Page 3 of Wicked Is the Duke
The orchestra started a Strauss waltz. He looked at Anna and caught her smiling as he began to lead her around the dance floor, past the other swirling couples.
"Do you like Strauss?" he inquired.
"Yes. I love the complexity of his music."
"I don't think I've ever thought about his music like that, but I would have to agree with you," he replied.
Out of the corner of his eye, Blackmont caught a most unhappy Lady Caroline watching them. Unhappy wasn't the word he wanted no, she looked furious. Trent was right, his sister had her sights set on him.
The scent of roses filled his senses, and he inhaled the fragrance. No matter what happened, he would always associate roses with Anna.
"Is everything alright, Your Grace?"
He realized he'd been daydreaming. "Everything is perfect," he replied. And it was. He would ask Robert for permission to court her. Tomorrow he would call on her, take her flowers, roses, and a book perhaps. He remembered Keating was a favorite of hers. The author had come up in a conversation he’d overheard her having with some young man at another soiree.
The music came to an end. He hated the thought of her dancing with any other man. Perhaps he could delay things. "Would you care for some lemonade, Miss Grover?"
She nodded. "Yes, between the dancing and the crush in here, I'm quite parched."
"Come, let us find some."
He guided her to the refreshment table and found two glasses of lemonade. He handed a glass to her, and the pair walked to the side of the ballroom.
"Would you care to go out on the terrace?"
The glass French doors had been opened to allow guests to enjoy the fresh air. Blackmont noted other couples standing outside talking. They wouldn't be alone so asking her shouldn't be a problem.
"Yes. The crush is the only thing I don't like about these affairs."
Without another word, he led her through the door frame and onto the terrace. There were other couples quietly talking or walking along the long terrace. Others still were making their way to the gardens below, which were lit with torches along the gravel pathways.
"This is nice," she said as he led her to the concrete banister. She gazed up at the night sky. "It's the main thing I don't like about being in town. No stars. Not really."
He peered up and nodded. "You're right. It's what I miss about Blackmont Crest. All the stars. I could watch them for hours. You can't do that in London."
"No, you can't."
Remembering she and her brother, Robert, had traveled extensively on the continent, he continued their star born conversation. "I imagine you've seen the stars from some amazing places. Tell me, do they look the same, say in Italy, as they do in England?"
She gathered her thoughts. "The one place that really had me in awe was Egypt. On the Nile. I don't think I've ever seen the heavens look so remarkable."
"Yes, I can only imagine."
She gazed up at him. "Have you traveled much, Your Grace?"
"I did after university. Pretty much stayed on the continent. If I could have spent more time Egypt was one of the places I wanted to go."
"You really need to go, Your Grace. It is amazing."
Blackmont smiled. Yes, Anna was truly amazing. From what he knew of her, she wasn't like other women. She didn't engage in the meaningless conversations most women seemed to enjoy. She was remarkable.
"Perhaps I will at some point. Right now, my time is filled with my estates and my siblings."
"I understand you come from a rather large family, don't you?"
“Yes, I'm the eldest. Then comes Jane, the twins, Albert and Alice, Edward, Daisy, and the second set of twins, Ben and Leo, who are identical. Fortunately, they're all at school."
"They aren't schooled at home?"
