One Night with an Earl Read Free Page A

expeditions that returned to England with crates filled with of-as-yet undiscovered fauna from the far reaches of the world. If she discontinued her support out of pique, which Drew had witnessed in a few of Madame Lussier’s other ventures, he wouldn’t have the resources to continue on as they had. Many people would suffer. Science itself would suffer.
    â€œFriday! Four days from now.”
    â€œAh.” He tapped his forehead, considering his schedule. As usual, he had nothing planned besides sitting in his study bent over his samples and his notes.
    He wished he had some pressing duty to attend to, but in fact, he did not.
    A masquerade . God help him.
    â€œOf course I shall attend,” he’d said, giving her a tight smile. “I wouldn’t dare miss it.”
    Now he stood here at the edge of Madame Lussier’s crowded, stuffy ballroom, watching all the revelers spinning around the center of the room in the midst of a boisterous country dance. The laughter and chatter rose over the music, and he stood near the wall, arms crossed over his chest and his lips pursed. He would endure this frippery until midnight, and then he’d take his leave.
    It was far too warm in here, and he put his hand to his cravat but resisted the urge to loosen it. Approximately three quarters of the people in the ballroom were dressed in costumes that ranged from ostentatious to offensive to demure to skin-baring. Dressed in traditional evening wear, he was in the minority, though like everyone else, he was wearing a mask.
    At the last minute this evening, he had troubled his valet, Mitchell, to fetch him one. Mitchell had worked his magic and had returned within the hour with a simple black mask in time to help Drew dress and shave.
    Drew strode to the refreshments table and took another glass of champagne. As a rule, he wasn’t a champagne drinker, but he’d make an exception because he required something to hold on to so he wouldn’t be standing there the entire time, arms crossed and appearing irritated at being here at all.
    â€œDo I know you?” The feminine voice was a stage whisper at his shoulder, just loud enough to be heard over the din.
    He turned around, not recognizing the voice. The woman was dressed as a man…quite a dandy of a man, in fact, with trousers that were striped green and white, a billowing shirt, a top hat of green felt, and a green cape. Her mask was also red, glittering with emeralds—or paste emeralds; he leaned toward paste but couldn’t be sure unless he examined them more closely, which he had no desire to do.
    Some men might find a woman wearing trousers extremely alluring. He was not one of those men. He preferred his women feminine—he liked the hint of curves their clothing suggested and preferred it to be revealed in private, where he and he alone could unveil the secret of a woman’s soft, warm flesh.
    Drew took a step backward, squinting at her. He still didn’t recognize her. “No. I don’t believe we have been introduced.”
    â€œOh.” Her eyes flickered to his champagne glass. “That looks wonderful,” she murmured suggestively, gazing at it like she wanted to devour it, glass and all.
    â€œPlease. Be my guest,” he said dryly, holding it out to her.
    â€œOh,” she said again, and he wondered at the extent of her vocabulary. “That would be wonderful.”
    She took it from him. Staring at his face, she raised the glass to her lips and took a tiny sip. “Ohhhhhh,” she said, then licked her lips provocatively, gazing up at him from under her lashes.
    â€œYes. Well. Good evening.” He gave her a small bow and walked away. He threaded through a crowd of people who were flirting ostentatiously with one another, women batting their eyelashes over their fans and men touching them suggestively.
    He swerved around a couple engaged in the beginnings of carnal congress. The man had