Chapter 29 #2
He froze. She stared back at him expectantly, almost hopefully, and a strange buzzing sensation filled his head. This girl knew what he was doing, and what he wanted, and she was trying to help him. “How so?” he asked cautiously.
She glanced at Evangeline, who was watching them. “I think she gave up much she holds dear to play at chaperone.”
She’d said her niece was clever, and took after her. He ought to have remembered that. But he couldn’t forget that the young lady’s mother had reproved Evangeline for her behavior, and virtually cast her out of their family. “Has she expressed any discontent?” he asked cautiously.
She bit her lip. “Not a word.”
He wondered at that, and turned the conversation toward her. Evangeline had told him about Miss Bennet’s unexpected ballooning trip with Viscount Burke, which had caused her great anxiety. But the young lady surprised him again. “Would you do me a great favor, sir?”
“Of course,” he said politely.
“Would you ask her to dance?”
He looked at her sharply, but her expression was open and guileless.
And it aligned too well with what he’d planned, so in the end he decided to risk it.
“I would ask her for every dance, if she would consent to just one. I am not the party you need to encourage,” he murmured as he led her off the floor at the end of the quadrille.
Her face lit up and she gave him a small, happy nod as he bowed and excused himself. He went back to Clemency, who was fending off polite conversation from Sir Paul Brentwood.
“How did it go?” she whispered.
“Perfectly.” He paused. “She told me to ask her aunt to dance.”
His sister clutched his arm in excitement.
Richard could see Miss Bennet, holding her aunt’s hand and speaking to her very earnestly.
And there was Burke, at last, carving his way through the crowd toward them without subtlety.
He had a waiter with champagne at his heels, and for several minutes the three chatted, appearing in very good charity with each other.
Richard knew Evangeline wanted to bring off this match, if there was a match to be made, and so he stayed where he was. Clemency whispered in his ear about something or other; he didn’t listen.
And then Miss Bennet looked directly at him, and when their eyes met, she gave him a confident nod. Do it, he could almost hear her say. She’ll say yes.
When Sir Paul spoke to him, it was all Richard could do to understand the words. Gerhard came back, wine in hand, and Richard let him step into the conversation and carry on with their host. Clemency obligingly piped up and chattered about something.
Suddenly, his sister jabbed him in the ribs. “It’s almost the supper dance,” she hissed. “If you are going to ask her, do it now!”
Without hesitation he turned on his heel and went.
They were drinking champagne and laughing as he approached. Burke wore a look of focused fascination as he spoke to Miss Bennet. Richard wondered briefly if there would be a proposal this very evening. Miss Bennet glowed with happiness.
“Your pardon, Lady Courtenay,” he said. “I beg you to honor me with the supper dance.”
She turned, her face soft with surprise.
“Oh, do!” burst out Miss Bennet. Her color was high, and she swung the champagne flute loosely in her hand. “As you know, I am already engaged, so you are quite free to dance yourself.”
Richard silently thanked her, even though she was likely tipsy and high-spirited because of Burke’s attention.
Evangeline gave her niece a look, then slowly put her hand in Richard’s. “I would be delighted, sir. I will see you in the supper room, Joan.”
He shot a look of rapturous gratitude at Miss Bennet, who beamed back, and led Evangeline to the edge of the dance floor.
“Everyone will be watching us,” she breathed as she went into his arms. It was to be a waltz.
“Because they, like I, are transfixed by how beautiful you are tonight.”
She smiled wryly, looking more like herself. “Flattery!”
“Well, it is certainly the truth in my case, and who is to know what all these strangers are thinking? I rate it even odds that I am correct.”
“Even odds! Then you are just as likely wrong.”
He smiled, darting a glance at Miss Bennet, who was safely in Viscount Burke’s arms. “Perhaps some are distracted by the very great coup de grace you are about to execute, snaring the most elusive bachelor lord in London for your niece.”
She turned her head to look at the couple. “Yes,” she said softly, “I do believe he’s snared.”
“Burke has been watching for her, and then watching her, all evening.”
She looked at him in surprise. “How do you know?”
“It was difficult not to notice. He’s a large fellow and cannot hide behind the pillars no matter how hard he tries.
I gather he doesn’t usually attend affairs like this.
” Burke might not have even been invited; Lady Brentwood had gasped aloud at the sight of him when he arrived.
Sir Paul had chuckled awkwardly and made a comment about Burke being a friend of his son’s.
As if he needed to explain the viscount’s presence.
She laughed. “No, I gathered he is not much for society balls.”
“Yet here he is, enraptured by your niece.” Richard glanced at the girl in question. “And she looks very striking this evening. You’ve done wonders with her.”
“Nonsense,” she said, her cheeks pink. “She was lovely all along.”
He smiled. “Can I not pay you any compliment at all?”
She looked at him, her lips quirked. “Of course you can.”
“Good. Evie . . .” He had been angling them toward the doorway, away from most of the dancers. “I have something to speak to you about.”
Her brows went up. “What is it? Something serious?”
“Only in that I am serious about it,” he said lightly.
“Then I shall take it seriously,” she replied in the same vein. “Now I am terribly eager to hear it.”
He grinned. “Then let us speak at once.” The orchestra was still playing, but he spun her off the dance floor and stood still.
She glanced over his shoulder at the couples still dancing. “Joan . . .”
He looked over the crowd, picking out Burke’s dark head about the rest. “They are near the musicians, still dancing. Come with me. Only for a moment,” he said as she hesitated.
The waltz was winding down. In a few minutes the crowd, including Miss Bennet and her partner, would turn toward them and head for the supper room. A few people had already trickled that way, as footmen had just swept open the double doors to the room.
“Just a moment,” she agreed, her cheeks pink. “I mustn’t be away long.”
“Of course not.” He took her by the hand and led the way around the corner away from the supper room, to the small chamber where he’d been received by Lady Brentwood when he’d called the other day to accept Sir Paul’s invitation to speak tonight.
As expected, it was dim and silent, and he closed the door gently behind them.
“What mystery! You do intrigue me, sir,” she said, smiling.
He crossed the room to her and took her face in both hands.
“You do enchant me, madam,” he breathed, and then he kissed her, deeply, passionately, as he’d been longing to do for weeks now.
And she clung to him with as much enthusiasm as he had, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back so hungrily, he almost forgot why he’d brought her here.
“I’ve missed you so,” he breathed against her lips.
“And I you.” She kissed him again. “I am very glad to be able to do this for Joan, and I’ve adored the time spent with her, but . . .” She ran her finger over his lips. “It has not been the easiest month of my life. In fact, it’s been rather wretched to be away from you.”
He smiled, his heart skipping a beat. “I am delighted you came tonight.”
He felt her flinch, but then she relaxed against him.
“So am I. Of course it’s for Joan’s benefit, and I do believe young Burke may screw his courage to the sticking point soon, if not this very evening.
” She rested her temple against his jaw for a moment.
“But until tonight I didn’t even realize how desperately I missed you, my darling. ”
He caught her hand and brought it to his lips.
“I have wanted this forever,” he said in a low voice.
“To spend an evening with you. To dance with you. To be by your side in front of everyone in London, and to revel in it. I love you, Evangeline. I can’t bear to be without you, even for a few weeks. ”
She raised her head. In the dim light he could see her wide eyes, and he tightened his grip on her hand, holding it against his heart.
“I remember what you said when we began. I have done my best to follow your lead, and respect your wishes,” he went on. “All I am asking is that you might . . . consider it.”
“Consider . . . what?” she inquired carefully.
He swallowed, suddenly nervous. “Evie, I want to marry you.”
Her indrawn breath was loud in the still room.
“I am not asking now,” he said swiftly. “I know your reasons against marriage, and I would never try to pressure you into answering immediately. I can only swear on my life that it would be nothing like before.”
She was quiet for a long minute, then asked, softly, “Why?”
“Because I cannot stand to be apart from you. Because I want everyone to know, not that you are mine, but that I am yours. I have been for years now. How dare these London matrons, most of whom are no paragons of virtue themselves, cow us into hiding, when any one of them would give her right arm to be as adored as you are?” He felt her gather breath to speak, and he squeezed her hand again.
“I came tonight to see you, but also to prove to each of them that I am not ashamed of our relationship. I would shout my devotion from the rooftops or print it in the Times for all the world to read.”
She stepped back and he let her go at once. She clasped her hands together and paced a short path away, then back. “Are you not happy with how things are?”