Chapter 3 #3
Thinking quickly, she stepped behind Aunt Christiana, who was speaking to another lady, and hastily penciled Lord Saunton onto her dance card. Then, before doubt could creep in, she added his name for the next dance as well.
Now, all she had to do was find him—quickly—before Lord Leech reached her.
“Aunt?”
Lady Moreland turned to her. Sophia gave a quick nod of her head, and Lady Moreland looked in the direction she gestured and hissed. “Leech is headed toward us! Go to the necessary.” Sophia looked at her in surprise. “Now, go now! They have nearly reached us.”
Without another word, Sophia briskly walked away, weaving through the crowd toward the necessary. She resolved to stay there all night if need be—but then she would miss Lord Saunton.
Her steps faltered as she considered an alternative. Perhaps it would be better to keep walking the room until she found him? Determined, she began a circuit of the ballroom, her eyes scanning for Saunton while keeping an anxious watch on Cecil and Leech behind her.
Her heart sank as she glanced back and saw them closer than expected. Panicked, she quickened her pace, but Cecil stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
His bloated face was red from exertion, and his reddish-blond hair clung to his forehead, damp with perspiration. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his brow, his expression both smug and triumphant.
“There you are, Sophia dear! Lord Leech is quite adamant that he must have a dance with you.”
Sophia paled but kept her face composed as she glanced over to Leech.
She curtsied, noticing that Leech’s yellow eyes were as sinister in real life as they appeared to her in her dreams. He gave a cursory bow.
“Miss Hayward, I have not stopped thinking of you since we met. May we take a turn around the room while we await the next dance?”
“I would love to, but I need to refresh myself and then my next dance is already promised, my lord.”
Leech looked skeptical. He reached out and grasped her wrist before she could prevent him. Looking down at her dance card, he looked up at her and sneered. Sneered!
“Lord Saunton? I do not believe he is even here tonight, and you are certainly not his sort. Are you sure you did not write in his name yourself?”
“Quite sure, Leech.”
Saunton’s deep, velvety voice interrupted the tense moment, cutting through the din of the ballroom like a trumpet announcing the arrival of the cavalry.
Sophia’s breath caught, and she nearly wept with relief when his handsome face appeared just beyond Leech’s shoulder.
With an air of quiet authority, Saunton brushed past the bristling gentleman and came to stand at her side. Offering her a polite, graceful bow, he turned his attention fully to her, his presence a reassuring shield against the unwelcome company.
“Are you ready, Miss Hayward?”
She gave a nod. More ready than she had ever been.
Leech was not so easily dissuaded. “I will see you for the next dance, Miss Hayward.”
Saunton flicked his gaze over Leech, his expression cool and dismissive. “I do not think so, old chap. The next dance is mine as well. Miss Hayward is quite captivating, and I have concluded that I am … well, captivated, I suppose. And then, I believe, it will be time for supper.”
Leech gasped, his indignation barely contained, while Sophia’s heart quickened at Saunton’s declaration.
Two dances—it was a bold statement, practically an announcement to the assembled guests that he was serious in his pursuit of her.
A third dance would be tantamount to declaring their engagement.
Had she been prescient to pencil him in twice?
Inhaling deeply to steady herself, Sophia placed her hand on the arm Saunton offered her and allowed him to lead her farther into the ballroom. The firm assurance of his presence beside her banished the lingering fear from moments before, leaving her with a flutter of hope.
“You said the chit had no earnest suitors, Hayward!” Leech’s low hiss made it to her ears, causing Sophia to smile widely as Saunton took hold of her hand and placed his gloved fingers on her waist. She had never been so happy to see any man before.
As the waltz began, Saunton looked down in her face. “If Leech is attempting to court you, there must be a sizable dowry involved?”
Sophia bit her lip, unsure of what to say.
“You wrote my name in? Was it because you promised me or to avoid Leech?”
“Both. I have been waiting for you, but you never appeared.”
Saunton’s eyes flickered away. “I … was getting up my nerve. I was trying to think how to persuade you to allow me to call on you tomorrow. Now we are engaged for two dances, which will cause society tongues to wag in speculation.”
“I already decided to accept your request if you made it again.”
He looked incredulous, but pleased. “You did?”
“I want to learn more about this crusade to redeem yourself. Does it include drink?”
“You mean spirits?”
Sophia nodded.
“I only drink spirits occasionally. When my betrothed married the Duke of Halmesbury, I enjoyed a last hurrah and then mostly lost interest. I was never that fond of the consequences of drinking, and I find I like to keep my mind clear.”
“Truly?”
“Truly. Does that make me a more desirable suitor?”
“It does.”
Saunton’s distinctive green eyes blazed. “So, I am to call on you tomorrow? And we will talk? I mean … talk openly?”
Sophia inclined her head. “We are well beyond propriety, are we not?”
The earl’s face lit with the same warm expression she remembered from the night of their last dance. His delight was evident as he gracefully guided her through the steps of the waltz.
Sophia’s heart skipped a beat as her gaze lingered on his sculpted lips. She found herself wondering—what would it feel like to kiss such a handsome rogue?
As if reading her thoughts, Saunton’s gaze grew more intense, dropping briefly to her lips. Nervous, she flicked the tip of her tongue to moisten them, only to catch the subtle tightening of his jaw and a shift in his expression.
It was clear that the earl saw her as more than just a dance partner. The realization sent a flutter of awareness through her, leaving her both flustered and intrigued.
Sophia found herself growing accustomed to the idea of this man taking on the role of her protector.
It was a surprising thought, but one she was beginning to accept as a credible escape from her current predicament.
Saunton was a bit too tarnished to be considered a conventional hero, to be sure, but she had always prided herself on her ability to set things to rights.