Page 7 of Tempting Harriet
“No,” she said, “but you thought it. You thought I refused your very generous offer because it did not include respectability and then went and did better for myself inBath by marrying a wealthy man who could not be expected to live long.” Where were the words and the ideascoming from? She felt dismayed and mortified. She had noneed whatsoever to be on the defensive with the Duke ofTenby.
“Did I think so?” His eyes were mocking again. “How very ungentlemanly of me. I am sorry for your loss, Harriet. It must have been painful. But I am glad you are beginning to put it behind you. You have come to enjoy theSeason, I presume? And are enjoying it? You appeared tobe doing so until you began to dance with me, anyway.Have I diminished your joy?”
“Of course not.” Her eyes slipped to his neckcloth. He must have a very skilled valet. Godfrey had always wornhis simply tied.
“The devil!” he said suddenly and his arm at her waist tightened and drew her right against him for the merest moment before loosening and setting her at the correct distance again. “An imminent collision avoided. Bixby istwirling his partner with wild enthusiasm.”
Harriet glanced over her shoulder to find that it was indeed so. Her body and her mind reacted belatedly. She had felt him, every contour of his hard, muscled body, throughthe thin satin and lace of her gown. She raised her eyes unwillingly to his.
“Ah, Harriet,” he said. “Harriet.”
She lowered her eyes and was aware suddenly and for the first time of people around them—couples twirling onthe dance floor, groups standing or sitting about its edges,either conversing or observing. They were being watched, she knew. He was being watched.
“Where are you staying?” he asked.
“I am a guest at Sir Clive Forbes’s home.”
“Forbes?” he said. “Ah, yes, I know. May I call on you there, Harriet?”
Why? To tease her? To renew his dalliance with her? But did it matter why? She had come to town in the conscioushope that she would see him again, had she not? Well, then,she was getting more than she had hoped for. She had seenhim again on her first real appearance in public and he hadsingled her out for attention and wished to call on her atAmanda’s. Why should she hesitate? For fear of gettinghurt again? It was an absurd fear. She was a mature, experienced woman now. She would be hurt only if she chose tobe hurt.
“You can do dreadful things to the esteem in which I hold myself, you know, Harriet,” he said. “Are you about toreject me—again? And yet all I have asked for is permission to call on you.”
“I would be happy to receive you, your grace,” she said.
“Would you?” He smiled. “Happy, Harriet? You are not happy at all to see me, are you? Do you despise me? Because I am the sort of man who takes mistresses? Youwould scarce be able to find a man to respect in this ballroom if you have such high standards for everyone, mydear.”
Harriet flushed and his smile deepened.
“I have never known any other woman blush as charmingly as you,” he said. “Did my words outrage you? I am sorry. I am not, however, sorry that this is the supper dance.The music is coming to an end, but I may still have yourcompany for supper. Come.” He bowed to her when themusic stopped and offered his arm. “Let me fill a plate foryou and you shall tell me all about the excitement of livingin Bath. That was where you lived with Lord Wingham?”
“Yes,” she said and set her arm along his. “It was never exciting. But I have always been comfortable there.”
He chuckled. “Comfortable!” he said. “Poor Harriet. I hope you feel more hungry than I do. It would suit my inclination far better to take you out onto the terrace anddraw nourishment from fresh air and moonlight and kisses,but unfortunately we are being too closely observed. Didyou know that I rarely dance?”
His words were outrageous and were spoken aloud solely to draw her blushes, Harriet supposed. But even so theymade her feel weak at the knees again. Moonlight andkisses. She could remember his kiss. He parted his lipswhen he did it. Godfrey had never done so, though he hadliked to kiss her frequently.
“Don’t you?” she said. “Don’t you enjoy dancing?”
"I enjoy it immensely when there is a lady I wish to get close to,” he said. “I even enjoy protecting her from wildtwirlers. What I do not like is being thought to be shoppingat the marriage mart. That is what balls of the Season areall about, Harriet. Is that why you are here, by the way? Butdon’t answer. You could hardly admit it if it were true,could you? I, on the other hand, will admit it. With dragging feet and the greatest reluctance I am bowing to myfamily’s anxieties this year. They believe that at the advanced age of two-and-thirty I really cannot wait anylonger to begin setting up my nursery and securing the succession. It is quite enough to make one wince, is it not?”
Harriet was blushing.
“And so,” he said, “I made my appearance here tonight to see what earls’ or dukes’ or marquesses’ daughters areavailable. I cannot go lower. My grandmother would not beable to go contentedly to her grave if I did. But I was distracted by the sight of you. I suppose I should make a determined effort after supper to do what I came here to do. Mymaternal relatives expect frequent letters and become depressed when I have nothing to report in the matrimonialline. It would cheer them no end to know that I had dancedwith an earl’s daughter at Chloe’s ball.”
Harriet had got the message. She had learned a great deal in six years. He did not have to put it into words. The interest was there as it had been before. He would single her outfor a dance as he would single out almost no other woman.He would even perhaps call on her at Amanda’s if he didnot change his mind. But she must clearly understand thenature of his interest. Of course she understood it. He hadnot needed even to hint.
“What I really want to do, Harriet,” he said, “is go home and to bed and relive in memory our waltz and that nearcollision.”
He really was shameless.
“I recall your blushes very well indeed,” he said when it became obvious that she was not going to reply. “What I donot remember, Harriet, is the slight tightening of the lipsthat goes along with them. Did you not realize six years agothat I was a rogue but realize it now?”
“Perhaps.” She looked up at him. “When do you expect to marry?”
He grimaced and then laughed. “By September,” he said. “I have promised my grandmother that it will be no laterthan that. I have also promised that by Christmas ... Butnever mind. The completion of that sentence would drawyour blushes, Harriet, but I will spare them this time.”
That by Christmas his heir would have been safely begotten. He would have married and done his duty and would be able to return to his mistresses by this time nextyear.
