Chapter 8

CHAPTER8

Of all the seats they could have given me, they had to seat me right next to him!

Julia inwardly fumed as she looked at the empty seat and the man smiling knowingly beside it.

The theater was a place to see and be seen, and many young ladies flocked to the opera for that particular purpose. Unlike a ball, however, one was limited by their seats in the theater. Julia and Mary were already quite fortunate to have been invited to share in the box that the Duke of Barrington had rented for the whole Season.

However, that would also mean that she would have to be confined in a much smaller space with his brother-in-law, whom she was desperately trying to avoid without seeming so.

To her immense disappointment, the Duke had even assigned their seats beforehand, and she found that she was to be seated next to Andrew.

“Perhaps we should change seats?” she whispered to her younger sister as they filed into the box. “You know that nothing good ever comes out of our encounters…”

Mary looked at her doubtfully. “I do not think we should go against the wishes of our hosts.”

“But if I sit beside him—”

“Is there a problem, Lady Julia?”

Julia looked up to see the foreboding expression on the Duke of Barrington’s face and instantly bemoaned her fate. The man had the looks of a fallen angel, but his heart was made of cold, hard rock—except where her best friend was concerned.

“I… was just telling Mary how lovely it is to be able to see the opera from the box, Your Grace.” Julia forced herself to smile brightly. “It is quite an honor.”

The Duke merely raised an eyebrow at her before turning his attention back to his wife. Selina looked at Julia with concern, but the redhead only shook her head.

It would seem that she was meant to suffer for the rest of the evening.

They took their seats with Julia gingerly lowering herself to the lavishly upholstered chair. However, she found that she could not enjoy her current exclusive accommodations, especially when Andrew gleefully took the seat beside hers.

“I suppose I should thank you,” he murmured, leaning into her side.

Julia fought against the thrill that raced down her spine as his warm breath fanned against the sensitive skin of her ear and the side of her neck, choosing instead to focus on the stage alight with dozens upon dozens of candles.

Andrew remained undeterred.

“That was a rather nice trick,” he continued. “Sending Miss Ferguson to deliver your little gift.”

She felt her lips curl up into a smile at that. So, Miss Ferguson had followed her advice.

“Perhaps you deserved it,” she whispered, her eyes never leaving the stage.

“Perhaps I did not. Regardless, I believe I scared the poor fellow with my incessant sneezing.”

Julia could not help her laughter which came out as a soft snort. It drew the attention of Selina, who turned to her with a worried gaze as she carefully schooled her expression into one of impassivity.

“I suppose I should apologize to Miss Ferguson, though, for misleading her so,” Julia admitted softly.

Poor young Miss Ferguson’s only mistake was to heedlessly admire the Marquess of Trowbridge. She may have awful taste in gentlemen, but it still was not nice of Julia to trick her into gifting the gentleman she admired most something that would only inconvenience him.

“So, you feel sorry for her.” Andrew nodded. “And you felt sorry for the poor kitten. Are you not going to feel sorry for me? I was the one afflicted with fits upon fits of sneezing, you know.”

Julia glared at him from the side. “My Lord, you have more to apologize for than I.”

The moment the words left her mouth, she nearly wanted to kick herself in dismay. She had sworn to put that earth-shattering kiss out of her mind the moment she walked out of Powell Estate, and she had almost succeeded, too.

However, her resolve lasted only until she saw Andrew, and she was once more caught up in that ludicrous tangle of emotions that she could not decipher.

“Yes, we do have quite a bit to discuss…”

She swiftly turned to him, surprised that he would admit as much. She had expected him to maybe deny it or perhaps put the blame on her as he so often did.

She frowned as she scrutinized his expression, but his eyes were trained impassively on the stage where a gorgeous singer was belting out a heartrending aria.

“Perhaps we should talk more at length,” he told her, turning his head to her, but his eyes were still trained on the opera singer on the stage.

For some reason, Julia felt an indescribable anger that he was not looking at her when he was talking to her.

“We do not have anything more to discuss,” she snapped. “Only your apology—and I know better than to expect that from you.”

She hated how he was able to rile her up so effortlessly when she was trying her very best to keep everything under control.

“Allow me to apologize to you, then,” Andrew coaxed. “I heard young ladies are quite fond of the confections at a particular shop in Berkley Square.”

Julia knew exactly what he was referring to, and as one with a sweet tooth, she was sorely tempted to take him up on his offer.

Of course, he would be familiar with such places. He has probably charmed many young ladies there.

“I am afraid that I will have to decline your generous offer,” she told him. “Perhaps Miss Ferguson will be more willing to accept your invitation.”

“I am asking you, not Miss Ferguson.”

Julia clenched her hands into fists as his breath fanned against the side of her face once more. For her, the opera could not end soon enough. The sooner she would be able to get away from him, the better it would be for her sanity.

But Lord help her, how she wanted to turn to him instead.

* * *

The opera concluded with a farcical performance, ending the entire evening on a lighthearted note. Andrew looked on as the young ladies discussed the evening’s entertainment.

Marriage seemed to suit Selina well as she appeared to be in higher spirits, her cheeks sporting a lovely flush.

However, he found his gaze frequently going back to the redhead in their group. Tonight, Julia had chosen a vibrant midnight blue silk gown with matching gloves, her brilliant red hair piled atop her head in intricate loops. Her blue eyes sparkled with merriment, and as she talked, he could not help but notice how noticeably red and luscious her lips were.

And they tasted just as forbiddingly tantalizing as they looked.

“Trowbridge, you are making it seem too obvious.”

Andrew frowned and turned towards William, who was looking at him knowingly. “What is too obvious?”

The denial was plain in his voice.

William merely shrugged. “If even Selina can sense it, then you know that it is rather obvious.”

He did not say anything more as he walked over to his wife and whispered something in her ear. A vivid blush spread across her cheeks as he drew her close.

“It seems that we cannot take you both in our carriage with us,” Andrew heard his sister tell her friends.

Instead of feeling offended, though, Julia merely laughed, and with a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, she teased, “Well, we would not want to come between you and His Grace, anyway. That would make for an extremely uncomfortable experience!”

Selina only flushed a deeper red and muttered her apologies.

“You can go with Lord Trowbridge, though,” William offered with a droll smile. “His carriage is spacious enough, and I can guarantee that you shall not experience any discomfort in it.”

He saw Julia’s smile wilt a little, but she recovered quite quickly. “His presence is enough to cause one extreme discomfort,” she quipped. “But I suppose beggars cannot be choosers.”

Mary, however, was much less hostile than her older sister. “If it would not be too much trouble, Lord Trowbridge, we would indeed be quite grateful.”

“Not at all.” Andrew smiled magnanimously, eyeing Julia, who furtively avoided his gaze. If possible, he smiled even more. “Powell Estate is right along the way to Trowbridge.”

A baldfaced lie, and one that had Mary frowning as she looked at him and then at her sister.

Yet, even if Julia was not so keen on the idea of riding in his carriage, she would endure his presence for her sister’s benefit. If there was one other person she loved more than herself, Andrew was willing to bet it was Mary.

As William helped Selina into their carriage, Andrew swung open the door to his own and invited both ladies inside. He offered his hand to Julia, but she sailed right past him and promptly deposited herself within the carriage. Mary was much more gracious than her and accepted his offer to help her inside to which Andrew could only shake his head and grin inwardly.

The ride to Powell Estate was fraught with silence. Mary perhaps understood that both her sister and Andrew did not wish to argue in her presence, and she wisely chose to join them in their silence.

Andrew, however, could not help but look over at Julia as she stared out the window impassively. Tonight, she naturally stood out amongst a sea of blondes and brunettes with her striking coloring and her characteristic choice of deeper colors for her attire.

Unlike other women, Julia Lewis was not resigned to disappearing into a sea of smiles and softly worded but insincere flattery. She spoke her mind and stubbornly refused to compromise herself. In a world fraught with rules and etiquette, that was rather admirable.

Her audacity was also just the sort of thing he needed.

When they arrived at Powell Estate, Andrew graciously helped Mary down from the carriage, but when it was Julia’s turn, he closed his hand over hers, effectively holding her back. Her surprised gaze flew to meet his swiftly.

“Unhand me, My Lord,” Julia warned softly.

“Not until you promise to meet me at Pendleton’s tomorrow,” he insisted.

She let out a harsh laugh. “My Lord, I do not intend to have my reputation ruined for a sweet.”

“Pendleton’s is safe for ladies mindful of their reputation,” Andrew argued. “Not that you have taken great care to safeguard yours, but—”

“My Lord,” she hissed, “if this is how you intend to convince me to accept your invitation, then you are failing badly.”

“And how do you intend to be convinced, Lady Julia Lewis?” he asked softly, stepping so close that he could see how the black seemed to swallow the blue in her eyes and how her nostrils flared ever so slightly as she stared him down.

Her lips parted ever so slightly, and a hunger so deep suddenly consumed him. If he leaned in just a little closer, he would be able to capture those luscious lips in a kiss just like he had last night.

But then, she pushed him away, and with a teasing laugh, she danced just out of his reach.

“I shall not fall prey to your antics again, My Lord,” she called out to him with a smile. “Go look somewhere else for a more biddable young lady who will humor your vile temper.”

Andrew watched as she walked towards the front door, clenching his hands into fists as the butler closed it behind her.

Once more, he had come so close to losing control, and once more, it had to be with her.

Julia Lewis was a poisonous woman, but she was like a drug in his veins, taunting him and driving him mad. He knew he should avoid her, but heaven help him, he could not.

And he had a feeling that she felt the same way, too.

Even as he walked back to his carriage, he could not help but think that tomorrow could not come soon enough.

But the question was, would she come, or would she leave him waiting like some lovelorn swain?

With Julia Lewis, one never really knew.