He nodded and took a sip from his tea.
“Who?”
When it became apparent that he’d drop his cup and saucer if he did not put them down, he bent forward and slowly arranged them on the table, taking time to come up with a plausible answer.
“I am afraid the p-person who commissioned the painting might be u-upset if I share that information with you. Perhapsonce it is delivered, I can… that is… I might ascertain if it would be permissible.”
“Now you have me intrigued. Tell me, is the subject male or female?”
He glanced at the other occupants of the room to see if anyone was listening in.
“Female,” he said softly.
“Really?”
A myriad of emotions played across Susannah’s face and he wished for a little window into her mind to see what she was thinking. Since no such convenience existed he had to rely on what he knew of her expressions. A furrowed brow could mean several things, but the way she sat back led him to believe she was disappointed. Why would a painting of her be upsetting?
But she did not know it was about her. Dare he hope a bit of jealousy might be involved?
“The subject is quite l-lovely with the mostfascinating curls.”
“I see.” She picked up her cup and her arms pinched close to her sides.
It could not be. The small glimmer of hope led him to be a bit reckless. “The line of her jaw was hard to mimic, but her cheek is the most captivating color of pink.”
Susannah’s lips compressed and his heart cheered. Now how to go about finding out the depth of her feelings. The thought of talking about such sensitive subjects set his hands to shaking again. A lump formed in his throat and the ease with which he’d spoken fled.
Light blue skirts swished in his periphery.
“Miss Wayland,” Miss Wallace said as she approached them. “It seems you have found the exact spot to be this evening. Is not this a fantastic crush?”
He would have called it ghastly or abhorrent. No person needed to be pressed as much as he had been all evening.
Susannah cast her a tight smile. “It is. I have not seen its equal.”
“This is nothing compared to the ball he held last June,” Mr. Wallace said from behind them.
Johnathan turned to see the man approaching with his own refreshments. Susannah’s expression brightened and he wanted to groan. Did Mr. Wallace have to appear right at this moment? Or at all, for that matter?
“I heard there were nearly five thousand people in attendance,” Susannah said. “Is that true?”
“I would not doubt it. Unfortunately we did not attend as we had to remove to the country for our mother’s health. Family comes first, you see.”
The way Susannah smiled at his declaration did not bode well. He knew how much she valued family. Hers was the center of her life, and her loyalty ran deep. Any man who declared the same sentiment would certainly win a portion of her heart.
But Johnathan had no family. No parents or grandparents, and no surviving aunts or uncles. He’d heard tell that a second cousin lived somewhere in the north of England, but he’d never met the man. So how could he declare the importance of family when he had none to speak of?
Conversation fell into a natural rhythm between the others as they shared similar family experiences leaving Johnathan with nothing to contribute. His mind spun around Mr. Wallace’s statement about needing to leave London. That he knew of, the man had not been in Town. Then again, perhaps he’d come to collect his mother and sister so his father might stay to take part in the House of Commons.
At a lull in the discussion Miss Wallace said, “Lord Newhurst, I tried to find you in the crowd when the dancing began but failed, so instead I gave Mr. Roberts my first set. I hope you are not offended.”
He hoped his face did not appear as horrified as he felt. His thoughts had been so consumed with Susannah all night that he’d forgotten he’d promised Miss Wallace a dance. “Yes… well…”
“I believe he was looking for you when I came upon him.” Susannah’s rescue was a godsend. “And since he’d also promised me a dance he was too polite to turn down my request that we find some refreshment. The floor, as you probably witnessed, is very full.”
“It is.” Miss Wallace’s lip jutted out, then her expression switched to a sweet smile. “But we have found each other now. Perhaps we might return to the court and see if there is room to admit us.”
There was nothing for it. He’d promised Miss Wallace a dance and he must see through as a gentleman. “If that is what you wish.”