William knew that he was right of course, and yet there was only one lady whom he had any desire to dance with at all, but she was presently turning about the dance floor with Lord Stanton.
Making an effort to mask his annoyance, he followed Ryan and Trenton, all the while hoping that the waltz he planned to dance with Lucy would not be too far away.
In spite of the smile that she wore upon her face, Lucy was not enjoying her reel with Lord Stanton. Far from it. In fact, now that she was out in public once more, she found herself assessing everyone, as she wondered if they might pose a potential threat. She hadn’t spoken to Reinhardt since their altercation during the ride, but his eyes had briefly met hers, upon which he’d quickly looked away as if hoping to avoid having anything further to do with her.
And then there was Galensbury, whom she’d caught staring at her on several occasions; Stanton, who, in spite of his gallantry and charm, seemed to lack some inner warmth; and finally Fairfield, whose otherwise jovial demeanor was apparently a façade, concealing a man more serious and sharp than she’d expected. It was all quite unsettling really, not to mention terribly confusing.
The dance drew to an end, and she watched Stanton bow while she curtsied. “Thank you for doing me the honor,” he said as he took her by the arm and led her away from the dance floor. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll retire to the card table for a bit and try my luck there.”
“In that case, I certainly do hope that you win.”
“Lady Summersby,” he said, releasing her arm and raising her gloved hand to his lips. He looked up at her and offered her another smile before straightening. “I always win.”
“Well,” she said, not knowing exactly what to say to that, “thank you for the dance.”
He bowed again before heading toward the library, now a gaming room for the duration of the evening, while she in turn began her search for William. She’d seen him looking at her earlier from across the room, but then Stanton had come along and claimed her for the reel that she’d promised to dance with him. Scouring the ballroom now, she saw no sign of her husband. Perhaps he’d gone off to play cards as well?
She was just about to turn away and have a look in the library when someone caught her by the arm. It was Alexandra, who appeared to be in the best of moods. “Have you seen?” she asked with much excitement in her voice while her eyes shimmered with merriment.
“Seen what?” Lucy asked, noticing that the crowd around the dance floor was now much denser than before.
“Come and take a look for yourself.” And with no other word of warning, Alexandra whisked Lucy off toward the growing wall of spectators. Skirting the masses, they managed to find a spot where they could squeeze through, and once they’d done so, Alexandra leaned close to Lucy’s ear and whispered, “They may appear tough, but each of them is a gentleman through and through—even Lord Fairfield as it turns out.”
Lucy caught her breath, for there before her was not only William but Lord Trenton, Mr. Summersby, Lord Galensbury, and, indeed, Lord Fairfield too, each paired with a lady that most men would probably have ignored. But Lucy knew that by simply dancing with these women, her husband and his friends had afforded them the opportunity they needed to get noticed and, she hoped, make a good match. She couldn’t have admired them more, for she was well aware that as far as these gentlemen were concerned, dancing was on the very bottom of the list when it came to favored pastime activities.
Except for Lord Fairfield, of course—he e was also the only one whom she knew to have real motivation. It certainly seemed as if he planned to take her advice where Lady Hyacinth was concerned. Turning about as he switched partners, he looked across at her and winked. It was impossible not to be taken in by it all, especially now when the crowd had begun clapping and cheering.
Lucy felt her smile widen into a grin, but it was the smoldering look in William’s eyes as he turned his head to catch her stare that took her breath away. And as the dance ended and the crowd began to disperse, it was his slow, deliberate approach that sent sparks of heat skittering across her skin. She knew in that moment that she loved him, more desperately than she ever would have imagined possible, and the realization of it terrified her half to death.
“I believe this next one is ours,” he said as he stood before her, his gray-blue eyes locked with hers in a silent plea.
Swallowing hard, she reminded herself that it really wouldn’t do at all if her legs turned to jelly now when the waltz was about to commence. Nodding, she accepted the arm he offered her and drew a deep breath with the hope that it might somehow calm her racing heart. “Indeed, it is,” she then said, putting all the love she felt for him behind the smile she gave. He remained quite still for a moment, as if in a daze, but then the spell was broken, and he shook his head, placed his hand upon her waist, and readied himself for the first step.
“You dance beautifully,” he told her after a few easy turns about the dance floor. His lips were close to her ear.
Goosebumps spread their way along her arms and down her back, and Lucy feared that if she didn’t concentrate on her steps, she might very well stumble over her own feet—or even worse, over his. “Thank you. So do you.” Was she really such a dolt that she could think of nothing better to say? She had to pull herself together somehow. “To be honest, I’ve been looking forward to dancing with you all day.”
He tightened his hold on her as he led her in a wide circle. “As have I. Of that, I can assure you.”
Lucy felt her stomach tighten in response to his words, for there was something in the way he’d spoken them that made her think he was talking about something else entirely. Was he flirting with her or perhaps trying to seduce her? The thought sent fresh waves of heat racing through her, but it also intrigued her, and she found herself rising to the challenge. “Do you know, I do believe that I would enjoy doing it again later.”
If she wasn’t entirely mistaken, William actually misstepped, but if he did, he quickly recovered, so it was difficult to tell. Again, he tightened his hold on her. Heavens, if they moved any closer they’d practically be one and the same person. “Later?” his voice was low and gravelly as he spoke.
“Hm, yes…I thought we might enjoy another moment together in your room…like last time.” William looked perplexed, and it was almost impossible for her not to laugh—almost, but not quite. “Except this time we’ll dance of course.”
He cleared his throat, sounding somewhat agitated. “Dance…I suppose we might, though there really isn’t much space for a waltz in either of our bedrooms.”
“No, I don’t suppose there is,” she said, pretending to contemplate the dilemma as he swept her past Ryan who was dancing with his wife Mary. Looking up at William, she gave him her most innocent stare. “My gown is quite voluminous…perhaps if I were to take it off? I could perhaps dance in my chemise.”
“Lucy…” His voice was hoarse as he clasped her against him. “What exactly are you suggesting?”
She knew that the time for playing games was over, so she took all the courage she possessed and put it all into the next few words, saying, “Merely that whatever it is you desire to do for the remainder of the night, I shall be more than happy to comply.”
A moment later, she couldn’t help but fear that she might have taken her coquettish behavior a step too far, for her husband’s breath was now coming in rapid bursts while his eyes had narrowed into something of a predatory stare. As the music slowed and they glided to a stop, he held on to her with possessive firmness, forcing her to realize that there was only one thing on his mind right now and that he was busily trying to figure out how to best go about whisking her off and having his way with her. Leaning toward him, she thought it prudent to say, “All eyes are upon us, William. We cannot remain in such an intimate embrace now that the dance is over. We must move to the side.”
He blinked, nodded, and stepped away from her a little before offering his arm. “Would it be terribly rude if we were to make our excuses and retire for the evening?” he asked as he led her toward the refreshment table.
“We are the host and hostess, William, so I do believe our guests would find it rather odd, if not quite poor behavior on our part, if we were to abandon them so soon.”
He frowned as he picked up a glass of punch and offered it to her, the wheels in his head spinning with obvious rapidity. “My sister can take over—or my father perhaps.”
“Not unless there’s a valid excuse. Besides, I don’t quite understand your sudden rush to escape. I for one am having a splendid time.”
She was only teasing him of course, but the look of annoyance that he gave her warned her that he was not in the mood to be trifled with. “Am I mistaken, Lucy, or did you not just suggest that we…” He drew her back a little for the sake of privacy. When he spoke again, his voice was a low whisper. “That we stop ignoring the way in which we respond to each other, and…and…”
“Shh…don’t say another word,” she said, doing her best to reassure him with a smile. “Not here. As it happens, I do feel a headache coming on. Perhaps you’d be kind enough to escort me upstairs to my room?”
He let out a deep and shaky breath. “I would be happy to,” he told her with a nod, his expression still a bit tight around the edges. It dawned on her that he might not be as confident as he generally let on.
Was it possible that he feared her rejection? The possibility filled her with incredulity, not to mention a strong sense of guilt for toying with his emotions. Setting down her half-empty glass on the table, she placed her hand upon his arm, squeezing it a little as she met his gaze. “Let’s find your sister and make our excuses.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
In his excitement to get on with the matter at hand, William gave the bedroom door a hard shove, closing it behind them with a loud bang that drew a gasp from Lucy. Taking a moment to gather his wits, he quietly watched as she moved further into the room, the slippery green silk of her gown sliding across her backside as she walked. A mischievous smile spread its way along his lips, and he moved toward her with measured steps, unable to stop himself from saying, “I had no idea that a woman as innocent as you would be able to engage in the sort of exchange we shared downstairs. I must admit that it caught me completely off guard.”
She eyed him for a second and then looked away, cheeks flaming, and he suddenly had the distinct impression that she wished to flee. He shouldn’t let her of course, but her visible mortification forced him to remember that she wasn’t nearly as brave or as worldly as she was attempting to let on. She was most likely more confused and embarrassed by all of this than she’d ever been by anything else in her life, and yet she’d encouraged him—of that there could be no doubt. If only they could find a way to return to that easy flirtation they’d shared.
Swallowing hard, William took a tentative step toward her. “Tell me, Lucy…” he said as he reached out and ran the pad of his thumb along her jawline, pleased when her breath shuddered in response. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”