Free Bargaining With a Rake (A Whisper of Scandal Novel) by Julie Johnstone

but tearing his gaze away from Lady Gillian proved impossible.
The color drained from her face. Her gaze darted, searched. For what? An
escape?
    Kingsley raised a glass. “It’s my
pleasure to announce the betrothal of my daughter to Mr. Harrison Mallorian.”
    Lady Gillian took the glass proffered
to her with a trembling hand. Alex turned away from the spectacle and glanced
at Sutherland. “Well, I suppose the lady has been outwitted by her father.” He
clasped Sutherland on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, my friend, the ton is
full of hundreds of beautiful debutantes who will want to marry you.” He
swallowed, his mouth suddenly filled with a bitter taste.
    “Now, Lissie―” Where the devil?
He glanced around them. What was wrong with that girl? “Where’d she go?” he
grumbled more to himself than Sutherland.
    “Your sister fled when they announced
the betrothal.”
    “Odd of her to disappear like that.”
    Sutherland shrugged. “No stranger
than you staring at Lady Gillian during the entire announcement and not
noticing your sister fleeing from your side.”
    Alex sighed. Rising to his full
height, he scanned the crowd once more but still did not see his sister. Blasted
unreasonable women . He’d hoped that with her odd behavior she might be
agreeable to go. Now he had no choice but to stay among this rabble until he
found her. Maybe even then she’d want to stay for hours. “Damn,” he muttered
under his breath as he motioned to Sutherland to help begin the search.

 
     
     

    Alex couldn’t understand why he still
felt so tense. His sister had been found and safely sent home with their
parents after begging a headache. His chaperone duties were over for the night.
He had a full glass of whiskey in front of him, and he was with his friend and
brother, yet his shoulders bunched with tension.
    And he couldn’t get his bloody mind
on the bloody Vingt-et-un game. Something was bothering his sister, and
he intended to get to the bottom of her problem tomorrow. Headache his arse .
Her eye had twitched with her second lie of the night.
    After a moment’s contemplation he
knew what was bothering him, other than his sister, he just didn’t know why.
Lady Gillian had clearly not wished to become someone’s soon-to-be bride
tonight. But why the hell should that be on his mind? The woman was not his
concern.
    He shifted in his seat but still
could not get comfortable. He had to get out of this place. White’s hummed with
an excited undercurrent he normally thrived on, yet tonight the buzz of
business, drink and bets annoyed him. He needed a woman’s soft touch to make
him forget the tart-tongued Lady Gillian. Of course, he had no mistress now
since he’d had to break things off with Bess. And he was not in the mood to try
out a new woman tonight. These things took time and careful consideration.
    “Lionhurst? Have you heard a word we
said?” Sutherland demanded.
    Alex glanced up. He was only just
aware he had been staring mindlessly at the crowd of men gathered around the
betting book at the front of White’s. His brother and Sutherland watched him,
no doubt expecting an answer.
    “Not a word. Sorry.” He picked up his
drink and drained the liquid with one gulp before setting the glass down. The
last thing he was prepared to do was spill what was on his mind. “The ball drained
my ability to think clearly,” he said as way of explanation since they appeared
to still want one.
    Cameron chuckled. “That sounds
exactly like something Robert would have said.”
    Alex twitched at the mention of their
dead older brother. He stared at Cameron in stony silence, until color flooded
his brother’s face. Good . His brother needed to be reminded of a few
things. Alex leaned forward. “I will never be Robert. I never could be, even if
I wanted to.”
    “Thank God,” Cameron mumbled. “But I
didn’t mean to imply that.”
    “Whatever you meant, if you want me
to take you seriously about buying into the