Her eyes gleamed like topaz. Max cursed the fanciful thought as her question echoed through his head. Is there anyone on this earth good enough for me?
His internal response was immediate: No.
And then he wondered what he was thinking. He should pity the man that took her to wife.
He told himself it was because he had grown up with this girl. He had known her since she was a child. Since they were both children. No matter what had happened between them, no matter how deep the rift, no one would ever be good enough for Aurelia. He was certain that her brother and cousin would agree with him. Why did it feel so very troubling then for him to have a similar reaction?
Her question hovered between them. Answering it truthfully was out of the question, so he simply danced with her. Neither spoke for some moments. He couldn’t help thinking they fit well in each other’s arms. She was graceful, trusting in his ability to lead. He glanced down at her the precise moment she risked another glance up at him. The warm gold of her gown brought out the fire in her eyes, and he was hard pressed not to lose himself in that gaze.
“Very well,” she said with a relenting sigh, breaking their silence. “Why is Mr. Mackenzie so very unsuitable?”
“I’ve heard many unsavory a tale of the man. He is far beneath you.”
She turned wide eyes on him, clucking her tongue. The act brought his attention to her mouth. Had she applied some manner of gloss there? They seemed plumper, a shade deeper . . . like she had been sipping from a glass of claret.
“You’re not the type to give credit to rumors, Camden.”
With difficulty, he brought his gaze back to her eyes. “It’s a fact. He owns a string of gaming hells from here to Edinburgh.”
“That hardly makes him disreputable. Don’t tell me you’re one of those stodgy noblemen who actually looks down his nose at anyone who has to work for a living.”
He frowned. “It’s not that.” He himself worked, in a manner, spending a goodly amount of his time managing investments and researching new prospects. Gone were the days where any man could rest on his laurels and expect everything in life to be handed to him. He’d seen what such thinking had done to Will’s father. It had stripped him of nearly everything and left Will scrambling for ways to support his family. No, he respected any man who worked. Only Mackenzie was dangerous. He wasn’t certain everything he did could qualify as law-abiding.
“He’s trying to buy a bride and everyone knows it,” he said, confident that would put the nail in Mackenzie’s coffin as far as Aurelia was concerned. One thing he knew for certain was that she was a prideful creature. Her principles wouldn’t allow her to condone a man so mercenary in his pursuit of a bride.
To his shock, she shrugged. “How is that different from any other gentleman in the market for a bride? At least he’s not hunting for heiresses.”
He stared hard at her for a moment. “You like him,” he accused.
She shrugged. “I don’t know him. Yet.”
“Yet?”
She looked at him in exasperation. “He’s one of the few gentlemen not dissuaded by my lack of dowry. He’s handsome, and as you pointed out to me recently, I don’t exactly have a legion of eligible men beating a path to my door. Why wouldn’t I consider him?”
He bit back a curse, feeling like an utter ass. He had said something to that effect to her. “I thought you had no wish to marry,” he reminded her.
“Have I ever said that to you or was that simply the assumption?” She angled her head, considering. “Hm. Whatever the case, I have had a change of heart. I will be engaged before the Season is out.”