Page 84 of Falling for a Forsaken Marquess
“And you are a fast learner. I wasn’t aware you could not dance the waltz.”
“I had not yet received instruction, My Lord,” she explained. “It’s still new to me.”
“I see.”
Silence fell, and the tension between them thickened. Agnes couldn’t tell what was wrong and was worried it had something to do with Phoebe. Perhaps he had met her after speaking with Agnes and decided he should have asked Phoebe for the first dance.
Fortunately, their dance ended, and just as Jacob promised, he was there to pull her into the next dance. Agnes picked up on the tension between the brothers as they stared each other down before Jacob turned his back on William and settled into the country dance.
“I hope you are ready to move as you have never danced before, Miss Humphries,” he warned.
“I know this set, so I am more than capable of keeping up with you,” she returned.
Jacob grinned. “I’ll take your word for it.”
Agnes soon found out how lively Jacob could be on the dance floor, which was precisely what she needed after her moment with William. She laughed as the man exaggerated a leap but lost her mirth when she turned and found William and Phoebe dancing.
He was smiling down at her as he danced, but he had been stern and moody with Agnes. It was quite obvious what this meant. Agnes’ heart dipped, but she managed to maintain her smile until she excused herself after the dance and asked her sister to accompany her into the garden. She could no longer stand to be in the same room as William and Phoebe, not when her disappointment was at its peak.
Chapter 17
“I feel quite out of breath, My Lord,” said Phoebe, fanning herself. “This set seems to go on forever, but I am enjoying myself.”
William was glad she was because he certainly wasn’t. His jaw was aching from keeping a smile on his face because he wasn’t about to give his brother the satisfaction that taking Agnes away from him had bothered him.
“The music seems to be slowing down,” he replied, walking her around him. “You will have your rest soon enough.”
“You might think me odd for saying this considering that I am tired, but I would not mind if this dance lasted a little longer,” Phoebe revealed. “You are an excellent dance partner, My Lord. I will go as far as to say that you are the best.”
The woman just kept complimenting him on every small thing, from the size of his wrists to the cut of his waistcoat and even the way the candles shone brightly on his hair. William was exhausted from saying “thank you” and needed a break from the woman.
“You are a good dancer as well, Miss Philips,” he returned. “My compliments to whoever taught you.”
“Oh, I taught myself by watching others,” Phoebe claimed. “Of course, I was shown the basics, but my skill is all my own effort.”
William didn’t know what else to say, so he simply smiled. His eyes shifted to the couple he was trying to ignore, but their laughter kept drawing him to them. Jacob had a way with women that helped them feel alive and energetic, and William had to begrudgingly agree that he and Agnes looked good together.
Their liveliness matched, and he couldn’t unsee that no matter how much he wished to. Dancing with Phoebe had been all about putting on a show to let his brother know that he wasn’t the least bit affected by seeing Agnes’ hand in his, but William was seething inside. The least he could hope for was seeing a bit of jealousy in Agnes’ eyes, but she was too busy with Jacob to feel anything but joy.
“They are attracting far too much attention,” Phoebe commented in disgust. “Agnes should know better.”
“No one seems bothered,” William replied.
In fact, most had paused to watch the couple perform the steps to the country dance and were clapping along.
“Still, they should take into consideration that they are not the only ones dancing,” Phoebe insisted.
“I suppose so,” William said, turning to her. “This is the last set, Miss Philips.”
William was thankful enough to smile sincerely for the first time since he saw Jacob approach Agnes at the refreshment table. He had wanted to disturb their conversation, but William had remained where he was and simply stared.
“It’s the end, My Lord,” said a disappointed Phoebe.
William didn’t answer but looked for Agnes, watching her approach her sister. The two women exchanged words and set off through the crowd rather quickly. He needed to follow them before Jacob did.
“Would you excuse me?” William said, bowing to Phoebe. “There is somewhere I need to be.”
“Do you mind if I accompany you?” asked Phoebe, grasping his sleeve.
