Page 31 of The Duke of Kisses
Chapter 5
There were so many people at the Webley rout, David could barely move. Still, he sliced his way up the stairs, using the advantage of his ascension to scan the hall below. There was no sign of Fanny.
He continued up to the drawing room where the crowd was a bit less dense. At last he located her, standing near the windows overlooking the street below. Her tall, lithe frame was exquisitely draped in an ivory gown trimmed with indigo ribbon and pearls. That same color ribbon wound intricately through the curls piled atop her head. Single pearls dangled from her ears, and a strand of them nestled against her throat. She was elegant and beautiful and seemed utterly untouchable.
Untouchable.That was supposed to be him, but right now, the word fit her better. At least from his perspective. She was also captivating and alluring, and he wanted her. And yet he should turn his attentions elsewhere. The promise he’d made burned in his mind.
Fanny turned her head, and their eyes connected. He walked through the crowd toward her, as if drawn by a powerful magnet. When he drew near, he belatedly realized she wasn’t alone. Her sister stood at her side, and David bowed first to her and then to Fanny.
“Good evening, Duchess, Miss Snowden.”
“Good evening, Lord St. Ives,” the duchess said. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I wish to speak with a friend.” She glanced toward her sister before gliding away.
David looked after her before turning toward Fanny. “That’s the second time your sister has left you alone with me.”
Fanny laughed. “I hardly callthisalone. It’s a wonder we can draw a full breath.”
“It’s worse downstairs,” he said, relaxing in her company. She never failed to put him at ease.
“Why do you think we came up here?” she asked jovially. “In any case, we won’t be staying long. It’s far too warm and close, and Ivy is uncomfortable in her current state.”
David assumed she meant because the duchess was carrying. “Then I am doubly grateful to her for giving us a few moments.”
She turned completely toward him, her gaze seeking his. “I missed seeing you at the park the other day.”
“I’d intended to be there, but my mother and uncle arrived as I called on you. I’ve been a bit busy with them and with other nonsense.”
Her brows arched briefly. “Nonsense?”
“All the things earls must do. I have an even greater respect for my father and wish I’d paid more attention to what he wanted to teach me before he died.” Regret pierced through him. “I really thought we’d have more time.”
“I’m sorry you didn’t,” she said softly. “I know what it’s like to wish for more time with a loved one.”
“Did you lose someone?”
She blinked as she glanced away. “No. I mean, yes. I’m sure your father would be very proud.”
“That’s what my mother says. With her and my uncle—my father’s younger brother—here, I’ve been thinking about him more than usual.”
“All of it good, I hope.”
He smiled. “Yes. I’ve been walking in Hyde Park in the morning. My father and I used to take morning walks together when I was a child. That’s how I became interested in birds. He always pointed them out to me, and then I would learn as much as I could about them to impress him with my knowledge.”
Her eyes sparkled beneath the candlelight. “And did you?”
“I think so. He certainly tried to find every book about birds and ensure it was in our library.”
“It sounds as though he loved you very much.”
He had. David’s heart squeezed. He wanted to change the subject. “I was disappointed when I couldn’t find you at the Newcastle ball.”
“My niece was suffering from cutting a tooth, and my sister didn’t want to leave her. Without a chaperone, I had to remain at home.”
“Devilish unfair, really. If you were a man, you could’ve gone by yourself.”
She laughed in agreement. “Indeed.” Her lids dropped a bit as she looked up at him, lending her a seductive air. “I was very sorry to miss seeing you at the ball. I was looking forward to abusing your toes.”
Now he laughed. “Then I should be delighted you weren’t there.” He lowered his voice and leaned forward slightly, looking directly into her shining blue-green eyes. “To be clear, I wasnot.”
