Page 26 of A Duchess Bound
He had thought that gazing at her from across the ballroom might provide some measure of relief, that he could at least have the pleasure of observing her fair countenance. Gerard was quickly realizing that he had made a fatal error.
At present, he stood in Lord Darlington’s lavish ballroom. So did Lady Dorothy. She wore a pale pink gown that complemented her rosy complexion. He was reminded of how strongly she had blushed at their last encounter, how strong the expression of her lust was, and everything inside him tightened.
“You are staring,” Pontoun said.
Gerard blinked. “I was not.”
He likely had been.
“She is a rare beauty,” Pontoun added. “Suitors flock to her like bees to a flower.”
Pontoun was not speaking of Lady Dorothy. Gerard laughed a little, for the assessment was true. Lady Bridget was surrounded by a cluster of enterprising young gentlemen, Lady Dorothy standing nearby like a noble knight, dissuading the most rakish of the opportunists.
“Do you imagine her dance card is already full?” Pontoun asked.
“Why? Are you going to try wooing her?”
Gerard did not particularly care about his friend’s intentions for the young lady. He asked only to be polite and out of respect for their many years of friendship.
“Perhaps. Are you?”
“No. Lady Dorothy has already made it abundantly clear that I am unsuitable for Lady Bridget.”
“Perhaps, if you appealed to Leedway.”
Gerard shrugged. “There are other ladies equally worth pursuing and with significantly less competition than Lady Bridget.”
Besides, Lady Dorothy had already proven herself susceptible to his advances. He only hoped that she would continue to be taken by him. Gerard bit the inside of his cheek, considering whether he ought to approach her. Perhaps, a little charm would persuade Lady Dorothy if she was consideringnotsubmitting to him.
There were other ladies, of course, but that mattered not. Gerard had always readily and hotly fallen for the charms of ladies. One would utterly consume him for months until she didn’t. Then, he would find another. It was a defect of his nature never to linger with one for long. Lady Dorothy was no different in that regard.
But he had never before felt the threat of rejection quite like he did with her. That made Lady Dorothy exciting in a way that he had never quite experienced before.
“I shall try,” Pontoun said.
“Best of luck, my friend.”
Some of the suitors, satisfied with signing Lady Bridget’s dance card, had wandered away. Lady Dorothy smiled and faced her sister, tucking a wayward curl behind Lady Bridget’s ear with such tenderness that Gerard found his chest tightening. Lady Dorothy had devoted her entire life to ensuring her siblings were content. Happy.
Pontoun crossed the room to sign Lady Bridget’s dance card. After a moment’s hesitation, Gerard followed. He tried not to look too eager. Instead, he tried to appear aloof, careless even. That was the best manner in which to intrigue a discerning lady.
“Lady Bridget,” Pontoun greeted.
Gerard’s eyes fixed on Lady Dorothy, noting with some delight that her cheeks had already pinkened in his presence. “It has been some time since we saw one another, my lady.”
“Indeed,” she said.
He let his eyes sweep leisurely over her slender form. Her eyes sparkled, indicating that she had likely noticed his lascivious gaze. Gerard grinned shamelessly. A proposition was right on the tip of his tongue, ready to fall, but he had promised her a week to decide. He wanted the arrangement to be conditional, to see this proud and defiant woman made meek by his attention. The design would be ruined if he provided his affections without making her agree to his terms.
“The week is not yet ended,” Lady Dorothy said, pitching her voice lower.
He liked what she had done with her voice. It made her sound husky and alluring. That voice belonged in his bedchamber with her sprawled over the bed linens, her coral lips parted in anticipation.
“I know,” he said. “And I have no intention of pressing you for answers tonight.”
“That is fortunate.”
What was he to make of that answer? Had she come to a decision yet, or was she still considering her options? It occurred to him that she might have already made her decision and chosen to keep him wanting and waiting for a response. His pulse jumped.
