Page 39 of The Viscount's Unwanted Bride
That sounded rather nice. She’d be happy to tread the same path if it led to happiness.
“Thank you for the advice,” she said. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
Lord Blackwell returned Sophie to them and took his leave. The Duke of Ashford brought Emma her cake, and after she finished eating it, he led her onto the dance floor. Kate watched them go, feeling wistful. What she wouldn’t give for a husband who looked at her the way the duke looked at Emma. As if she was the only thing in the world that mattered.
Miss Francine Thompson, one of the girls she had been friendly with last season, joined them with a petite brunette who looked far too young to be on the hunt for a husband.
“Are you marrying Lord Blackwell?” Francine asked beneath her breath. “Aren’t you afraid he’ll push you off a cliff or have you trampled beneath a carriage?”
Kate stiffened. “Lord Blackwell has given me no reason to fear for my safety. He’s been perfectly polite every time we’ve interacted.”
The looks they gave her reminded her that though nothing had happened between them, it wasn’t what society believed. They thought he’d debauched her on a balcony.
“Hehasbeen,” she insisted.
Francine’s friend’s eyes widened comically. Kate followed her gaze and found Lord Blackwell hovering behind Sophie, a glass in his hand.
“I thought you might like some lemonade,” he said awkwardly, extending the glass to Kate.
She took the drink from him, pretending not to hear Francine and the other girl tittering.
“Is everything all right?” he asked, his eyebrows drawn together as he glanced between them.
“Entirely.” She drank the lemonade and turned her shoulder to Francine, not cutting her but showing that she didn’t approve of the other woman’s behavior.
Blackwell bowed to her. “I believe the next dance is a waltz. Will you join me?”
“I would be delighted to.” She handed Sophie what remained of her lemonade, smiled at her mother, who was engaged in conversation with Lady Villiers, and took his arm.
As they got farther from the others, he leaned close and said quietly, “I apologize if my presence is causing you any distress.”
“It isn’t.”
The attention wasn’t comfortable, but she could weather it, and, if he really were nothing more than a victim of vicious gossip and unsubstantiated rumors, then he deserved better than the treatment he received from others. He didn’t seem concerned with making that happen himself, so if she were to marry him, it would have to be her job.
They moved into position together, and she breathed in his minty, fresh scent, grateful that he had better hygiene than some of the other men of theton. It was somewhat stuffy in the ballroom, and even though the smell of the shrubbery overwhelmed most things, many of the men present still had a detectable odor of sweat.
The music started. Lord Blackwell waltzed more gracefully than he’d danced earlier, perhaps because there were fewer steps to remember. The heat from his body enveloped Kate, lulling her into a state of contentment she’d not expected to feel tonight.
She smiled to herself. If she could feel this way even in the midst of the scandal, then there was potential for her happiness to grow exponentially.
And that was how she knew.
She was going to marry this man.
She didn’t tell him so right then, though. She waited until they had a moment to themselves on the edge of the dance floor with no one around to overhear them, or at least, no one paying quite so much attention.
She nibbled on her lip, a little nervous about how he was going to react. “If your offer still stands, I would like to accept and become your viscountess.”
His eyes widened but he nodded. “It does. When shall I call on you to discuss the particulars?”
“Come by tomorrow. I’ll have had time to tell my brother by then.”
Hopefully, Andrew wouldn’t react poorly to the news.
CHAPTER 13
Theo strodepast Albert and went directly to his office, where he managed to find the brandy in the dark, pour himself a healthy portion, and toss it back. The brandy burned down his gullet, but it wasn’t enough. He poured another and drank that too.
