Page 34 of Trapped with the Earl of Sin

Another dance? Already? Had she been paying so little attention that she had missed out onmoreplans?

“The Wesson family are known for their extravagant balls. I cannot wait for you to meet them, I am sure you will enjoy their company very much.”

Mary’s eyes shone with so much excitement that Susanna did not dare mention that she had been unaware of the dance. She kept her lips tightly shut, even as the conversation around her spiraled into excitement over all the details.

“I am sure you havequitethe gown picked out for the evening,” Martin teased. Susanna could tell that he could sense her surprise at the mention of the dance, even if no one else could. “I cannot wait to see what you will wear.”

Susanna narrowed her eyes at him. It did not seem to matter what happened between them, he would always resort to teasing her. It was a safety net, she supposed, to know that he was never going to treat her any differently, but it was also a little unnerving. If she breathed in deep enough, it was almost as if she could inhale him deeply and still sense his body pressed up against hers.

A sizzle of excitement tore down her spine as the memory took hold.

If he was going to treat her in the same way, then she could certainly do the same thing to him.

“You should be excited,” she declared, using the same tone. “Because I am quite sure my gown will blow you away. You will be surprised at just how beautiful it is.”

Laughter danced in Martin’s eyes. “Well, I was looking forward to dancing at the ball tonight, but now I amreallylooking forward to it. I cannot wait to be the first name on your dance card.”

Susanna cocked a knowing eyebrow. “What on earth made you think that you are going to be on my dance card at all?”

Martin leaned in slightly, his voice lowering to a teasing murmur. “I have a feeling you will not be able to resist, Susanna. Besides, I shall make sure to ask you before anyone else has the chance.”

Susanna felt a rush of warmth at his words, but she maintained her composed exterior. “You seem awfully confident, Martin. But I suppose we will see tonight.”

It was honestly a little surprising that everyone else continued to engage in their own conversations, as if they could not sense the heat burning between her and Martin. Susanna could not understand how no one had picked up on the intensity of the energy surging between them at all times. But every time she glanced around the table just to be sure, no one seemed to be interested in them at all.

Well, aside from Martin’s mother, perhaps. There did seem to be a couple of curious looks coming from her, which was… interesting.

At least that meant Susanna’s little secret was safe, for the time being. She was not about to be forced into any life-changingdecisions just yet, which was wonderful because she could only give Martin a bit of her attention. Edwin and his potentially diabolical behavior needed so much more.

Pastel pink was not a color that Susanna would normally choose to wear, but since she had made comments about the fabulousness of her gown over the breakfast table, she felt like she had to deliver something a little bit different, to prove Martin wrong.

And to impress him a little as well, there was no denying that was a part of her wish. She could not wait to see how his eyes widened when he saw her in this dress.

The sweetheart neckline allowed her to wear a beautiful diamond around her neck, and the lace covering the bodice was a lovely, intricate design. The way that the skirts cascaded around her feet was going to make it a little challenging to dance, but she would do her best. She had been trained to dance in all kinds of gowns, after all.

Susanna twisted her head from side to side to check out the braids in the complicated-looking chignon the handmaid had styled for her. The gems decorating her hair shone when they caught the light, which Susanna enjoyed. That felt like a really nice touch.

She did not wish to stand out among the crowds tonight, this was Mary’s time to garner all the attention, since she was thebride-to-be, but she did want to catchhiseyes. The man she had almost destroyed her reputation for…

At least things were still normal between them, and he had not decided to ice her out. Right now, Martin was the only person who knew about Edwin and her fears, and Susanna was not sure what she would do without him. She may have teased him about not dancing with him, but of course she would, so they could discuss any strange goings on that they might have spotted throughout the evening.

And more than that, so she could feel his strong, masculine hands on her body once more…

Butnotin an inappropriate way, of course. Not in public.

In fact, it might be better if they did not touch one another inappropriately again…

Knock, knock.

Just as her mind was about to wander into dangerous territory, taking her down a path she didnotwant to go to tonight for fear of fantasies becoming reality, Mary knocked on her door to hurry her along. The carriages were already outside waiting and of course, they did not wish to be late.

“Oh my!” Mary exclaimed in shock. “That is a beautifully fancy dress. It suits you very much.”

A heat burned in Susanna’s cheeks. If her sister had reacted with such surprise, then surely Martin would as well. It was just a shame that they could not spend the whole night together, dancing. She did not wish to dance with another man tonight, and she did not wish to see him in the arms of another lady either.

What on earth was happening to her?

“Thank you, Mary,” Susanna replied, a shy smile tugging at her lips. “I thought I would try something a little different tonight.”

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