Page 20 of One Night of Temptation
She gaped at him in surprise. “Never?”
He reconsidered. “Does an assembly count?”
“I should think so. It’s not all that different from a private ball.” She picked up her wineglass. “Though I suspect the refreshments are not typically as good. One thing you can almost always rely on at a ball is delectable food. Hostesses often try to outdo each other when it comes to decorations, music, and food.”
“I see. Do your parents host balls?”
She swallowed a sip of wine and let out a harsh laugh. “Goodness, no. They’re too cheap. Though they’re happy to partake of others’ largesse.”
“I presume you spend most of a ball dancing?”
“Yes. That is a young lady’s primary occupation at a ball, particularly if she’s on the Marriage Mart.”
He recalled her saying she danced, but not whether she liked it. “Do you find that part boring?”
“It depends on my partner. Do you like to dance?”
“I do, actually, though I’m not very good at it. I enjoy the music and the carefree joy it brings. In some ways, I suppose I like watching people dance as much as doing it myself, maybe even more.”
She gave him a sly look. “What about the waltz?”
“I haven’t ever done it. Have you?”
She nodded. “It took me three visits to Almack’s to obtain permission.”
He stared at her. “It requires permission?”
“The patronesses must grant it.” She rolled her eyes. “Almack’s is its own special hell.” She clapped a hand over her mouth as her eyes widened.
Hugh chuckled. “No need to apologize. I’ve heard much worse, as you can imagine. Indeed, I’ve been known to use the word hell in my line of work.” He winked at her.
Her eyes lit with mirth, and she dropped her hand to the table. “I’ll show you how to waltz if you like.”
While he hadn’t waltzed, he was aware of the dance and knew it involved touching each other in ways that seemed rather intimate. He probably shouldn’t, but the chance to hold her was too tempting to refuse.
He rose and moved around the table to offer her his hand. “Will you dance with me?”
She slipped her fingers along his, and he helped her to stand. “It would be my pleasure.”
Her amber eyes glowed in the light from the candles on the mantel and the lantern on the table. His hands practically ached to hold her.
He squeezed her hand. “The pleasure will be mine.”
Chapter 5
Penelope welcomed the heat of his hand as it spread through her, bringing a delicious awareness. She looked up into his captivating gaze and completely forgot what they were supposed to be doing.
“I’ve no idea how to begin,” he said. “And we don’t have music.”
Waltzing, right.
“I’ll hum,” she offered.
He arched an auburn brow. “I’m so intrigued by this entire endeavor. I think I shall be eternally grateful that I encountered you on the street today.”
She giggled. “I hope this lives up to your expectation.”
“It already has.” His eyes shone in the candlelight, and her heart skipped. “It’s quite exceeded it, actually. I’d planned to spend my evening catching up on correspondence. I’m afraid I owe both my sisters letters.”
