Chapter 25

She had no idea what he was planning or why he was doing what he was doing.

To say that she was shocked when the Duke of Sinclair handed her the ribbon he had won was an understatement. She could hardly believe that the handsome gentleman in front of her would even dare to do something so audacious before Colin.

She was actually on the verge of rejecting him when he said something that made her change her mind.

"I know what you are doing, and it will not work," she had told him with a sad smile.

Ethan, however, was far more optimistic than her. "Somebody needs to wake him up before he regrets it, My Lady. Let me be the antagonist for now."

"Are you sure about this?"

Another flash of a charming smile. Too charming, she surmised. She preferred Colin's sensual smirks far more.

"He deserves to be happy," Ethan had explained to her. "And as his friend, I consider it my most sacred duty to nudge him in that direction, stubborn mule that he is."

Alice still could not contain the mirth bubbling up her chest whenever she recalled those words. Colin was exceptionally fortunate to have such friends as the Duke of Sinclair, who only wanted the best for him in spite of his protestations.

But am I really the one who can make him happy?Alice wondered as she turned the ribbon over in her hand. What if Ethan is mistaken?

What if they only ended up inviting more of Colin's ire?

She had no time to dwell on it, for Scarlett and the others immediately converged on her. The redhead looked quite excited for her, and Phoebe held a wistful look in her eyes. Evie, though, merely tilted her head like a curious sparrow as she looked at the ribbon in Alice's hand.

"Let us get out of here before they tear you to pieces!" Scarlett urged Alice back into the manor.

"What do you?—"

"Did you not see the way they were looking at you?" the redhead hissed. "Must I remind you how these supposedly frail debutantes can turn feral at the drop of a hat?"

"She is not mistaken," Evie seconded with a faint shudder. "I can smell the bloodlust from here."

The four young ladies made their way into the parlor, and Evie carefully closed the door behind them.

"Nobody will be able to come in here for now," she sighed.

"Thank goodness!" Scarlett exclaimed, falling into the sofa in a most unladylike manner. "Truly, I did not know that the Duke of Sinclair could be so audacious as to demand the dances of a woman engaged to be married, but he is a Wolf, after all…"

"But they are friends," Phoebe added. "Somehow, things are not adding up."

Alice chose to keep silent as she mulled over her brief conversation with the Duke of Sin. Ethan had told her that this was for Colin, that he meant to wake his friend up. She had her doubts that it would work, though.

"Are you really going to give all your dances to him tonight, Alice?" Phoebe asked her.

Alice looked up to find all three of them staring at her, awaiting her reply.

"Well?" Scarlett prodded her, impatience written all over her features. "Are you?"

Phoebe glanced helplessly at her. "She very well cannot give the Duke of Sinclair the cut direct either."

"You can pretend you have a really bad headache and will have to miss out on the festivities tonight…"

"That is too obvious, and it would only make things worse than they are."

Phoebe was clearly distraught. "Should we tell Mama about this? Perhaps she would know what to do?—"

"I do not think we can, Phoebe." Alice cleared her throat as she sat up straight. "Since it was Lady Wellington who set forth the rules?—"

"She was probably hoping to match somebody with somebody else!" Phoebe interjected with a hopeful smile.

Evie nodded emphatically. "Grandmama knows that Colin hates hunting."

"So she must know that he was bound to lose this competition!"

Alice threw her hands up in frustration as she looked at all three of them. "Are you ever going to let me finish?"

Scarlett pouted and put on a sincerely apologetic expression. "As you were saying, dearest?"

"Well, since the Dowager Countess knows that Colin hates hunting and had set forth the rules regardless of that fact, then she must have expected something like this to happen," Alice explained.

"She wanted to drive her grandson absolutely livid?" Phoebe muttered.

"Well, not really, but I suppose she must have considered that this could happen. Besides, it is all just a game…" Alice trailed off.

That is correct. None of this is real, just like my betrothal to Colin.

Although she had to admit that she doubted that Ethan's ploy would ever accomplish… Well, whatever it was meant to accomplish, she could not help but feel a crushing disappointment when she saw Colin turn on his heel. Was he not even going to fight Ethan for her?

Apparently not, a bitter voice whispered in her head.

Apparently, she meant less to Colin than she liked to believe she did.

In that case, she was going to do her best to show him that she would not be cowed by his rejection. She was going to the ball with Ethan, and she would dance with him and do all the things that Colin had warned her against doing.

And if he tried to stop her, then she was going to give him a piece of her mind!

Phoebe let out a soft sigh, wringing her hands in distress. "I think we have all witnessed that His Grace possesses quite the temper, and fake betrothal or not, he will not like the idea of being cuckolded—even more so by his friend."

Alice nodded in acknowledgment. He had not liked it when he saw her dance card filled with other names during the Salisbury ball.

He was going to like it far less to see her dance with only one person for the entire night.

But the words Ethan had spoken to her out in the gardens snagged at her heart. More than anything, she wanted Colin to find true happiness, and if there was anyone who knew him, it had to be his closest friends.

She would have to trust Ethan, trust in the words of a charming Wolf who was more than capable of lying through his teeth. However, for Colin, she was startled to find that she was willing to risk a lot more than she might be comfortable with.

* * *

To say that he was in a towering rage would have been an understatement.

Colin could not believe that Ethan would have the audacity to pull something like this. He had known his friend for many years, and Ethan had never gone between him and a woman that he had his eyes on. Even more so the woman that the whole ton had acknowledged to be his betrothed.

But it was not that thought that irked him to the bone. It was that he could not bear the thought of Alice in another man's arms, even if it happened under the scrutiny of all the other guests of this damned house party.

Even for just one second.

"I suppose you just missed your shot there," a sarcastic voice said from behind him. "Literally and figuratively."

Colin whirled around to find Daniel wearing one of his infernal smirks. "I can see his ploy from a mile away," he growled. "Whatever it is he hopes to accomplish, he will not be able to."

"Oh?" Daniel remarked silkily, an eyebrow raised calmly as he walked towards him. "You are forgetting that this is Ethan we are talking about. You know just how charming he can be, and anyway"—he shrugged—"were you not the one who was always reminding us that this betrothal is nothing but a farce? That it was merely intended to suit both your interests and Lady Alice's?"

His smile grew almost feral as he voiced the idea that Colin himself had feared in the darkest recesses of his soul.

"What if Lady Alice Barkley decides that it is in her best interest to have a real betrothal with our friend?"

"She would not!" Colin roared. "Alice would not fall for it."

She was much too intelligent and forthright. She might enjoy his company, but a charmer like Ethan would only exasperate her in the long run.

"You think too highly of your betrothed, but you know Ethan. Just like you and me, he always gets what he wants when he sets his mind to it," his friend scoffed.

"Leave him be, Daniel," a dark voice intoned. It was Hudson. "He is much too obstinate and set in his ways. He claims to be undeserving of the young lady, but he would obstruct her way in finding her own happiness." His gaze pierced through Colin. "You are only hurting her more. I have said it before—either you claim the lady for your own, or you get out of her way."

Daniel let out a soft sigh. "I, for one, would not want to be in Lady Alice's shoes right now. Make up your mind, Colin, so that the young lady can also decide for herself. You would not want another man treating your sister thus, so why would you subject Lady Alice to such treatment?"

The two of them shared a look before they both walked out, leaving Colin alone to deal with his thoughts.

He had known that his friends did not approve of the manner in which he was handling his fake betrothal to Alice. Hudson, in particular, had been especially blunt about it, and now, it would seem that even Ethan had taken matters into his own hands to try and coax some reaction out of him.

He had told Daniel that it was not going to work on him, but in all honesty, he would have liked nothing more than the opportunity to bash in their friend's face for the stunt he had just pulled.

He rubbed his hand over his face and groaned in frustration. It was supposed to be a simple betrothal, one that he had intended to last for no more than a month, so he could improve his reputation somewhat for Evie's coming out.

How did everything manage to get out of hand? It simply did not make sense.

But then again, ever since Alice came into his life, crashing into his rooms in an attempt to steal one of the most scandalous books known to man… nothing had made sense for Colin. Singlehandedly, she had managed to upend all order and chaos, throwing a wrench into all of his plans and the life he had carefully crafted for himself.

By all rights, he should be angry with her. He should dislike her even more for her intrusion.

And yet, he only wanted her more.

Have I become just like my father?Have I become so fixated on one person, unable to let her go?