more amused than complimented. She tapped him playfully with her fan and gifted him with a flirtatious grin. “Surely not. I’ve seen the other ladies swarming you tonight. Most likely you’ve grown weary of praise.” She motioned toward the dancers behind her. “Forgive my boldness, but would you be so kind, sir? I truly love to dance. Since my escort is the guest of honor, he’s obliged to take a turn with the other ladies tonight. I fear I’ll be left to sit with the matrons if one of you fine gentlemen doesn’t take pity on me.”
“It would be my honor, Miss Cooper. However, I never acquired the skill of dancing. May I interest you in some refreshment instead?”
“You never learned to dance? How unusual,” she remarked, her eyes as wide and innocent as a babe’s.
“Dancing isn’t a sport in large demand on a ship.”
She smiled coyly. His refusal to dance might work to her advantage. Perhaps she could get him alone, away from the crowd and music that would disrupt conversation and her ability to uncover more about him. “I so wanted to dance, but I suppose a glass of refreshment will do. Why don’t you fetch us a drink? I’ll gather my shawl and meet you in the garden. It’s such a pretty night. I see no reason to waste it indoors.”
Amberly grinned. “A superb idea, Miss Cooper. To the garden it is.”
Drake enjoyed the view of Elise’s slim back as she departed. What an intriguing female. He wondered how many men swallowed her act. She played the part of an empty-headed chit, but intelligence shone from her startling green eyes. He wondered what game she played at. In his experience, all women had something to hide. Despite his earlier decision not to pursue her, he found uncovering her secrets might provide an interesting diversion during his stay in South Carolina.
Zechariah cleared his throat, reclaiming Drake’s attention. “I apologize, Amberly. Our Elise possesses a double portion of boldness. I hope you weren’t offended.”
“No, indeed I find her delightful.”
“Excellent. She’s a wonderful girl, if not the smartest one. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must see to my other guests.”
With a nod, Zechariah left and entered conversation with a nearby couple. Drake made his way to the refreshment table and accepted two glasses of punch from a servant before heading to the garden.
Not far from the open French doors, Christian Sayer intercepted him. “Evening, Amberly. I trust you’re enjoying our hospitality.”
“Very much. I just spoke with your father and his ward—”
“That’s why I’m here. Is one of those glasses for Miss Cooper?”
Drake nodded.
“Then I’ll tell you this as a friend,” Christian’s smile held an edge of warning. “Miss Cooper requires the greatest respect. Should you harm her, I’d be gravely disappointed. Treat her well. I’d hate to have to shoot you.”
Drake cocked an eyebrow in mild disbelief. The puppy was actually warning him off—an unusual event to be sure for a man used to being hounded by every flesh-peddling mama in England. His sister would howl with laughter if she were here to witness Sayer’s threat.
Drake suppressed his amusement and considered Christian with new eyes. The younger man possessed the demeanor of an open, friendly individual, yet it was clear he had darker, hidden depths. Could he be the Fox?
Making a mental note to watch Christian more closely, Drake tipped his head. “Save your threats for someone who will be impressed by them, puppy. Now, if you’ll excuse me, Miss Cooper is waiting for her drink.”
Chapter Three
Drake shouldered his way past the unyielding younger man and followed the sparsely furnished hall to the front of the red-brick mansion.
A servant in a white-and-scarlet uniform opened the door for him to cross into the balmy night. A full moon shone from the velvety black sky. Strategically placed lanterns lit the English garden spread out before him. Beyond its hedges and curved walkways, a wide, well-tended lawn sloped into the inky ribbon of the Ashley River.
He searched for Elise among the strolling guests partaking of the floral-scented air, but it seemed she’d disappeared. His fingers clenched round the glasses he held as disappointment assailed him. He found himself quite put out at the idea of not being able to speak with her. She was by far the most captivating woman he’d met in the whole of his twenty-eight years.
His eyes lit with pleasure when he finally located her across the expansive lawn, near the water’s edge. She stood half turned toward him, a lace shawl draped around her slender shoulders. She appeared to be speaking with someone, but he saw no one in the shadows cast by a towering oak. He hoped it wasn’t another man because he pitied the chap who tried to snatch her from him.
Drake shook his head to clear it. The fervor of his response to Elise surprised him. He brushed away the sensation, refusing to ponder the speed, the intensity of his reaction to the woman, for he’d never experienced a like emotion to compare with it.
Surely he’d learned his lesson, he thought in self-disgust. Women weren’t to be trusted. His wife had ended their union with betrayal, and the recent episode with his faithless fiancée had surely soured him on marriage for good.
So why did sighting Elise bring him such relief? Was it simply her beauty? Or perhaps it was the light of mystery in her eyes? Whatever it was, she was the first thing to please him since he’d learned of Anthony’s death. The long winter voyage across the Atlantic had put him in a fouler mood than when he’d left England, and the added frustration of finding so little information about the Fox proved infuriating. For the first time in months he looked forward to concentrating on a subject other than his brother’s murderer.
Elise lifted her head and caught him watching her. She tossed him a jaunty smile and beckoned him with a wave of her hand. He descended the steps at a leisurely pace, not wanting to seem overeager in his haste to reach her. His boots crunched the gravel as he followed the garden path to her side.
From her place beside the tree, Elise watched, transfixed by the predatory confidence Drake exuded and the warm manner in which he studied her. She was relieved to see he wasn’t offended by her bold request to meet her in the garden. He was by far the most intriguing man she’d ever met. Pity she had no wish to fall in love. If she did, he would be a mighty temptation indeed.
Princess whistled low and quiet from the shadows. “The man carrying the glasses is him, isn’t it? I can’t tell rightly in the moonlight, but he seems awful dark to be an Englishman.”
Without taking her eyes from Drake, Elise nodded. “From what I understand, he spends most of his time on a ship.”
“What’s his name again?”
“Drake Amberly.”
“He reminds me of a loaded pistol that’s primed and cocked. Maybe even more dangerous.”
“My thought precisely, Prin.”
Elise focused on her sister, hoping Amberly thought a view of the river interested her. Her sister’s large eyes, straight nose and high cheekbones were similar to her own and their shared father’s, but the night hid the mocha-brown skin and simple muslin gown that proclaimed
