What was happening? There was no revulsion, no fear, no disgust that came from this woman’s touch. Even when he’d worn his gloves, he’d still revolt against the gentlest prodding of others. And yet here he was, with naked hands, skin to skin with this young lady—and the only thing he wanted was more.

He drew back slowly from the kiss, as if dazed, and looked up at her. Her beautiful blue eyes, once filled with shock and hurt, looked down at him with sultry curiosity. As if she, too, was trying to figure out what was happening.

“Your Grace,” she breathed, “this—I am so sorry for making you stumble, but this was not my intention.”

“Who are you?” he asked in a mystified tone.

“A clumsy dolt,” she replied with quickness, still frozen directly atop him. Her answer made him smile—the first genuine one he’d felt in a long time.

“You most certainly are not,” he murmured back, unable to help himself from stroking his naked fingers over her cheek once more. Again, no numbness but that sweet tingling he was beginning to enjoy.

“Please, tell me your name,” Nathaniel implored.

The young lady’s eyes seemed to search his face as she allowed his fingertips to stroke her cheek, and she finally gave him a small smile in return.

“My name is Miss Grace Rowley,” she whispered.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Rowley,” Nathaniel replied, their eyes locked.

They were both in such a trance that neither seemed to hear the approaching footsteps from the hallway. In fact, it wasn’t until the door opened, and they both heard collective gasps from their guests that they turned from one another’s gaze and looked up at their visitors. There, in front of him, was his Aunt Tabitha, Miss Asherton, another young lady he’d forgotten a name for, and another older woman like his Aunt Tabitha, staring down at them in shock.

The other older lady, who quite resembled Miss Rowley, whispered “Grace Elizabeth Rowley” in a deadly tone, and at once the young lady was scrambling off his chest, moving away from him as fast as possible. Understanding dawned on him as he looked at the small crowd of angry women around him, and he too quickly moved to his feet.

“This is not what it looks like,” he and Grace both said in unison, pointing at one another.

“You snake!” Miss Asherton hissed, glaring at Grace. “Your family will do anything to get what they want, won’t they?”

“I beg your pardon?” Lady Rowley demanded as Grace immediately began to argue with Miss Asherton.

“Please, no, this is a misunderstanding,” Grace pled as Nathaniel’s Aunt Tabitha began to talk over the other ladies, demanding to know what he had done.

“Everyone, please,” Nathaniel spoke in a commanding voice as more people appeared in the doorway, “this is not what it looks like. I had tripped, and Miss Rowley attempted to save me, but I was too heavy and brought her down with me; that is all.”

“That doesn’t explain why the two of you were alone in here in the first place,” Aunt Tabitha replied in a fevered whisper. “I know we just agreed that you would adjust your manners towards women, but this is not what I intended!”

“Please, everyone,” Grace pleaded as more people filled the room. “We can explain if you just give us a chance! Please, we weren’t doing anything. I don’t even know this gentleman!”

“You will not say another word,” Susan hissed, moving with lightning speed to snatch at Grace’s wrist.

Instinctively, Nathaniel took a step toward them, his hands reaching out as if to calm the situation. It was only then that he realized that his gloves were still outside on the balcony. He highly doubted that what had just happened between him and Grace would happen with another touching him, so he quickly burrowed them into his pockets.

“Please, as Lady Rowley said, this is all just a big misunderstanding,” he urged. But it was obviously too late. As he looked up at the small gathering of nobles drawn to the commotion, he realized that no matter what either of them said now, it wouldn’t be believed.

“We must leave at once,” he heard Grace’s mother say as she began to lead her out of the room. Nathaniel could hear Grace’s soft pleading as they left the room, and he felt his heart wrench. What had he done?

He looked up at his Aunt Tabitha, her glaring eyes cruel as they were left alone together once more in the room.

“Nathaniel,” she whispered, “what have you done?”

Clenching his jaw, he strode past her, back toward the doors, and marched toward the balcony.

“Are you listening to me?” she asked, her voice growing louder as she began to follow him.

Nathaniel ignored her once more, focused more on finding his gloves than anything else. His heart hammered loudly as his eyes searched the balcony, looking for where he’d left them. His symptoms had stayed away while he was alone with Grace, but now they were hitting him full force, stealing every thought and every breath from him.

Panic began to fill him as he searched where he left his gloves, and just as he thought he couldn’t breathe anymore, he found them, knocked over by the wind and lying on the balcony floor. With shaking hands, he picked them up and quickly pulled them on. As soon as they were fitted, his lungs could pull in fresh air, and his heartbeat began to slow. He took in a ragged breath and leaned heavily against the railing of the balcony.

“Nathaniel James Voss, I am talking to—” Aunt Tabitha closed the space between them and put her hand on his shoulder. At her touch, he spun around violently, eyes blazing with fury, and put a finger up at her.