Forbidden (Scandalous Sirens) by Tracy Cooper-Posey, Julia Templeton

desires for Vaughn as petty gossip. Vaughn didn’t seem to be the sort who would dally with maids. She had not considered the possibility of another woman taking up Vaughn’s attention. Or worse, becoming his new obsession.
    What irritated her even more was how handsome Vaughn looked tonight, dressed in a black suit and snowy white shirt and cravat that complimented his dark, exotic looks.
    “There you are, my dear. I was getting ready to send Marianne up your way.” Rufus came to his feet, an uncustomary smile on his face. He appeared to be good at pretending when in the presence of titled friends.
    She took her seat at Rufus’ side and looked up to find Vaughn still engaged in conversation with Natasha. The girl was pretty, with dark hair and a fresh complexion. Her prettiness was supported by an unstinting application of money and attention to her wardrobe. And Elisa had to admit the debutante had youth on her side. Her unsullied, just-budded perfection made Elisa feel used and discarded.
    She laid her napkin across her lap, waved the wine decanter away and asked for water, puzzling over her jealous reaction to Vaughn talking to Natasha. She was forced to acknowledge another horrid fact about herself: she had enjoyed Vaughn’s attentions. Even though she had no intention of allowing him to press more than ardent words upon her, she had taken a secret delight in being the object of his powerful desire. It had been much, much too long since someone had flattered her by showing more than polite, superficial interest in her.
    And she very much did not like that center of focus shifting from her!

    It was pure folly, she knew, to be upset about such a natural occurrence. She had made it clear she would never respond to his advances, so she could not be angry when his attention roved elsewhere. She could not expect him to maintain a devotion that was unrequited, no matter how much she enjoyed the attention.
    She glanced at the two young people, their heads together, whispering.
    No, she did not like it!
    Elisa turned her attention to the baron on her right, Natasha’s father. “Sir William, where is Lady Munroe this evening?”
    Sir William patted her hand. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but Caroline is a little under the weather—a headache—but she bid me tell you hello and assure you she would come calling as soon as she was feeling better.”
    “Please be sure to tell her I’m hoping for her quick recovery.”
    “Indeed, I shall.”
    “William, what ever did you decide to do with the extra acreage I gave you?” Rufus asked, his chest puffing out with self-importance.
    Elisa suppressed a sigh. In her short time here she had already learned that Rufus used favors like currency. Once he had done something for another, he considered that person to be indebted to him for life In those moments when her guilt and worry over Raymond’s absence were quieter than usual, she could see her situation with more clarity and it had occurred to her more than once that perhaps Rufus was using the same yardstick with her; that the impending marriage was another of his bargains. But then Rufus would show her a moment of tenderness or kindness, and she would become confused yet again about the reasons for Rufus’s rough courtship and proposal. He was a more complex person than he appeared to be.
    Elisa gave up pretending to eat. She took a deep breath and sat back in her seat, doing everything she could to keep from staring at Vaughn, sitting across from her. It was torturous. Natasha’s laughter, as light as a bell, accompanied every one of Vaughn’s sentences, humorous or not. It grated on Elisa’s nerves.
    She twisted her hands in her lap, feeling tension growing in her. She wanted to run from the room but could not, for it would later require explanations she could not give. She was forced to behave like the decorous lady of the manor, beaming approval upon the flirtation across the table from her just like Baron