Page 14 of A Viscount to Conspire (Sherton Sisters 2)

“I suppose you’re correct. Although, I must say, with your dance skills, Iwasquite enjoying your company.” She paused for a moment as they executed another turn. “Did you have any particular topics you’d care to discuss? Or ought I to start rambling about fashion or some such?” She interrupted herself with a small laugh. “Never mind about fashion, that’s much more your strength than mine.”

Camden laughed. “I disagree. You appear to be dressed to the height of fashion this evening. I’m pleased to see you have restrained yourself from wearing any more feathers in your hair.”

Perhaps he shouldn’t have teased her. The hot colour splashing across her cheekbones made him suspect he had hurt her feelings.

“I haven’t the first clue about fashion, in all honesty. Between my maid and themodiste, we muddle through. But I probably shouldn’t have insisted on the feathers. My sisters took me to task over that blunder, so you needn’t add to it.”

“My apologies, Lady Hilaria, I didn’t mean to take you to task. It was an ill-timed jest.”

She shrugged. “Very well. But since you are of the opinion that we ought to converse, you ought to pick the topic, as it is clearly not myforte.”

Cam smiled, pleased that she wasn’t going to remain in an ill temper. But before he had a chance to think of something, she interrupted his thoughts.

“Have you heard from your mother? I forgot to ask when you expect her to arrive.”

“We only just made our agreement this afternoon,” Cam said, frowning, a little confused. “She wouldn’t have heard any of the gossip about us just yet.”

She gazed at him with her mouth open in a small O shape. “I didn’t realize we are hoping to prompt her arrival,” she said with a small laugh that sounded a little nervous to Cam’s ears. “I thought you were already expecting her.” She took a deep breath and then nodded. “Now, I understand your desire for gossip. You want her to come running to see for herself.” She paused and nodded again. “Very well, my lord. Now, we shall begin.”

Cam didn’t expect what happened next. It was as though she turned into a different creature before him. Suddenly, she was chattering and laughing and smiling, making very little sense, but drawing the eyes of all those in the vicinity.

“Stop staring at me as though you aren’t sure who I am,” she hissed through a wide smile. “This was your idea. You need to do your part.”

Cam finally realized what she was doing and accepted the challenge. He twirled her into larger circles, drawing even more eyes to their dance. For a moment, he almost balked as he realized that nearly everyone in the ballroom was looking at them. While it was what he wanted, it didn’t feel comfortable now that it was real.

“You’re remarkably good at this for someone who hadn’t thought of such an idea before today.”

Hilaria shrugged. “I’m one of five daughters. You learn how to draw attention very early in life when you live in a crowd.”

Searching her face, Cam felt his heart go out to her. She wasn’t a bad sort, he realized. She had a complicated back story that he hadn’t known about. Suddenly, he felt compelled to know everything about her. Just as suddenly, though, he dismissed the thought. It didn’t matter why she was the way she was, he reminded himself. She was enough like his mother that it shouldn’t bother his conscience to use her in such a way. He needed to keep that thought uppermost in his mind. And she was going to benefit just as well from their arrangement.

He would be happy for her as she wed her desired duke. Cam needed to keep both their goals in mind as they continued with this charade and not get caught up in it himself.

Watching her, Cam started to realize that her smile was no longer reaching her eyes, and he became slightly concerned.

“Are you all right?”

“Of course,” she returned immediately. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Cam shrugged. Even though she wasn’t looking at him at the moment, she had obviously felt the movement. She brought her gaze back to his face with an elevated eyebrow.

“You just don’t seem to be enjoying the dance as much as you were at the beginning.”

Again, her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, but now it was her turn to shrug. “At first, the dance was just for us. Now that it’s for everyone else, it’s not quite the same.”

Cam felt an urge to apologize, but he tried to ignore it. She had agreed to this course of action, he reminded himself.

Finally, they heard the musicians bringing the waltz to a close.

“Thank you.”

They both spoke at once and then laughed.

“You are a good dancer. I’m surprised my sisters and I hadn’t noticed you before Wexford introduced us.”

Cam smiled at her praise but shook his head. “I don’t usually attend Society functions.”

“Why not? I would expect you would be quite popular with the hostesses.”

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