Chapter Seventeen

G yles stood with Asher and Lucius at the Hampton affair waiting for Josephine’s arrival with Simon. The grand ballroom was filled with the elite of Society and Gyles had no idea how they might manage to fit anyone else in the room. The house was that crowded. But the night was still young and people, especially young ladies and their mothers, continued to weave their way through the throng of elegantly clad men and women as if they only wished to be seen . Gyles had attended enough of these balls to know that most of the single ladies in the throng before him only wished to find a husband.

As if bad luck had somehow followed him, his eyes happened to glance in the direction of none other than Lady Juliet Dubois. She gave a little wave of her hand, but her eyes spoke volumes. She was on the prowl if the sly smile that swept her lovely features implied anything. But he had no notion to be caught in her web. There was only one woman whom he wanted to spend the evening with, although he knew he wouldn’t be able to occupy her the entire time of the ball.

Lady Juliet began making her way in his direction but he had no desire to be trapped in a conversation with her. Dancing with her at several events in the past had been more than enough to last him a lifetime. He excused himself from his friends to begin meandering his way through the throng of the ton hoping to get lost from the lady’s view. Unfortunately, he wasn’t fast or clever enough since a hand suddenly grasped his elbow in a firm grip.

With no choice, he turned to stare down at the woman. He gave a short bow. “Good evening, Lady Juliet,” he said politely while his eyes swept the room behind her for Josephine.

A light laugh escaped from her lips. “Lord Wickes… if I didn’t know better, I would say you were trying to run away from me,” Lady Juliet crooned while her hand tightened on his arm.

“Nothing could be further from my mind, my lady,” Gyles replied trying not to roll his eyes for that is exactly what he had been doing and she probably knew it.

“I had hoped to see you here tonight. Perhaps you might favor me with a dance later?” she asked batting her eyes at him swiftly enough that Gyles thought she might take flight. She waved her dance card out for him to take.

Good grief! How would he be able to refuse, especially since several people were watching their interaction? “Of course, my lady,” he finally answered. He took the card, saw that most of the dances were empty, and chose a fast-paced quadrille that would keep them apart with no time for any conversation in between the patterns of the dance. He handed the card back to her and watched her frown.

“Only one?” she inquired stepping uncomfortably close. “Surely, you could fill in another two spaces, my lord. Society has seen us together before and would expect us to perform more than one dance.”

Gyles stepped back from her. “Your card will be filled in no time, Lady Juliet. I would not wish to deprive another gentleman of the pleasure of your company. Besides, you know, as well as I, that to perform more than two dances with one partner at an event would be… unwise.”

“Posh! I don’t care what these gossipmongers have to say about you and I. Let’s give them and the Teatime Tattler something to talk about in the morning,” she teased while her eyes appeared to plead with him to take her up on her offer.

Once again Gyles refused to take the bait dangling before him. He wasn’t that stupid. Ruining her reputation at a public function would see him heading to the altar with the wrong woman. “I wouldn’t think of ruining your good name, my lady, by allowing bad judgement to rule our heads. Now if you will excuse me, I see my mother beckoning me to join her and my father. I will see you later for our dance.”

He gave the lady another short bow and she dropped down into a curtsey but he swore she stamped her foot right before he departed from her side. If only he could have gotten away without the one dance he had been forced to jot down on her card. She played the game well but Gyles played it better. He hadn’t remained single this long without a fair amount of effort on his part. Lady Juliet wasn’t the first woman who eyed the possibility of one day becoming his duchess.

He made his way across the room to his parents and he was thankful that whatever illness had been plaguing his father now found him in better health. He wasn’t completely recovered but he was well enough that he could attend the event. His mother raised her cheek for him to kiss. He stood next to his father while they began making idle conversation until the room grew eerily still. Gyles could only think of one situation that would cause the crowd to grow silent. Josephine had arrived.

Gyles held his breath when the lady glided into the room with her brother. She was exquisite in a dark-forest-green silk gown with golden embroidery on the bodice. Diamonds sparkled on her graceful neck. Her earbobs glimmered in the candlelight of the room and winked at him as they dangled from her ears. Her jewelry continued to complement her at her wrist along with a pearl and diamond tiara set within the curls of her dark black hair. His heart thundered inside his chest seeing her and he did everything in his power not to rush to her side.

He was prepared for her and Simon to work the room but the silence and then gasps that seemingly echoed in the room was almost his undoing. Josephine lifted her chin before she looked up at her brother who gave her a confident smile. They began to make their way into the interior of the crowd and she was momentarily lost from Gyles’s view.

“Good heavens,” his mother exclaimed. “If I wasn’t mistaken that was Josephine Rockliffe. And here I thought this was a private affair. They’ll let just anyone into these balls these days.”

Gyles pressed his lips into a firm line before he answered his mother. “She’s Mrs. Bouchard now, Mother, and a widow.”

His mother peered up at him before she wagged her finger under his nose. “Don’t even think it, Wickes. There are plenty of other eligible women here and in London who are better suited to spend your energy on.”

A sound left him giving testament that the entire ton would have the same viewpoint of the lady. “You watched Josephine grow up before your eyes, Mother. Can you find no sympathy in your heart for her? You do not know the trials she’s had to face in her life. Until you are reacquainted with the lady and know her story, I suggest you exercise a bit of good sense and not pass judgement on her.”

He left his parents’ side while his mother sputtered her objections. He would eventually have to deal with their censorious attitudes, but hopefully Josephine would have found her place within Society again by that time and her past would no longer be an issue.

He continued to watch her progress through the room until they met with the Marquis and Marchioness of Saxton. The marchioness had no issue of taking Josephine’s hands and bringing her into a small embrace. They were, after all, friends and acquaintances of Mrs. Vaughn. But the marchioness’s situation was far different than that of Josephine’s, and Gyles knew it had taken quite a bit of work for the lady to be accepted back within the fold. He could only pray that with time, Josephine would find her place, too.

When Simon and Josephine finally drew close, he bowed before her while she dropped into a curtsey. Gyles asked permission for a dance. He offered his arm to the lady and escorted her to the edge of the dance floor to wait for the next song.

“You are beautiful tonight, Josephine,” Gyles whispered into her ear while the scent of roses filled his senses. He could have stood their breathing her in for the rest of his life but then he remembered himself, and once more stood tall.

“You are very handsome, as well, my lord,” she replied giving his arm a small squeeze. “I’m glad you came to my rescue. I keep waiting for this facade to fall down around me. I’m certain at any given moment that someone will confront me, stating that I’m a fraud and demanding I leave.”

He patted her hand. “You’ll do no such thing as beating a retreat, my lady. We knew this was going to be difficult. We just need to be patient and allow you to be seen around town with people of good standing.”

“Sometimes I think it was better at the Lyon’s Den. At least there I could wear a mask so my identity was a secret,” she confessed.

A chuckle left him. “And yet, even then you caught my eye. Who could ever forget such a lovely vision sitting up there on the ladies’ gallery?”

“You were drawn to me…” she murmured softly as though in disbelief.

“Yes.” A simple answer but spoken from his heart.

She fingered the fabric of his sleeve. “I worry you’ll regret your decision to be seen with me. It’s a constant fear of mine that I will never be enough and only become a burden to you and your family.”

“Josephine…” Gyles wished in that moment that he could take her in his arms. Instead, he turned to face her. “You were always enough for me, my lady.”

Her soft brown eyes inspected him as if she was ensuring he spoke the truth. When another small smile graced her features, he gave her one of his own. When the next strands of music from the musicians indicated another dance was to begin, Gyles escorted Josephine onto the dance floor. They began the patterns of the dance, and Josephine’s smile was infectious. The evening was going to be a great success, or so he hoped. It was everything he ever wanted for Josephine… and for himself, if he were truthful about his feelings. He could only pray that good luck would continue to be on their side.

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