Page 64 of His Arranged Duchess
Of course, Katherine would dance with just about anybody in order to get a partner. Benjamin seemed to seek out Frances’s eye, and he gave her a quick, knowing smile that she did not like. His gaze slid over her shoulder to someone standing in the crowd, then hastily pulled away. When she turned to look at what he had been staring at, she saw with a start that Nicholas stood there, staring mulishly at the dancers.
Then the music began, and there was no time to think about anything. Lucien whirled Frances off her feet, panting out instructions. The dancewassimple enough, and Frances found herself laughing aloud, clinging to his shoulders.
“And now,” Lucien said, lifting his voice to be heard over the chaos, “switch!”
Along with everybody else, Frances broke away from her partner, spinning on her own for three-count, and then bumped directly into another gentleman, whose arm went around her waist and whose hand clamped shut over hers.
“What a coincidence, your Grace,” Benjamin said, grinning down at her.
Frances’s heart dropped. “You?”
“Yes, I, your husband’s best friend. And you can see that my partner is dancing withhim.”
Twisting around, Frances saw Lucien dancing with Katherine. How had Benjamin managed it?
“You’re a fine dancer,” Frances said, hoping to strike a chord with him. “I suspect Lucien loves dancing, too.”
Benjamin’s eyebrows shot up. “You onlysuspect? Heavens, you’re the man’s wife, and you can’t even tell what his interests are. Tut-tut, your Grace, tut-tut.”
Was he teasing her? Frances thought so and ventured a tremulous smile. He grinned back and spun the two of them around faster.
“I suppose you already know of that little fit of jealousy Lucien had recently,” Benjamin added. “He truly believed you were in love with the man you almost married.”
“A ridiculous notion.”
“I concur. I’m glad it’s smoothed over.”
Frances gave him a more sincere smile at that. “I want us all to be friends. I want a peaceful life, and an honest one.”
Benjamin nodded thoughtfully. “Yes, I suppose I want things to be the way they were before, too.”
Frances wasn’t sure that they were actually agreeing, but decided that an argument would not be in anyone’s best interest. The music reached a crescendo, and the time had come to switch back. Frances left Benjamin behind, spinning around again somewhat blindly.
She bumped into a firm, warm body.
“Don’t worry, my dear,” came a familiar voice. “I have you.”
She opened her eyes and peered up at Lucien, smiling down at her. His eyes crinkled up at the corners, and he was flushed from the dancing.
“Nearly done,” he added, grinning.
A few more spins, a few more reels, and the music ended with a flourish. Frances barely had breath to clap, but she tried anyway.
“Nicely done,” Lucien murmured, his breath warm in her ear. “You dance very elegantly.”
“I could say the same of you.”
His gaze lingered on hers, and Frances’s heart began to beat a little faster than before. She did not look away, letting the moment intensify.
I want him,she realized, with a juddering rush.I want him to kiss me again, to put his hands on me as he did before. I want him so much ithurts.
How could she convey such a thing? Frances had no idea how to ask for any of it. In the books—the ones Proper Ladies were not meant to read—heroines neveraskedfor anything. It just happened. In fact, that was what had happened at the underground ball, too.
I don’t want to be the swooning type of heroine who never knows what she wants,Frances thought, with a pang.I want to beme.
“Lucien,” she began carefully, her voice wobbling, “I wondered if…”
She was cut off as a figure bumped into her from behind, hard. Lurching forward, Frances thumped against Lucien, who steadied her with both hands on her shoulders.
