Dunham

Chapter 39

"Which is why you have no qualm in refusing Hylton's request."

"Exactly." He turned to Camille, then, and cocked an eyebrow. "Speaking of which, how did you come to dance with Covarrubias? Twice? I thought that was settled last night when he rebuffed you?"

She flushed and her mouth pressed tight. "Lady Rathbone embarrassed him into asking and embarrassed me into accepting, for the same reason she made sure you were dancing attendance on Miss Simpleton all evening after she recovered from her swoon."

Elliott stared at her, confused. "Why in the devil would she do that?"

"Lord Covarrubias told me she's trying to keep him from marrying her niece."

"He told you that?" Niall asked suspiciously.

"Not in so many words. He said something to the effect that she encouraged him to pay attention to all the ladies for, perhaps, a more suitable match than her niece."

Elliott and Niall exchanged a look. "She doesn't want him anywhere near her. Is she protecting her from him too?"

"Well!" Milly interrupted with a huff. "If you asked me for my opinion, which you did not but I will give it to you anyway, Lady Rathbone could not keep her eyes from him all evening and seemed rather possessive of him."

Both men stared at Milly before bursting out laughing. "Good Lord, the woman's jealous of her idiot niece," Elliott said, but his amusement was short-lived when all the details of the evening started to settle in his mind. "Niall, there's something not quite right with that situation."

Niall sucked in a deep breath in the manner of a man about to present his opening argument to a jury. But he only said, "Save your conjecture until Sandy comes home. He has quite a few interesting theories."

"Very well." He had other things to put to rest. "Milly, your new assignment is to make absolutely certain that Miss Simpleton and Covarrubias are together at all these little soirees as much as possible."

The girl's face took on a wily expression Elliott had never seen before and he congratulated himself on his choice of accomplice.

"You can do that, I take it," Elliott said dryly.

She cast him a wicked grin and swept out of the room without another word, leaving some moments of silence behind her.

"Why am I suddenly afraid of her?" Niall asked blithely.

Elliott laughed. "I need Covarrubias out of my path to Fury." At Niall's expression of utter bewilderment, he said, "Fury and Covarrubias have been occasional lovers for the past several years. If he weds this chit, she will not continue with him."

Niall's mouth dropped open, but then he gathered himself. "You're jealous."

"I am and not ashamed to admit it. I want Fury."

"You have had Fury."

"Without Covarrubias hanging off her stern."

"Do you really think his marrying Celia Bancroft will make him let go of Fury? Would any marriage make you let go of her if she did not want to be let go?"

"Nay," Elliott said low, "but she will not compete for a lover and she will not be second, no matter how deeply her heart is involved unless he lies to her, which, by the way, is what I had planned to do." Before his mother had pointed out the flaws in it. He sighed and dropped back into his chair. "God, what a predicament. The admiral thinks offering me his lunatic spinster is a favor. Do you believe it? I am without a bridal prospect, but it doesn't in the least help me win Fury because I still need a wife who can bear children."