Page 73 of The Duke's Impossible Deal
“When will our lessons start?” Alistair asked.
“Tomorrow. If your mother agrees.” Tobias looked at Rowen, who had a smile on her face.
“I think that sounds like an excellent plan.” She met his gaze and, as the twins fell into excited chatter, mouthed, “Thank you.”
And for the first time in a long time, Tobias felt like he had done something right.
Twenty-One
“How would you feel about attending Lady Salisbury’s ball?” Tobias asked over breakfast a few days later.
Rowen swallowed her bite of toast. Since the incident with the fencing instructor, she had been true to her word and insisted that Tobias join them for meals.
The result had made mealtimes a far more lively experience. She had not realized just how wonderful Tobias’s laughter was until it echoed regularly through the halls, mingling with her children’s.
How could I not have trusted this man?
She realized that she had not answered his question and bit her lip. “When is it?”
“This Friday, I believe.” Tobias’s eyes flicked to the invitation and then back to her.
“It has been some time since I attended a ball.” Rowen took another mouthful of her toast, trying to ignore the unease in her chest. “I cannot even remember the last time I danced at one.”
“Are you worried you will not remember how?” Tobias’s eyes glittered in a way that made her stomach flutter. “We could always practice before we go.”
“How gallant of you,” Rowen teased, feeling her own smile widen even as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. “There are easier ways to get me to dance with you, you know.”
“Are there, indeed? Then it would seem I have been missing out.” Tobias chuckled.
“I am not sure you have. I have never considered myself a particularly skilled dancer.”
“You dance like a sack of potatoes, Rowen.”
Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, but she pushed them away.
“I suspect you are a rather lithe dancer, especially if you dance with the same grace you walk,” Tobias remarked.
“You flatter me, but my late husband would have described dancing with me as somewhat perilous.” She tried to keep her tone light, as though the thought didn’t sting, but something of the truth must have shown on her face.
Tobias’s eyes darkened, and his lips thinned briefly. “I happen to like a little danger in my dancing.”
“Your feet might not.” She could not quite get her smile to reach her eyes.
“It is a chance I am willing to take. I have suffered far worse for far less rewards.” He gave her a smile that made her cheeks redden. “I will take a little pain if it means I might dance with you.”
“And what if I make a fool of myself?” The words slipped past her lips before she could stop them.
“Do you really think I would let that happen?” His voice was gentle. “A dance is a partnership, and I happen to be a rather good leader. I have the medals to prove it.”
“I thought those were for your prowess in battle?” Some of the tension in her chest eased.
He shrugged. “Leadership is leadership, whether it is on the battlefield or the dance floor. I would not lead you into harm.”
“I know.” To her surprise, she found that she meant it.
His serious green eyes found hers, and she felt the corners of her lips quirk up.
“Good.” His familiar grin slipped back into place. “Now, shall I tell Lady Salisbury that we will be attending her ball? No doubt the ton is itching to see the new Duchess in all her glory.”
