Page 51 of The Moonstone Major
The man’s face turned a beet shade of red. “Yes…ah, well. I do not think he will attend.”
Chloe’s heart began to beat a little faster, a mix of ache and anger. “Not attend? Surely that cannot be so. He is commander of the fort. He cannot dismiss this important gathering out of hand.”
What she meant was, how dare he shrug her off? Had he not felt the impact of their kiss?
She sighed. “Of course. He must be very busy with all that is going on with the hospital’s construction.”
But he had promised to share a waltz with her.
He hadpromised.
She greeted several other officers, exchanging a few pleasantries and comments about how well the construction was proceeding, and then moved on. None of the officers were going to request a dance, since she was the daughter of an earl—as Fionn often went out of his way to point out—and no one was going near her.
It was not long before Lord Claymore and his entourage arrived.
He somehow spotted her across the crowded dance floor and strode toward her, an engaging smile on his face. His friends, on the other hand, would rather be caught peeling potatoes than dancing here.
“Lady Chloe, do assure me that your dances are not all taken,” Claymore said before raising her gloved hand to his lips and giving it a lingering kiss.
“No, they are all quite free.” She had no intention of putting on airs and pretending she was in any way the belle of the ball. Cain and Cormac had danced with her because it was their brotherly duty. But for the most part, she would be left standing off to the side with her sisters.
Lord Hollingsworth or Lord Danson might have asked her out of politeness, but she certainly hoped they wouldn’t. She did not like them, and they did not like her.
Lord Claymore claimed the first waltz of the evening.
He had barely placed a hand around her waist before he began making conversation, although it felt more of an interrogation even as he spoke with a smile. “I heard Major Brennan escorted you and Lord Stockwell’s daughters to the Moonstone cave yesterday.”
“Yes, and we also had a picnic luncheon in the meadow near it. Lord Stockwell was to take us, but his wife is not feeling well and he decided he ought to stay with her. It was wise to get the girls out of the house before they began to worry about their mother.”
He frowned, looking genuinely concerned. “Is it something serious?”
“We are not certain yet.”
“Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I mean it, Lady Chloe. I am more than willing.”
She nodded. “That is very kind of you. I will let Lady Stockwell know you asked after her.”
He twirled her effortlessly amid the crush of dancers. “Please do.”
“How is your house hunt going?”
He shook his head and groaned lightly. “Not too well.”
“What is it exactly you are looking for?”
“Perhaps that is the problem. I don’t know, but I think I will when I see it.”
“Are you trying to recapture a memory of an earlier happy time? Or a feeling of that happy moment?”
“I don’t know.”
“It could be that you are looking in the wrong place.”
He laughed and gave her another twirl. “Are you trying to be rid of me?”
“Not at all, but it does strike me you are holding on to two separate worlds.” She nodded toward his friends, watching as Lady Gemma refused a handsome captain’s offer to dance. “That of thetonelite and that of the real world.”
“You do not like my friends.”
