Not in the slightest. This is the most fun I’ve had all night. Why don’t you attempt a similar thing?”

Adrian almost snorted. Flirt with Lady Isobel?

“She’d be more likely to stab me with a butter knife than flirt with me,” he said.

She appeared to mull the thought over, then nodded, a mischievous smile curling her lips. He did his best not to look at her mouth or to notice the conspiratorial glance she exchanged with Joseph.

“He does make the prospect tempting, do ye not think?”

“I do,” Joseph said. “But you mustn’t blame him for it, you know. Some people can’t help it.”

“That suggests he is amongst those who cannot help it,” Isobel said.

“Well, I suppose that’s up to your discretion, my lady.”

“Och, that’s too much responsibility for one person.”

Adrian snapped his jaw closed. “If you are both quite done?”

“He’s always like this,” Joseph assured her, then grinned across at Adrian. “Don’t take it to heart.”

“Yes,” she murmured. “I would be foolish to take him too much to heart.”

Enough was enough.

“Rowton,” he snapped. “Enough. Let’s leave the ladies to gentlemen who might have aspirations to their hands.” Even as he said the words, his gut churned.

Still, the sooner he removed his friend from Lady Isobel, the better.

The ladies tittered behind him as he led Joseph away.

“A pretty one,” Joseph said once they were alone, handing him a glass of wine. “I can see why you’re so interested.”

“I’m not interested,” Adrian said curtly.

“All that effort to pull me away, and it’s not because you want her for yourself?” Joseph surveyed him over his glass. “That seems unlikely.”

“I don’t trust her. She came out of nowhere asking for my mother, but has yet to explain precisely why.”

“Your mother is in Cornwall.”

“Well observed.”

Joseph rolled his eyes at the sarcasm. “So, what is your plan?”

“Keep an eye on her. Until my mother returns and decides what to do with her.” Adrian sipped his wine and watched her smile at more young gentlemen.

“She seems to have come here with the object of finding a husband. In fact, she reprimanded me for scaring away potential suitors, when it was clear they wanted nothing more than to sate their curiosity.”

“Naivety?”

“I thought perhaps so, but I don’t think it’s that.” Adrian brooded into his glass.

The question of her purpose here, and what had occurred to chase her all this way, nagged at him more than he liked to admit. But he had invited her into his home long enough that he could not turn her away now.

Besides, he had the sneaking suspicion something was terribly wrong.

“Do you know anything about the MacAlister family? Her father is the Earl of Glenrannoch.”

Joseph frowned. “No. Why?”

“There’s something she isn’t telling me.”

“It’s not like you to be so fixated over a lady.”

“This isn’t just any lady. She is asking my mother to sponsor her into society. She is living in my house.” He glanced at his friend, anticipating his next words. “And no, I have no aspirations in her direction.”

“So you say.”

“I’m being cautious, that’s all.”

“I can look into her family?” Joseph offered.

Adrian chewed his lip. “No matter. I’ll find it out. No need to involve anyone else in this farce.” He watched as his cousin and the mysterious Lady Isobel giggled together, speaking in low voices that were lost to the difference between them.

If only he knew what to do about her, or what she was running from.

Because he knew what it looked like to run, and she bore all the markings.