Chapter 26 #2
Leonard looked at her. “I think it obvious who they are here to see. The one smiling at everyone who passes.” He rolled his eyes, looking at his brother until he finally cracked a small grin.
“Me?” Samuel’s eyes widened, and his face took on a sudden flush.
“Well, either way, they certainly aren’t here to see me,” Honora pointed out, “so you had both put on your best faces.”
Samuel leaned slightly to his right, as if putting more weight on his walking stick. As the woman and her daughter arrived, he gave it some slack as if to show he had no need of it.
“Mr. Stanton,” Mrs. Birks said, beaming. “How wonderful it is to see you out and about.”
Samuel smiled, all modesty. “Thank you. It is good to be out.”
“Your health is well, I take it?”
He paused. “As good as it’s been,” he allowed.
Mrs. Birks listened with half an ear as she took her daughter’s hand. “May I please present my daughter, Miss Tabitha Birks.”
The young lady was quite pretty, though she seemed to have a quiet disposition.
Which would actually be quite a perfect pairing for Samuel.
Honora met Leonard’s gaze, lifting a single brow before correcting her face lest she get caught making insinuations.
Leonard, however, looked between the two with those little lines creasing the skin just above his nose.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Samuel said, taking Miss Birks’s hand and bowing over it. One would never know he had not been in society much at all over the years, for his manners and ease were without flaw.
“Is this not the most beautifully adorned room,” Miss Birks said.
Samuel took a moment to look around. “Quite lovely. But nothing compared to its occupants.”
Leonard suddenly coughed, then covered his mouth. “Excuse me,” he said, looking to the floor.
Miss Birks’s cheeks flushed, and her smile grew.
Honora watched with great amusement as Samuel and Miss Birks conversed, while Leonard and Mrs. Birks interjected random thoughts of their own.
Mrs. Birks was quite encouraging of the pair, but Leonard seemed strangely stilted.
Perhaps that was just his way with people.
It wasn’t as if he had been particularly welcoming to Honora upon their first acquaintance.
She had attributed it to the way they met, but it was plausible that he just did not enjoy crowds or socializing in general, which he had made no secret of.
And yet, something still seemed off about his demeanor.
“Would you care to dance, Miss Birks?”
The conversation ground to a halt, and Leonard’s head swung toward his brother. “Samuel,” he said, his voice gentle and quiet, yet not enough so that Mrs. Birks and her daughter would not have heard.
Samuel didn’t look at him, but his neck tightened. “Excuse me,” he continued. “I meant to ask if you would like to take a turn about the room with me.”
Miss Birks noticeably brightened. “Of course. That would be lovely.”
He held his arm out to her, which she took, her cheeks flushing further. Mrs. Birks nodded at Leonard, then followed her daughter.
“Goodness, what was he thinking?” Leonard said as he watched them go. “Had he really thought he would be able to dance?”
“Leonard,” Honora said, putting a hand on his arm as she stood at his side. “Can you really blame him?”
“I bloody well can.” He scrubbed a hand over his mouth. “I am responsible for him tonight. It is bad enough I snuck him out of the house, but to have him collapse in the middle of the room while a sea of people watched? My father would lose his head!”
“Leonard.” Honora stepped around until she faced him, squeezing his arm.
“It is fine. He isn’t dancing. They are only going for a short walk.
That is what you wanted, is it not? For him to have a bit of freedom?
Some fun?” She glanced over her shoulder where they were slowly making their way around the border of the room, both laughing and smiling.
“And I would say they are enjoying themselves, wouldn’t you? ” She turned her face back to him.
Leonard swallowed, then looked to the floor, running a hand up the back of his neck. “Of course. I don’t know what came over me.”
“Are you all right?” Her eyes flitted over his face.
He nodded. “Yes. I am all right.”
The remainder of the evening, Honora did her best to remain in the shadows, though she was forced into several introductions as people came to speak with Leonard and Samuel—family friends from over the years.
At one point, Samuel took to a chair to rest, and Honora kept a steady supply of punch coming to him to hopefully help keep his strength.
At last, the final dance was about to begin, and Samuel stood, shoving his cup at Leonard’s chest.
“Excuse me,” Leonard hissed as he rushed to grab it. “What the devil are you doing?”
Samuel leveled his eyes at his brother. “I am going to dance even if it kills me.” He turned on his heel, making for the nearest young lady.
Samuel smiled, all charm and good manners, and in only a short moment he was leading her onto the dance floor.
Leonard’s mouth hung open, but Honora found herself trying not to smile. When Leonard looked at her, she did her best to hide it.
“You are enjoying this, aren’t you?” he accused her.
She shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a romantic.”
“You aren’t the one who will have to deal with the ramifications of this.”
“Who says there will be ramifications?” she pressed.
Leonard watched, his gaze heavy as Samuel made it to the line of dancers. “Goodness, he doesn’t even have his cane.”
Now it was Honora’s turn to roll her eyes. “How could he dance with it, Leonard? Be sensible.”
“I am,” he said, eyes not leaving Samuel. “It is my brother who is not being sensible.”
“He looks happy.”
This gave Leonard pause, and he watched for several moments before uttering a soft, “He does.” He sighed. “Very well. If he wants to collapse in exhaustion in the name of love, who am I to stop him? He is his own man. I will not stand in his way.”
Honora’s lips lifted in a smile, and her heart warmed. “And that is why I love you so.”
His head jerked to her, his eyes wide.
Her eyes widened as well. Had she really just said that? Goodness, what was the matter with her? Love was in the air, and apparently it was contagious.
“What did you just say?” he asked, his chin dipped.
“I said nothing.” She lifted onto her toes, looking at the dancers.
His mouth opened. “No, you most certainly said something.”
“I don’t think so.”
He took her hand and pulled her until she was flat on her feet again. “We shall discuss this later,” he whispered into her ear, causing gooseflesh to break along her neck as his breath washed over the exposed skin on her throat.
They would not be discussing anything if she had something to do with it. The man was just beginning to warm up to her. She didn’t need to send him running again.
The dance passed on, and Leonard could not seem to keep himself from flicking his eyes to his brother every thirty seconds. Luckily, the dance was a more somber one. A country jig would have put a quick end to his evening of entertainment.
The final notes of the song rang out, and Leonard’s shoulders dropped. “Thank goodness.”
Samuel delivered the young woman back to her mother, then slowly walked over to Honora and Leonard.
Samuel looked simultaneously exhausted and elated. His face was pale, but his cheeks had a healthy dose of color to them, and his chest labored a great deal. He snatched his cane from Leonard, leaning on it even as his smile persisted.
“Well, are you proud of yourself?” Leonard drolled.
With a quick breath, Samuel nodded. “That was worth every second of misery I am sure to endure for the remainder of the evening.”
Leonard choked out a laugh, putting a hand to his brother’s back. “Let us get you home.”
“Oh.” Honora stopped. “I have to retrieve my bag. I will meet you at the carriage.”
Leonard paused, then promptly waved her off.