Chapter Two #3
He held out his arm and she slipped her hand through it and still they managed not to break eye contact. She would be damned if it was she who looked away first, and it seemed he was locked in this silent battle too.
The first strands of a waltz began. Technically, they should have looked away from one another as the nature of the dance required, but neither of them did.
His Grace moved, his powerful body commanding hers as he swept her around the floor. They rose and fell in time to the music and if she hadn’t been filled with rage and fear, Grace would have admitted that he was the best dance partner she had ever had.
‘Are you going to tell anyone what happened?’ she asked, when the suspense became too much.
‘No. Are you?’
‘I am hardly likely to admit to anyone that a peer of the realm thought I tried to drown him.’
There was the slightest of twitches in his upper lip, which on anyone else may have been the start of a smile but not on this man. ‘Is that a no?’
‘It is.’ She had to remember that she wanted His Grace to like her, or at the very least tolerate her presence. Swallowing down the instinct to snipe at him, she said, ‘I also apologise for my behaviour. I do not usually act in such a way.’
‘You have already apologised. I should have done so also. I was appallingly rude.’
‘You were.’ The words were out before she could stop them, heat scalding her skin as she heard herself utter them.
This time there was a definite twitch of his lips. ‘In that case, I apologise and I thank you for attempting to save my life. Although why you thought I was in danger is unclear to me, given that I was standing in water only up to my calves.’
‘I did not know if the river was deeper only a step away from where you were.’ Danger could come at unexpected moments, as she had found out.
‘You will be pleased to know that Sarah, my maid, scolded me thoroughly before and after the event and that I have learned my lesson. I shall not be so reckless again.’
‘Hm,’ was all he said in response.
Hm she wanted to say back to him. What does hm mean? Did he doubt her word? Another man she would have questioned, but not this one.
‘Are you aware of how expressive your face is?’ he said when she valiantly managed not to say a thing.
‘No, it is not.’ Heavens, that was rude; she could tell he thought so too from the narrowing of his eyes. ‘I do not believe it to be so, Your Grace,’ she tried again.
His fingers flexed against hers. ‘You are absolutely livid with me again. What did I do to incur your wrath this time?’
Was he enjoying this? Everything she had been working towards for years was coming to a head and all she had wanted to do was make a good impression on this family and he was ruining it.
Sebastian had spoken often of his older brother, but the man in front of her bore little resemblance to the one described with love and affection.
‘And now you are upset,’ he said softly, more kindly than his tight jaw suggested he might be feeling.
‘I did not wish that to happen. I only meant to take this opportunity to apologise for my rudeness and to assure you that I will tell no one of our escapade in Hyde Park and to ask that you return the courtesy.’
‘I thank you for your discretion and you can be assured of mine,’ she said, because what else could she say at this point?
The bars of the waltz came to an end, bringing the dance to a close and he finally looked away, breaking their eye contact.
She should have been pleased, but the loss of his dark eyes on her left her oddly bereft.
He led her back to the edge of the dance floor where Lady Edward had joined Lady Blackmore.
When they reached their sides, the duke took his leave of her and his sisters-in-law, before turning and stalking from the ballroom.
She watched his powerful body stride through the crowd, people moving out of the way without him having to miss a step.
He did not acknowledge a single soul, even those who smiled timidly up at him.
When Grace could no longer see him, she turned back to find both the ladies smiling widely at her.
‘I am afraid we must also take our leave,’ said Lady Blackmore.
‘My daughter is only a few months old and is fretful at night without me.’ This was a lot of personal information that Grace, who had met so many Englishwomen this evening, didn’t think was normal to share with a virtual stranger.
‘However, my sister-in-law and I should be honoured if you would call on us tomorrow.’
Grace could only blink at her in response. This was exactly what she wanted, but she had thought it would take weeks or perhaps months of befriending them at social events to get an invite.
‘Shall we say noon?’ said Lady Edward.
‘I should be delighted,’ said Grace, utterly bewildered by the turn of events.
‘Excellent,’ replied the women at the same time, both turning and laughing at each other. They were close, that much was obvious, and they were happy. Grace hoped that would still be the case after her private visit with them, but she thought it unlikely.