Page 27 of A Duke But No Gentleman
“Ugh, no, I did not!”Imogene turned her face away, but she could not avoid Norgrave’s quick kiss on her cheek.“Release me at once,” she said, prying his arm away from her waist.“Do you lurk behind pillars to waylay unsuspecting ladies?”
She had missed him, but he did not deserve to know the truth.
“A desperate man resorts to unsavory measures when he has neglected his lady.”Satisfied that he had her attention, he freed her and stepped back to admire her.“Why, Lady Imogene, you look positively scrumptious.If you would like to take a stroll with me in the gardens, I am certain we could find a quiet spot for me to test my theory.”
He waggled his eyebrows at her.
“I believe I will reject your generous offer, my lord,” Imogene said haughtily.“And let me be clear.I am decidedlynotyour lady, so practice your unsavory measures elsewhere.Now if you will excuse me, I have promised Mr.Edgecomb my next dance.”
Her chin high, she started to leave, but he grasped her hand and halted her escape.
“Edgecomb is a dilettante and his hand is as limp as his—”
“Not another word,” Imogene ordered.She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes gleaming with mirth.“You are a very wicked man, Norgrave.”
“Coming from you, my dear, I take that as a high compliment.”Before she could protest, he hooked his arm through hers and escorted her to the middle of the ballroom.“You can do much better than Edgecomb, my dear Imogene.”
“I never said that he was courting me,” she said mildly.“I merely accepted his invitation to dance the minuet.”
“Dancing with the wrong gentleman would hurt your reputation.”Norgrave’s expression darkened as he noticed Mr.Edgecomb’s nimble approach.“My apologies, Edgecomb.Your tardiness has cost you dearly.If you hurry, you might find another dance partner.”
The marquess silenced the man’s objection with a cutting glance.He nodded to Imogene and headed in the opposite direction.
“Mr.Edgecomb was not late,” she whispered as they joined two other couples.“What you did was unkind.”
“I disagree,” Norgrave replied.He stood opposite her and bowed.“And I saw you first.”
Actually, Blackbern had met her first, but she refrained from mentioning it.
Imogene and the two other ladies curtsied to their partners.She placed her right hand within the marquess’s and they faced forward.With a spring in her step they took several steps forward, and then backward.The three couples pivoted to face each other.They stepped right and left, and circled in place.The ladies joined hands and the gentlemen mirrored their actions.In a line they stepped forward and retreated.In perfect formation, the men claimed their lady’s left hand and Imogene walked with Norgrave between the lines they had formed.He released her hand and she bowed her head to walk under the arch the two ladies had formed with their arms.The marquess did the same, and they took their new positions at the end of the line.
The couples repeated the dance steps, each pair alternating their positions.Imogene was pleased with her performance.Her skills had improved under the critical eye of her dancing master.Norgrave was a competent partner.More than one lady was watching him as they danced.
With a parting grin to her partner she bent her head to walk under the arch her female companions had formed.The sudden appearance of a new lady flustered Imogene.Without thinking, she accepted the woman’s hand and stepped forward as she was prepared to circle about to join Norgrave, but her hand was suddenly released and the unknown lady assumed her place in the line.
Her dancing master had neglected to mention this part of the dance.Before she could pout, the two ladies from a different set grasped her hands and stepped forward so they could greet their gentlemen.
Her mouth fell open when she realized the Duke of Blackbern was her new dance partner.
“Is that an invitation to kiss you, Lady Imogene?”
“Certainly not!”she said, ignoring the chuckles from her companions.Only her hours with the dancing master kept her from muddling the steps required.She offered the duke her hand and they promenaded and separated.“Did you conspire with that woman to get her to switch places?”
“Naturally,” he freely admitted.“You should have seen Norgrave’s thunderous expression when I had you plucked from right under his nose.I thought he might challenge me on the spot.”
She and Blackbern moved gracefully together.At a glance, they gave the impression of familiarity.
“You could have waited your turn.”
His eyes were brimming with appreciation as his gaze lingered south of her face.“I was growing impatient.Besides, I have a habit of taking what I want.”
Imogene rolled her eyes as she stepped away from the duke.She had not made up her mind what her dance partner desired more—her or baiting the marquess.“Does the rivalry between you and Norgrave ever get tiresome?”
She squared her shoulders and then slid into a graceful curtsy and he formally bowed, a signal that the dance had ended.Before she could walk away, he stalked toward her.He grasped her by the elbow and escorted her in the opposite direction from Norgrave.
“I need to apologize for your rudeness,” she said, although she allowed him to direct their course because her struggles would have drawn attention to them.
“Later,” he said, his face a rigid mask of determination.
