Chapter 6
CAROLINE
An hour later, my joy had dimmed. Beyond that single tilt of his head, Kendrick hadn’t acknowledged my existence. Even worse, my dance card was now full, and I hadn’t found a moment between sets to myself.
The only thing that made me feel better was that when gentlemen approached to claim a dance, many of them also claimed one with Diana. Her dance card wasn’t full, but at least she wasn’t spending the entire evening sitting with the wallflowers.
Aunt Augusta had joined a group of older matrons and seemed content to spend the evening chatting with them. If I could manage to find a spare moment to myself, I planned to flee to the retiring room for a moment of peace.
If declining an invitation to dance wasn’t considered so rude, I would have declined them all.
Instead, I was passed from one dance partner to another, with scarcely a moment to breathe.
I was just murmuring my thanks to my current dance partner, desperate to dip behind one of the large potted plants in the corner so I could snap one of the ribbons on my dancing slippers, when Lord Penham cut off my escape.
I let out a frustrated breath. Unfortunately, instead of keeping Henry company in the card room, Penham had been among the first to claim a spot on my dance card.
He dipped his head. “Miss Edwards, I believe this is my dance.”
I held back my groan when the music for the next set began to play. Of course he’d managed to secure the first waltz for himself. My earlier happiness at seeing Kendrick was now eclipsed by my growing dread that he wasn’t going to save me.
As though I’d conjured him, a figure approached to my right.
“My lady.”
I turned, joy filling me at the sight of Kendrick standing there, quiet confidence radiating from him.
Penham frowned. “This is my dance, Kendrick.”
Instead of replying, Kendrick simply stared at him. Then he raised a brow. Penham actually took a step backward, and I inwardly cheered.
When Kendrick turned back to me, I gladly took his arm and allowed him to lead me onto the dance floor.
I barely managed to keep from laughing aloud when I turned back to see Penham staring after us, scowling.
I took great comfort in having thwarted him but forced myself to look away.
It wouldn’t do to burst into peals of laughter.
Kendrick swept me into his arms, and we fell into the dance as though we’d been partners forever. I allowed myself to laugh freely then since anyone watching us would assume it was from delight.
I beamed up at my savior. “That was glorious. The look on his face when you simply stared at him. And the way he fell back when you raised a brow… Oh, to have such power.” I sighed.
“I wasn’t sure Henry had told him what he’d done, but given the way he gave up so quickly, I think it’s safe to assume he knows about the promissory note. ”
Kendrick’s expression was neutral. “Penham is definitely aware of what transpired with your brother.”
I shook my head and was careful to keep my voice low. “I still can’t believe my brother thought he could force me to marry Penham by promising me to you. I’ve thought of little else in the past day, and it still makes no sense.”
Kendrick tilted his head. “Why not?”
I smiled. “We both know you’re not interested in me, but to hand your sister over to one of the Legends? He might as well have locked me in a bedroom with you.”
When I saw a muscle tick in Kendrick’s jaw, it occurred to me he might have taken my statement as a slight.
“It’s not that I don’t think you’re handsome.
I’m sure any woman here would love to find themselves locked in a bedroom with you.
” I could feel heat coloring my cheeks. “Not me, of course. I’m not saying that I’d want to be locked in a bedroom with you… ” I forced myself to stop rambling.
He laughed, the sound warm and deep. It did interesting things to my insides. “I must say, I didn’t think I’d be this amused when you coerced me into attending this ball.”
I frowned up at him, and he executed a series of turns that had me catching my breath as he swept us in and out among several dancing couples.
“You do this often,” I said when he stopped showing off. “I shouldn’t be surprised that one of the Legends is very skilled at waltzing. But no one has ever seen you at a ball.”
He raised a brow. “No one? You’ve surveyed all of polite society?”
“Fine,” I said with a sigh. “Perhaps I was exaggerating. I assumed that was the case since I don’t follow your exploits.
I’ve heard rumors of licentious behavior, but I don’t know what that would entail.
And I assumed that you wouldn’t attend a ball since I hadn’t seen any of you do so before tonight. I definitely would have noticed you.”
He tugged me a little closer. “Trust me, my dear. If I’d been in the same ballroom as you before tonight, I know you would have noticed me.”
A strange feeling unfurled somewhere within my heart, and I scowled at him. “Are you flirting with me?”
One corner of his mouth lifted. “I’m waltzing with you. Is it not part of the plan that I should be flirting with you as well?”
I thought about that for a moment and had to concede he was correct. “Very well. I’m sure it will help matters if people see me enjoying myself in your company.”
His grin widened at that. “I make it a point to always entertain the woman I’m with.”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed. He was so ridiculous. “At any rate, your duty to me will soon be over. I’m sure that after this waltz, I will be well and truly ruined.”
He raised a brow. “Do you truly think that dancing with me once is sufficient to ruin you?”
I thought again for a moment. If he knew how to waltz, then he must have attended other balls.
He’d danced with other women, and surely they hadn’t all been ruined.
“Perhaps a second dance then,” I said with a nod.
“We can search the other names on my dance card and decide which dance you can steal.”
There was something in his expression that should have warned me about what he was planning.
“Are we being watched?” he asked.
He made a quick turn around the edge of the dance floor, and I glanced at the people who were watching.
It might have been my imagination, but they all appeared to be staring at us.
Even the other couples who were dancing.
I hadn’t noticed before now because I’d been so caught up in Kendrick’s larger-than-life presence.
But now I could see the way the couples closest to us seemed to be straining to overhear our conversation.
I met his gaze again. “I thought the attention I attracted before tonight was excessive, but the way everyone is scrutinizing you…” I shook my head. “How do you stand it?”
He lifted one shoulder, the movement slight but noticeable under my hand. “It can be useful.”
Then before I realized what he intended to do, he danced me straight through the garden doors. The last sound I heard was the soft gasp of a matron who was staring at us, her mouth open in astonishment as we disappeared onto the balcony.
It took more effort than I thought possible not to burst into laughter at her outrage. I beamed up at him. “Well done, my lord.”