Page 19 of Seducing a Frigid Lady
Max gestured first to the lady and then to Lionel, smiling between them both and looking quite pleased with himself. Normally Lionel would not have been bothered by his cousin’s introduction.
But this lady’s name was one of the few that his parents had mentioned, not once, but several times before his departure from the countryside. More than that, his aunt had mentioned her also. And it was clear where all of their thoughts were headed.
Against his better judgement, all he could think was,If only she were another.
“It is a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, Lady Caroline,” Lionel told her with a smile, offering his hand.
“The pleasure is all mine, I am sure, my lord,” Lady Caroline responded even as Lionel dipped down in a courteous bow. Really, it was more an excuse to avoid her eyes while he found his own wandering.
Bile rose in the back of his throat when out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Miss Lloyd. She was no longer standing in the shadows across the far side of the room where she had been when he had left the ballroom.
Now she had taken to the dancefloor again, in the arms of another gentleman. Though he did not recognise her partner and knew nothing of him, he gained an immediate dislike of the man. Just seeing the way he cupped the small of her back made Lionel feel sick.
Ice Queen for sure,Lionel thought, gritting his teeth against the urge to march across the dancefloor and butt in. It was not his place and even as he straightened back up to his full height, forcing himself to meet Lady Caroline’s gaze once more, he couldn’t help but wonder,Is she dancing with him merely to put me off my game?
The thought intrigued him and he most definitely would not put it past her. After all, she had appeared quite determined to be the one to win their little wager. Suddenly, the thought of their little game wasn’t quite so thrilling as it had been before. What if by offering it up in the first place he encouraged her into the arms of another gentleman?
“Lady Caroline and I were just discussing your parents and how they have been so adamant that the two of you ought to meet,” Max explained, and the words drew Lionel back to the present.
For several seconds, he felt as though he was trapped in deep water, struggling to reach the surface. And then, as if he were finally hitting it, his cousin’s words hit him.
He glowered at his cousin, astonished that Max would speak so brazenly in front of the lady. Yet it was clear from his cousin’s expression that he was in an overly mischievous mood. Lionel quickly decided that it was far better to go along with it. Perhaps it might even take his mind offotherthings.
“I think perhaps, my lord, your parents may have too high an opinion of me,” Lady Caroline said with an innocent smile, fluttering her eyelashes as she stroked a honey-blonde curl back behind her ear. The pink gemstone droplet earring in her lobe swung delicately as she dropped her hand back to her side.
Quickly, realising that he was still holding onto her other hand, Lionel released it and clasped both his hands carefully behind his back.
“I do believe that you are being modest, Lady Caroline,” Max protested, scowling at her a little, though there was a gentle amusement in his tone. “As I have heard it, you are one of the most accomplished young ladies of theton.”
Lady Caroline glanced down, her cheeks flaring even beneath the powder that delicately coated her already pale face. “You make me blush, Mr. Parr. I am no more accomplished than any of the other ladies here this evening.”
Lionel glanced around the room, taking in the other women for a moment before he turned back and offered her a smile. “I think my cousin may be right, Lady Caroline. I have seen many of these ladies’talentsover the last few days, and some of them are sorely lacking.”
“I would not wish to discredit anybody else, my lord,” Lady Caroline told him, still keeping her gaze low as though she were feeling quite uncomfortable with the subject. Lionel couldn’t help but wonder whether it was more for his benefit than for her own true discomfort.
After all, he was no stranger to the fact that many young ladies of thetonwere taught to be seen and not heard.
He also knew there were a few who openly chose to ignore that fact when they were addressed in such a manner as Lady Caroline was in this moment. She had every opportunity to make herself out to be the shining star where others stood pale in comparison and yet here she stood, looking small and meek and Lionel couldn’t help but think that perhaps his parents were right.
She was a woman of good breeding, beautiful and petite and from what he had heard, quite talented.She is a fair lady indeed,he thought and in a split second he had made a decision, one that would likely please his mother no end.
“Lady Caroline, might you have a spot on your dance card for the next dance?” he asked. Even as he did so, his gaze faltered in the direction of the dancefloor, searching out the raven-haired Miss Lloyd and her current dance partner.
Though he had been jealous before, he couldn’t help but notice now that it did not look as though they were having as good a time as they had looked to be having upon first glance.
In fact, as he watched, Miss Lloyd barely managed to pull her slippered foot out from the path of her dance partner mere seconds before he stomped down on her toes. The redness in her cheeks and the flustered look upon her face made Lionel bite the inside of his lip.
If her plan had been to make him jealous, it seemed as though it was not going so well for her. And yet, though he was quietly amused, he also felt the urge to reach out and offer an embrace, to comfort her and let her know that all was well.
“I would be honoured to give you the next dance, my lord,” Lady Caroline told him, drawing his attention back to her.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lionel saw the smirk on Max’s face, as though he believed he had done his work for the night and could retire happy. Lionel, on the other hand, knew that there was no way he would be able to sleep that night unless he danced himself into oblivion, leaving no more energy left for anything else. And so he did just that, keeping himself well away from the likes of Miss Lloyd.
Chapter 7
Without a mother of her own, Priscilla could at least be grateful for the fact that Sophie’s own mother took her under her wing, where it truly mattered. Where shopping was involved and with her promise to keep up appearances for her father’s sake, she could at least be glad that the mother and daughter allowed her to tag along whenever they went into town.
Without Lady Lyttleton to guide her on the latest fashions and what was appropriate, Priscilla was sure that one way or another she would make a fool of herself. And in truth, it was far better than having to put up with her aunt, who would have only talked her ear off about the perfect match on the marriage mart the entire time that they were shopping.
