Page 59 of Seducing a Frigid Lady
Just as she was about to turn away, no longer interested in whoever had entered, the main bulk of the crowd moved away to reveal the very man she had been hoping not to see that evening.
The moment she saw him, her heart leapt into her throat, and she struggled to breathe.
This cannot be happening!She thought, even as Lord Sinclair’s dark gaze locked upon hers. Worse than that, he immediately started towards her, ignoring every single person who attempted to get in his way or offer him a greeting along the way.
No! No! Stop!Priscilla wanted to yell the words at him. She even wanted to turn and run and yet, instead, she found she was frozen to the spot, her knees threatening to buckle beneath her.
Though her eyes were latched entirely on the viscount, she did not miss the several members of the crowd who turned to follow his progress, especially those who he had ignored. And the disgruntled expressions on their faces made Priscilla’s body tense all the more.
“Miss Lloyd,” he greeted her with an overly respectable bow, offering his hand, “Would you care to dance?”
Even as he spoke, the musicians started to prepare for the next dance and Priscilla had to bite the inside of her lip to stop from immediately yelling at him that she would never dance with him again.
“No, I do not care to dance this evening, Lord Sinclair,” she declared firmly, glad that her voice sounded much more confident than she was feeling. Her insides were churning, threatening to upend at any moment, and the bile in the back of her throat was so strong it threatened to choke her.
Lord Sinclair continued to glower back at her, meeting her icy gaze with a stony one of his own, his hand still firmly placed between them as though he would not take no for an answer.
Damn you!She thought angrily, able to hear the whispering that had begun all around them. Not only had she just declined a perfectly respectable offer to dance, she had declined a dance from a nobleman.
To top it off, nobody had yet heard of the scandal that had been set alight in Mr. Parr’s townhouse. Perhaps they never would if the man standing before her had done the ‘honourable’ thing. And here she was, being made to look utterly disrespectful.I hate you!
Though she blasted the words at him in her mind, her heart skipped a beat the moment she forced her hand into his palm.
“Wise decision,” Lord Sinclair whispered into her ear even as he led her out onto the dancefloor and the hair on the back of Priscilla’s neck started to rise. Who was this man to offer any opinion on her decisions?
With gritted teeth, she forced herself to stand in his arms, holding his hand and his shoulder as they prepared for the next dance. And as the music began, the nobleman expertly guided her around the dancefloor, making her feel once more as though they had danced together a thousand times.
It was infuriating to feel so at ease in his arms, so graceful and elegant and likely great entertainment for those watching them, while she also wanted to strike him clean across the face for all he was making her feel.
When she could take the silence between them no longer, Priscilla hissed under her breath, “Say what you wish to say, Lord Sinclair, this shall be the only chance you get.”
Feeling him tense against her, Priscilla almost regretted her harsh tone. Reminding herself once again of all he had put her through, she hardened herself to it. She would not allow him to get under her skin again.
“Miss Lloyd, I just wanted an opportunity to explain,” Lord Sinclair announced, keeping his voice down so that no matter who they passed by, they would not be able to overhear.
“I have no need for you to explain,” Priscilla retorted through gritted teeth. It would be better for her if she did not allow herself to hear whatever it was he had come to say to her. If she allowed even a word of explanation to come from his lips, she might actually begin to trust him again. Having made that mistake one time too many already, she had no intention of doing so again.
“Be that as it may, I feel you ought to know everything,” Lord Sinclair told her, his grip tightening on her hand as though he felt her need to escape him. “My conscience will not allow me to remain quiet on the matter.”
“Then, my lord, you ought not to have come,” Priscilla protested, meeting his gaze for the first time since they had begun to dance. The moment that she did, she regretted having done it. Just seeing the emotion that danced behind his hazel eyes took Priscilla’s breath away.
Feeling the way his fingertips stroked the small of her back, a rush of heat gathered in her cheeks and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to stop from letting the sensations overwhelm her.
“You are the only reason I attended this evening,” Lord Sinclair admitted, and his words sent a tingle running down the length of Priscilla’s spine. For the first time, she realised that Sophie’s encouragements for her to attend had actually been tempered by her own desire to learn whether he would actually show his face.
I have no need to see his face;she reminded herself firmly.Nor do I need to listen to a word he says!
But she continued to feel herself caught in his gaze, unable to look away. Determined to have her ice-queen nature reinstated, she pulled away, slightly increasing the distance between their bodies as they danced. Glowering back at him, she announced, “I never should have trusted you, Lord Sinclair. You have done nothing but make my life a misery.”
Immediately upon saying the words, Priscilla regretted them. After all, she had just given him the knowledge that he had that kind of influence upon her life, as though she actually cared what he had done.
“Miss Lloyd, you must understand,” Lord Sinclair insisted, his fingers squeezing hers. Even through her gloves she could feel the warmth of his flesh against hers and it infuriated her.
“I must do nothing!” Priscilla responded angrily, perhaps a little too loudly as at that very moment the music ended—as did the dance, giving Priscilla the opportunity to snatch herself free of the viscount’s grip entirely.
There she stood before him, glowering at him with red flushed cheeks even as she felt the eyes of all those around them, watching them with intrigue and astonishment.
Damn you again!She thought, clenching her jaw to stop from making even more of a fool of herself. Even more vexing than the eyes of the general public watching them were the two pairs of eyes she saw watching them out of the corner of her eye.
