Chapter 14 #2
Lord Gillies cleared his throat, stepping a little closer. “I hope you won’t think me too forward, Lady Minerva, but I must ask... have you given any thought to... your future?”
Minerva blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the directness of his question. “My future?” she echoed, her brow furrowing slightly.
He gave a small, almost self-conscious smile. “Yes. I mean to say, I know your family—like mine—must consider your prospects. A lady of your grace and station deserves nothing but the best.”
Her heartbeat quickened, but not in the way she expected. “I... have not thought about it recently,” she admitted, feeling a slight flush creep up her neck. Why did this conversation feel so suffocating?
Lord Gillies misinterpreted her hesitation, as he quickly continued, his tone gentle but insistent. “I hope I am not overstepping, Lady Minerva, but I would like the opportunity to call on you. Perhaps tomorrow, if it pleases you?”
Minerva felt her breath catch, realizing what he meant. This was a courtship inquiry, there was no doubt about it. Something in her balked at the idea.
Before she could respond, Lord Gillies smiled again, his hand reaching out slightly, though he hesitated to touch her. “I know this may come as a surprise, but I have admired you for some time. I believe we could be well-suited for one another.”
His tone was sincere, his words carefully chosen.
Any other lady would have swooned at such a proposal, but Minerva’s mind was elsewhere.
No matter how much she tried to focus on Lord Gillies, she couldn’t shake the unsettling awareness of Evan standing somewhere in the ballroom, undoubtedly watching.
Minerva swallowed hard, her voice faltering slightly as she replied. “You... are very kind, my lord. I—”
Before she could finish, the music swelled again, signaling the start of the next dance. Lord Gillies, sensing her hesitation but unwilling to let the moment pass, gently took her hand, his smile warm and encouraging.
Minerva’s steps faltered just slightly before she quickly regained her composure.
His request wasn’t unexpected, and truth be told, it was the kind of attention she had hoped to receive.
Lord Gillies was an excellent match—a man of good standing, someone she could easily envision a stable future with.
So why do I hesitate? she thought, her mind flashing briefly to the man standing only a few dancers away.
Forcing herself to focus on the present, Minerva smiled warmly at Lord Gillies. “I would be honored, my lord.”
His smile deepened, his satisfaction clear, and Minerva felt a pang of something unnamable—regret, perhaps?
But why should she feel that? Lord Gillies was everything she should want—steady, intelligent, attractive in his own right.
Yet there was no spark, no fire that made her pulse race or her heartbeat wildly.
As the dance carried them forward, Minerva’s gaze drifted once more toward Evan.
He stood poised at the edge of the line, his date beside him, but his eyes were on her—just for a brief moment before the steps of the dance pulled them apart.
He had not looked away, though. Even from across the room, his stare lingered, sending that familiar thrum through her veins.
The dance formations shifted again, and before she knew it, Minerva found herself paired with Evan, their hands clasping as the lively rhythm swept them into the next movement.
The touch of his hand sent an undeniable current through her, and despite her best efforts to maintain her composure, she couldn’t ignore the warmth that spread from his palm to hers.
“Lady Minerva,” Evan greeted her with an infuriatingly smug smile as they twirled together. “I must confess, your choice of partners intrigues me greatly.”
Minerva narrowed her eyes, trying to ignore the flutter in her chest. “Is that your way of saying you are jealous, Your Grace?” she quipped, her tone sharp.
Evan chuckled, a low sound that sent a shiver down her spine. “Hardly. I am merely surprised. I thought you had better taste.”
Minerva’s eyes narrowed, her irritation flickering to life. “You really have bad manners, Your Grace,” she replied coolly, though her voice held a sharp edge. “Perhaps that is why no lady of good sense would partner with you.”
Evan chuckled, his gaze sparkling with amusement. “Ah, but they do. Perhaps not for the same reasons as your Lord Gillies, but I do manage to entertain.”
Minerva stiffened, her pulse quickening despite herself.
He was too close, his presence overwhelming, and his words—meant to tease—only served to deepen her frustration.
“I see You are back to your old tricks, Your Grace,” she said through gritted teeth.
“No wonder You are always surrounded by admirers.”
Evan leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “Is that a hint of jealousy I detect?”
Her chest tightened as the dance turned them toward each other again, their bodies momentarily closer than before. She glared at him, though the warmth of his hand on hers sent a jolt of something she refused to acknowledge. “Hardly.”
“You slight me,” Evan said with mock offense, though his smile never faltered. “But really, Lady Minerva, you could do better than Lord Gillies. A man like him... well, let’s just say he lacks a certain... flair.”
Minerva had no time to fire back a retort before the dance turned them apart once more. She found herself once again with Lord Gillies, who had been attempting to engage her in small talk about the summer season.
“I was just saying,” Lord Gillies began, “it would be wonderful to see you at our next gathering in the country. I am sure you would enjoy the tranquility.”
“Oh, I am sure,” Minerva replied absentmindedly, her mind still swirling with Evan’s words.
Flair? she thought. What a ridiculous thing to say!
And then she was pulled back to Evan, her hand once again in his as they turned.
“Flair? Is that what you think I need in a suitor?” Her words were laced with sarcasm, though her heart pounded in her chest. “A man who parades himself about, attempting to charm every woman in the room?”
Evan’s smirk grew. “I am not saying you should settle for the first respectable man who asks. But you must admit, you have refused better offers in the past.” He arched an eyebrow, his meaning all too clear.
Minerva’s frustration bubbled over. “Lord Gillies, as it happens, has shown more than an interest in dancing. He intends to call on me tomorrow.”
At that moment, the dance shifted them apart again, but not before Minerva caught the flicker in Evan’s expression—the brief tightening of his jaw, the subtle shift in his gaze.
Back in Lord Gillies’s presence, Minerva forced herself to focus. He had been nothing but polite, and yet...
“I hope you will consider my offer, Lady Minerva,” Lord Gillies said as they moved gracefully through the next figure. His voice was gentle, almost hopeful.
“Yes, my lord,” she replied, trying to summon the enthusiasm she knew she should feel.
The music swelled, and suddenly Evan was back, his hand resting on hers, his smile tight and controlled. “Congratulations are in order, then,” he said, though his tone had lost its lightness.
Minerva lifted her chin, refusing to let his words affect her. “Yes, I believe they are,” she replied with a tight smile.
The dance ended, but Evan’s eyes lingered on her longer than necessary. Something darkened in his gaze—something guarded and unsettling. And as they parted, she returned to Lord Gillies’s side, her heart pounding with frustration.
Why did it matter to her that Evan’s demeanor had shifted? Why did his reaction weigh on her mind far more than Lord Gillies’s offer?
Lord Gillies, oblivious to the tension swirling around her, smiled warmly. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Lady Minerva.”
Minerva forced a smile in return, but her thoughts remained elsewhere, tangled with the memory of Evan’s heated gaze.