Frost rarely pursued a lady.

First, it took too much effort; more to the point, most
were
not worthy

of the chase. Second, most ladies were willing quarry.
His
handsome face and

title had opened the doors of countless bedchambers—
something he often

had taken for granted. However, he had been willing to
make
an exception for

Miss Cavell. Although it galled him to admit it, the lady
mildly intrigued him.

Her acrimony toward Nox gave him the excuse he needed to
seek her out.

In the end, she came to him.

Well, not precisely to him. He and the lady just happened
to be

attending the same ball this evening. Fate had placed
them
on the same

course, and he was willing to see for himself if the
daring
Emily was worth all

the fuss.

As he watched her from the upper landing, she was
blithely
unaware

of his presence. She was speaking cordially with their
hostess, Lady Fiddick,

and her niece. Miss Cavell stood out from the trio,
looking
quite fetching

this evening. The fashions this spring tended to favor
brighter colors, most

of which would have been disastrous for a redhead. Of
course, this would

not have prevented an ambitious miss who insisted on
wearing
the latest

styles and colors. Unlike her two companions who were
draped
in scarlet

and geranium, Miss Cavell seemed almost subdued in her
periwinkle dress.

Instead, the observer's eye was drawn to her dark red
hair.
Her maid had

curled the lady's long locks into curls of medium
thickness
and pinned them

into an artful arrangement. Several white roses had been
added, and the

overall effect made his fingers itch to discover all the
hairpins concealed in

her thick tresses.

"I recognize that look," a familiar masculine voice
drawled
behind

him. "Only a woman can generate such predatory hunger in
a
man's gaze."

Frost did not glance at his uninvited companion. "Lord
Ravens. I did

not realize you strayed from your personal house of
iniquity
to dally with the

civilized."

The earl's amusement covered him like the comforting
warmth of

a blanket. He had known the man for years. Before Saint's
marriage, he

and Frost had been frequent guests at Lord Ravens's
intimate
gatherings of

debauchery. Once, the Lords of Vice had even considered
inviting the earl

to join them. However, not all of his friends appreciated
Ravens's unusual

appetites, and the subject had been dropped.

Even so, Frost doubted the gentleman would have joined
them. He

enjoyed being lord and master of his world.

Frost shifted his gaze to Lord Ravens. His mild annoyance
faded at the

sight of his friend. With hair as dark as his own, the
gray-eyed earl looked

the same. The twenty-seven-year-old was unmarried and
most
likely would

remain in that state unless he discovered a very
understanding wife.

"What brings you here?"

"I could ask the same of you, my friend. After all, you
are
one of

my favorite guests, and yet you have deprived me and my
friends of your

company."

"My apologies," Frost said sincerely. "My appetites led
me
elsewhere,

and I was content. No offense was intended."

"I am relieved. I value your friendship, and thought
Sinclair and your

other friends might have persuaded you to abandon our
friendship since my

gatherings are not for the unenlightened."

Frost heartily agreed. "Then you do not know me as well
as you

believed. No one, not even my good friends, tells me whom
I
may spend my

evenings with, or where."

Lord Ravens smiled. "Excellent. Then I pray you will
return
to us

soon?"

"How can I refuse such a warm invitation? Especially
since I
envy the

contents of your wine cellar."

The earl coughed into his hand. "And nothing else tempts
you?"

Frost laughed. "Oh, there is no doubt that you provide
many

temptations, gent. It is one of the reasons why some
people
dislike you."

"Dislike?" He raised his brows as he considered the word.
"Several of

your friends despise me. Vanewright, in particular,
always
looks as if he'd like

to plant his fist in my jaw."

Vane had not been in the best of moods the last time
Saint
had dragged

their friend to Ravens's town house. It had happened so
long
ago, it was not

worth explaining. Instead, he teased, "You sound
surprised.
I thought most

gents wish to murder you."

Ravens chuckled. "True. Many secretly fear I will steal
their wives

away from them."

"And would you?"

The earl shrugged. "Is it my fault that I am irresistible
to
most

females?"

Frost clapped a companionable hand on Lord Ravens's
shoulder. "And

that is why you and I get along so well. We are afflicted
with the same

problem when it comes to women."

"It is only a problem if you are the man with the
unfaithful
wife."

Ravens casually nodded toward the chattering females
below.
"And which

lady has caught your eye this evening? Or is it all
three?"

The question was not meant to unsettle Frost. Lord Ravens
was wholly

indiscriminate when it came to women or men. Married,
virgins, old, and

young, he welcomed them all into his bed.

"Why? Do you wish to join me?"

Over the years, there had been evenings when drink,
boredom,
and lust

had turned into a potent combination, and he had indulged
in
the mindless

orgies Ravens had hosted. Frost had rejoiced in the
abandonment, but it did

not take long for it to pall as well. It was one of the
reasons why he had not

visited the gentleman's residence in two months.

"Are you willing to share?"

Frost glanced at Emily Cavell. Share her? He did not like
that idea at all.