Page 41 of A Lady's Key to Passion

He bowed sharply, his heart thudding at the proximity to her. Resolutely, he tried to ignore it.

“Lady Jane,” he said. “You promised me a dance, and I have come to claim it.”

She looked shocked but rallied quickly. Shereallydidn’t want to dance with Crawford then. Clearly, the man was being persistent with her, not listening that she didn’t want their relationship to go beyond friendship. Percy almost felt sorry for him.

“Yes, indeed,” she said in a breathless voice, taking his proffered arm. She was going along with his lie. “I had quite forgotten.”

Percy turned to Crawford. “Sorry, old chap.”

Crawford smiled sourly. The next minute, Percy whisked her away. When they were on the dance floor, he leant down, whispering in her ear.

“Is he bothering you again?” he said, trying not to become entranced by the white skin of her neck and the scent of her perfume.

Jane frowned. “He says that he has accepted that we are just friends, but I am not sure,” she replied slowly. “I do not wish to encourage him in any way, and I feel that dancing with him would be doing that. He looked very determined and was not accepting no for an answer.”

“The man needs to listen,” said Percy, through gritted teeth as he stepped past her. “Do you want me to say something to him?”

She looked alarmed. “Heavens, no! That would just be adding tinder to the fire. I can deal with it.” She sighed heavily. “It is a delicate business, as I am trying not to lose his friendship. He will accept my decision eventually. He must.”

Percy glanced over at Crawford, who was hovering on the fringes. The man was watching them like a hawk, his face twisted in jealousy. It didn’t look like the man had accepted Jane’s decision and wouldn’t any time soon. And he could tell that Crawford knew there was something deeper between Percy and Jane that went beyond convenience. Percy knew the man sensed it like a bloodhound on the trail of a rabbit.

Jane glanced up at him as they stepped past each other. “Why did you intervene? Why did you say that I had promised you a dance?”

He tried to shrug nonchalantly. “I saw that you required assistance. It was the gentlemanly thing to do. That is all.”

It was a bald-faced lie, but how could he tell her that he was as consumed by jealousy at seeing her with Crawford as the other man was seeing them together? He must try to keep things light between them. These heavy, ugly emotions were anathema to him, and she must not become aware that he was feeling this way towards her.

She looked like she was going to say something else, then clamped her mouth shut. She seemed troubled. Percy knew that she sensed his jealousy towards Crawford, but she didn’t want to acknowledge it. She didn’t want what was between them to deepen more than it had either. She had told him that she spurned the thought of love entirely, hadn’t she?

We are of one mind about it,he thought. At least that is something.

Abruptly, the troubling thoughts of Crawford and anything else flew out of his mind, as he became aware of her as a woman again. The softness of her skin when he brushed past her. That enticing perfume. He wanted to grab her, plant his lips upon her neck and just breathe her in.

He knew she was aware of the effect she was having upon him. Her eyes dilated sharply, and he saw the enticing peaks of her nipples harden beneath the fabric of her bodice. As he brushed past her again, she shivered, goosebumps springing up on her bare arms just above her gloves.

It was as if the entire world, or at least everyone at this ball, receded into the far distance. Once again, he was assailed by the memory of the dream of her, rising like a glorious goddess from the sea. The intense sensuality of that dream had been shocking, and he still couldn’t quite shake it away. He was suddenly picturing her naked, just as she had been in the dream, imagining her body beneath her gown.

The dance ended. Or at least, he heard polite clapping, as from far away. They had stopped moving and were gazing into each other’s eyes. With a great effort, he tore his gaze away from her, bowing curtly.

“Thank you,” he said in a clipped tone.

She inclined her head, then walked away from him without saying another word.

Percy stood there watching her. His hands balled into fists at his sides. It was no good—as much as he resolved to stay away from her, he just couldn’t seem to help himself.He should never have let Freddie persuade him to stay,he thought helplessly.

***

Jane pushed her way through the crowd, not looking at anyone. She berated herself sternly. Why had she agreed to dance with him? She told herself that it had been a good excuse to avoid Charles. But the reality was it was like she had traded dancing with a wasp, to dancing with a scorpion. She was in far more danger from the Earl than her friend.

Gratefully, she sank down into a seat next to the other wallflowers. Fervently, she wished she could just go back to the days when she was happily ensconced in their ranks. Now, she had two suitors pulling at her from either side like a ragdoll. She would be lucky if they didn’t tear her apart between them.

She fanned herself, looking around absently. Matilda was dancing with the Earl’s friend, yet again. Colonel Morland looked entranced by her friend, and Matilda seemed equally enamoured. Jane smiled slowly. It really appeared like they were genuinely fond of each other. She must make a point to ask Matilda all about it when she got the chance. Was an engagement in the air?

But then all thoughts of Matilda and the Colonel flew out of her mind as she spied another couple on the dance floor. Jane shook her head incredulously. Charles was dancing with Beatrice Prescott, of all people. And the odd thing was they seemed to be enjoying themselves. They were whispering together as they passed each other in the dance, looking strangely intimate.

It was most odd indeed, for she knew that Charles was contemptuous of Beatrice. He had never liked her. Jane had thought it odd when they had been talking the night of the dinner party when her friend had declared his love for her, but Charles had had an explanation. There was no real explanation as to why he was acting intimately towards Beatrice this time, though.

Jane shifted uneasily on the chair. What was going on?

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