Page 76 of Refining the Debutante
He saw a little twinkle in her eye and called her bluff. “Such a dance I had never seen before. I recall some jumping and spinning too.”
“Oh, please.” Her mouth twitched.
He could smell her vanilla and lavender scent, and his heart raced. “What was I supposed to think with such a scene before me? Your hand was up fanning your face and your eye winking.”
“I was never so saucy.”
“Ridiculously so.” His own grin spread across his face. He rested an arm over her shoulder against the door and leaned closer to see if she would crack. Another push would get her there—or so he hoped.
“You know I was not dancing but was in desperate need of assistance. Are you saying you helped me that day because I enticed you? You could not help yourself. You—the epitome of a gentleman.”
“I had no idea you thought so well of me.” Ethan relished her nearness, now that he had no inhibitions about it. He needed to know how she felt. “But as I recall, I was going to pass by, but you threw yourself at me.”
Finally, a laugh burst from her mouth. “Your memory is faulty, sir. I might play coy at times, but I am completely without guile in this. I had an eyelash caught in my eye—nota scheming plan to catch a suitor. Besides, I did not know you from Adam.”
“Are you sure you did not recognize me? I knew you instantly.”
“My vision was quite affected.”
Ethan chuckled. “You must have sensed my trustworthy nature. You clearly needed my help that day, and yet you wouldn’t even let me look at your eye.”
“The eye is a sensitive organ.”
Sensitive but profound. Hers seemed to be drawing him ever closer. He was mere inches from her. Was he testing her or his own willpower? “I was this close and you couldn’t handle yourself in my presence. Your heart was palpitating.”
“Blinking rapidly is not a sign of palpitations.” Her lips spread into a beautiful smile.
He lowered his voice. “You had gooseflesh up and down your arms. Isn’t that sign enough?”
Suppressing a laugh, she lifted her hand and put it around the back of his neck just above his cravat, bringing a shiver to his skin. “You had your hand at the nape of my neck, and I was ticklish there. You deliberately left it there to torture me.”
And now she surely meant to torture him. “You started wiggling about”—he leaned another inch closer, her scent nearly undoing him—“and at the same time, you were begging for assistance.” Assistance he had willingly given and wanted to vow to continue.
“Mr. Roderick,” she breathed, relaxing her back against the door. “I have never known you to twist a falsehood.”
Ethan grinned and studied her. Did she want him as he did her? Her eyes gleamed with a hint of laughter, making the blue even brighter than normal. Lands, she was beautiful.
Full lips too.
He glanced back up, and her eyes were half-lidded. She met his gaze with a question in her eyes. One he finally knew the answer to. But what ofheranswer? If he kissed her, would she accept it? He had put her through so much, and his own soul was in turmoil.
The drawing room door opened. Ethan was not a cursing man, but his frustration was on the tip of his tongue. For a moment, he did not move. If eyes could speak, surely hers would tell him everything, and he could be satisfied. When he doubted what he saw, he reluctantly stepped away, coughing into his hand. Finally, he looked over to see Jane step out, her gaze on the floor.
“I hope you don’t hold my slight exaggeration about your behavior against me,” Ethan whispered to Miranda, his smile widening—whether from the memory or the excitement of the moment, he could not say.
“I am glad we can laugh together again.” Her smile appeared. She did not hate him. But would she if he dared to press his suit again? Would she accept a proposal from Captain Grant before Ethan could come up with a plan?
Ethan pushed back his tailcoat and put his hand on his hip. “Good. Well, I really was on my way out.” He cleared his throat and reached for the door, a lifeline for his racing heart.
Miranda dipped into a curtsy. Her easy smile slipped away and was replaced by the careful, guarded one she had worn before his teasing.
He left before he could get ahead of himself. It was one thing to want a woman. It was another to convince one’s parents to accept her.
* * *
Miranda could not regret the moment between her and Ethan. She should hate herself for being so weak. Instead, if he married Miss Withers tomorrow, she would now have this feeling stirring within her to treasure. She met Jane’s sad eyes, but Miranda’s thoughts were still on Ethan. Why had such a good man crossed paths with her in the first place, if not to stay? She blinked and focused in on Jane. And why did she have to be at odds with her dearest friend?
Jane stopped short when she reached Miranda. “I am sorry I said those hurtful things at Crowfield about you and Captain Grant.”
