Page 5 of A Brilliant Match
“Wouldn’t do, my boy,” Albert answered, though he was only five years’ Miles’s senior. “A man never dances with his wife in public.”
Miles offered a polite smile and made the circuit of the room toward his first partner. He would certainly dance with his wife when he had one, though it was not a fashionable thing to do.
If he had expected, upon arriving at Lady Dorothea’s side, to see a look of relief at being rescued from sitting the first dance out, he was doomed to disappointment. Upon bowing to Lady Poole, then extending his hand with the words that he believed this set to be his, Lady Dorothea merely graced him with that same bland smile and set her hand on his arm to join the couples congregating. He was not a man easily daunted by a little resistance, however, and he was determined to coax her out of her shell.
One of the musicians seemed to be dealing with a broken string, so they took their places on the sidelines and waited.
“Is this your first season in London, my lady?”
“It is.” The soft blue eyes that turned his way were at odds with the decisiveness in her voice and the obstinacy of her chin. After a brief hesitation, she added, “It was intended that I come out last season, but my father died three weeks before we were set to leave. We naturally had to postpone it.”
“My condolences,” he replied promptly, surprised and touched by her admission. It made her seem more human. “I was not attending to any news coming from London last year, otherwise I might have heard of it.”
Then again, the news of an earl leaving this earth would not have made an impression on one who had not known any of the bereaved.
When the conversation stalled, he seized on the one thing they had in common.
“I, too, lost my father, although it is not of recent date. He fell ill of pneumonia four years ago and did not recover.”
“My sympathies,” she answered in turn, then took a silent breath and let it out. He wondered if she were nervous, or reserved…or simply bored.
He cudgeled his brain for something to say that wasn’t quite so morbid a topic as death. Usually the women he made an effort to charm thawed more easily than she did. But Lady Dorothea had offered him something more than commonplaces, and he would not give up in trying for more.
“Your sister…am I right in assuming she is out at the same time as you?”
“Yes.” Lady Dorothea looked as though she would say more, but the strains of the cotillion had begun, and her eyes lightened in anticipation. He hastened to lead her into the first circle that was forming before they lost their place.
The music began, putting an end to their conversation. He bowed before her, with one arm behind his back and one extended in front, and she curtsied in return. Then they began to dance in a circle, clasping the hands of those around them as they moved, nodding and bowing to each partner in turn.
As he rejoined Lady Dorothea, clasping her hands in his and advancing, side by side, he was filled with the pleasure of dancing with a woman who required little effort to lead. She might have an obstinate chin, but she was made for dancing. It caused him to direct an appreciative regard her way more than once, and he was given at least one truly authentic smile in return. Each time they drew near, her fresh scent muddled his senses, causing his admiration to increase. He bit his lip to keep from grinning. She was delightful!
At last, the music to the first dance came to a close, and they stepped off to the side to wait for the next dance of their set. Miles held out his arm, and when she set her hand on it, he drew her near.
“You dance elegantly, my lady. I’ve rarely danced with a partner who gave me more pleasure.”
Her cheeks were rosy from effort and her eyes bright as she pulled away slightly to create more distance between them.
“I take pleasure in dancing. It is the one time we are allowed to cast off restraint and enjoy the felicity of the moment.”
She seemed to check herself, a furrow to her brow as though she had revealed more than she wished. It was exactly the sort of thing Miles desired to know about her, as it confirmed his suspicion of a warm heart that beat underneath the ice.
“That is very true. I like it myself for that reason.”
After a beat, she ventured, “You also make a fine partner, Mr. Shaw. You make dancing seem effortless. The gentlemen I’ve danced with in Surrey have not been so talented.”
He responded with easy gallantry, although his smile was genuine. Despite the fact that it was not a high compliment to compare favorably to local country gentlemen, its authenticity had touched a chord in him.
“You honor me. I am sure my feet will be even lighter now from your praise.”
“And you, I hope, will not repeat my words,” she cautioned, lifting her brows almost playfully, “for I have cast aspersions on other gentlemen, although no names have been mentioned.” The warmth he had caught glimpses of reached her eyes for the first time since she had turned them his way, and he received it like a laurel wreath.
“I give you my word as a gentleman,” he replied, easily matching her lighthearted tone and exalting in having pierced her façade. “But then, I have forgotten to ask if you are thirsty. Next I shall hear it said that a certain gentleman pays all the most proper observances, such as fetching a drink for the lady in between sets, unlikeothergentlemen she has danced with.”
This time she laughed outright, and the suspicion she did not give up her laughter easily sent him another flush of triumph. A grin tugged at his lips. By George, hedidlike her! A woman with character, who was beautiful, and whose fortune must not be despised.
“Let notthatbe said,” she replied, mercifully unaware of his thoughts. “And I would be most grateful for a cup of lemonade—cold if it could be had.”
“If I have to go down to the kitchens myself to find it, I will do so.” Miles began to walk off to fetch the glass but then turned back. “Shall we go together? I should not like to leave you unattended, even for the minute it would take to fetch one.”
