Page 31 of His Accidental Duchess

By the time Anna made her way downstairs, the party was in full swing. She was greeted by cheers and applause when she first stepped onto the black-and-white tiles of the huge ballroom.

She stood awkwardly, not entirely sure what she should do.

At that moment, the Duke—Theodore—stepped through the crowd toward her. He didn’t seem to have to zig-zag through the guests, or shoulder people aside. They justmoved.

“There you are, my dear,” he said, flashing her a tight smile. “The dancing is about to begin. Shall we?”

He extended his hand, and Anna took it. Her mouth had gone dry all of a sudden. She should have asked Mrs. Haunt for a glass of water before she came downstairs.

“Of course, husband,” she responded in a voice that seemed suitably cool and refined for a duchess.

The crowd parted like magic, revealing a large, empty space in the middle of the ballroom. The musicians sat or stood on a low wooden podium nearby, poised expectantly. The balls and dances Anna had gone to were very different—the musicians played, and she danced or not as she chose. Here, it was clear that not a note would be played until she and Theodore had taken their places on the dance floor.

Not even then, it seemed. Theodore turned to face her, twisting his arm gracefully to spin her towards him, and placed a hand on her waist. Then he glanced over at the musicians, and the music began.

A waltz. Of course, a waltz.

It had been a while since Anna had danced properly, but her feet seemed to remember the rhythm, and with no other dancers on the floor, there was plenty of room.

She was entirely too close to Theodore, of course. There was a vibrant red pin on his cravat—a ruby, most likely—and it was at eye level. She stared at it for a moment or two, trying to ignore the feel of his hand on her waist, firm and warm, and their entwined hands. Her other hand rested on his shoulder, as form dictated, and it seemed that he was as big and strong as his figure implied.

“Itisa nice pin, isn’t it?” he said in a low voice, after a minute or two of dancing. “It’s going to look odd if the bride doesn’t look her husband in the eye at least once, though.”

She flushed. “I beg your pardon. It’s been a while since I danced. Why is nobody else joining us?”

“Because we’re the bride and groom, of course,” he answered, sounding confused. “They’ll join in halfway through the dance, I guess. I promised Kitty she could watch one dance, then it’s off to bed with her.”

The mention of the wordbed—any bed—made Anna shiver. She resolutely forced away the thought and tilted her head back to look him in the eye. He was watching her, an expression of cool amusement on his face.

That feeling coiled in her gut again, desire and anxiety and something else that worried her.

“Are you much of a dancer, then?” she said, at last.

He smiled wryly. “Not if I can help it.”

There was more silence after that. A few more couples joined them on the dance floor, then some more, until Anna did not feel like the center of attention anymore. Even so, it was a great relief when the music ended and she could stop dancing.

Kitty, flanked by her maid, came running out of the crowd, beaming.

“I saw you dancing, Papa!” she chirped, holding up her arms.

Face creasing into a smile wider than Anna had ever seen, Theodore swept his daughter up into his arms.

“Well, I shan’t be dancing anymore tonight, I fear,” he said jovially. “But it’s getting close to your bedtime, don’t you think?”

Kitty pouted. “It’s not so very late, Papa.”

“No, but you need your sleep. Come on now, Martha will take you to bed.”

“Can I say goodnight to Miss Belmont first?”

Theodore hesitated, glancing over at Anna.

This is what I am here for,she reminded herself and smiled at Kitty.

“You can call me Anna if you like, Kitty. I’m not Miss Belmont anymore, and it would be silly for you to call meYour Grace.”

Kitty nodded eagerly, wriggling in her father’s arms. He put her down at once, and Anna was sure she saw a quick, approving expression cross his face.

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