Page 33 of The Lady Who Said No to the Duke
The Duke bowed slightly and they both moved forward at the same time, unfortunately in the same direction.They collided briefly, Hal stepped backwards sharply, trod on the toes of the elderly Admiral Barwick who was standing behind him, then reached out to steady Thea, who had rocked back on her heels.
‘I am quite all right, thank you, Duke,’ she said coldly before he could touch her, her temper not improved by hearingthe titters from onlookers.She was certain she could hear Lady Helena’s voice making some spiteful observation.
‘Please look to the Admiral, he appears to be in some distress.’
The Admiral, ancient though he might be, had forgotten none of the salty quarterdeck curses of his naval career.Ladies were clapping their hands over their ears and gentlemen were grinning.
Hal helped the old man off to a chair, apologising loudly enough for his carelessness to drown out the worst of the lively language.
‘You are acquainted with the Duke, Lady Thea?’It was one of the Misses Chelmsford.Goodness knew which one.Her eyes were full of curiosity, although her interest seemed perfectly friendly.
‘We share a godmother,’ Thea said lightly.‘I don’t know about you, but I have far too many godmothers and fathers.I suppose it is inevitable that we find ourselves sharing them with acquaintances on occasion.’
‘Leamington is surprisingly clumsy,’ Lord Cheney remarked on her other side.‘Doubtless he was confounded by your lovely golden eyes, Lady Thea.’
‘Oh, I do hope not, Lord Cheney.’Golden eyes?How much sugar did the idiot think she would swallow?‘How disappointing that the only impression I make on a gentleman is such as to make him recoil and flatten ancient admirals!I would much prefer to have them inspired to send me bouquets, or write poetry.’
Everyone laughed, and she reassured herself that she had defused the situation nicely by making a joke, and a rather flirtatious one at that, rather than attempting to pretend she had never met Hal before.The slightest hint ofevasion or defensiveness would alert the hunting instincts of the scandalmongers.
Not that anyone would believe for a moment that she would turn down an offer from a duke.Far more likely was that they would assume that she was angling for him unsuccessfully and that he was the one who had done the refusing.And how humiliating would that be?
She skirted the Duke, who was standing by the still-complaining Admiral, met his gaze and offered a completely false smile of sympathy before continuing to circle the room.
Footmen began to move through the crowd, ringing little hand bells as they went.The performance would be starting soon and the audience began to make their way to the seats.
* * *
Hal straightened up from the Admiral with relief, his ears still ringing with an inventive collection of nautical expressions.
‘I don’t believe my toe is broken after all,’ the old man announced, seizing Hal’s arm to pull himself to his feet.‘You can help me find a seat, young man.Near the front so I can hear what they’re playing.’
‘Yes, sir.’As they proceeded at a shuffle towards the audience seating Hal scanned the rows for Thea.He had no wish to embarrass her by appearing to seek her out, especially after that collision and the attention it had attracted, but he did want to stay close.
It would be a long game, the one he was playing, and he dare not rush it.He had seriously misjudged his actions with Thea, perhaps irreparably, although he very much hoped not.
For years he had not given her a thought, then, meeting her at their godmother’s house it had seemed only sensiblenot to admit to who he really was until she had recovered from her shock at discovering what her parents intended.
His judgement had been very wrong, and so had Godmama’s.Thea, it seemed, placed a high value on honesty and what he had told himself was simply a slight evasion appeared to her to be outright lying and deception.
Persuading Thea to marry him was going to take a great deal of work on his part and forgiveness on hers, but he was determined that he would make it happen.Somehow.He liked her, he desired her, he respected her and he found that the liking was the overriding emotion.
‘I left my ear trumpet somewhere.With my cloak, I expect,’ the Admiral announced as Hal lowered him cautiously onto one of the fragile gilt-painted chairs.‘Fetch it, would you, my boy.’
It was an order and Hal caught the eye of a footman who was clearly scandalised at the thought of a duke being ordered around like a valet.
‘I’ll fetch it, Your Grace,’ the man said, and hurried off.
* * *
‘Your Grace?’the old man echoed.‘Who are you, then?’
‘Leamington, Admiral.’
‘Good gad and so you are.Spitting image of your grandsire.I remember—’
The footman appeared with the ear trumpet to interrupt a thoroughly embarrassing anecdote about his grandfather and a certain actress and Hal was able to slip away, restraining himself with an effort from mopping his brow.
Almost all the seats were taken except three next to each other in front of where Thea was sitting between two identical brunettes.Twins, Hal realised after a startled moment when he wondered if fretting over Thea was turning his brain and he was seeing things.
