It was, of course, quite suited to the work she did, but why she was wearing it now was a mystery, for she was not working. Instead, she was standing close to the center of the room, reading a letter.
“If you begin to avoid working during the day as well as the evenings, Miss Wade, I shall have made a very bad bargain,” he said as he entered the room. He watched her look up, and the almost frantic expression on her usually impassive face brought him to an abrupt halt several feet away from her. “What’s amiss?” he asked.
“I have here a letter from your sister.”
“And how is a letter from Viola making you look as if Doomsday is upon us?”
“I had written to her explaining that I am remaining here until December first.”
“And?”
“She says that though London is rather dull in December, she has heard that the Marquess of Covington intends to give a ball at his home there on December 31, in honor of his grandmother’s seventy-fifth birthday, and she will be sure I am included in the invitation.”
“And?”
She turned away without replying and walked to the window. “I had forgotten all about dancing when I agreed to stay two more months,” she muttered as if to herself. “What was I thinking? I could always say no to the Covington ball, I suppose, but I cannot say no to every ball.”
“Miss Wade, I am all at sea. Why should a ball be cause for such distress? I thought you wanted the amusements of good society.”
She looked at him as if he were the densest of creatures. “I don’t know how to dance!”
“Ah.” His gaze followed her as she paced to the other side of the room. “You have quite a problem. Moving in society will be difficult enough when you have not been raised in it. Dancing, I am afraid, is de rigeur for all young ladies.”
She groaned.
“You could always stay here,” he could not resist pointing out.
“Of course that is what you would say. You are quite pleased about my distress, I am sure. Which is why Lady Hammond’s suggestion is so preposterous.”
“Suggestion? What suggestion?”
Daphne held up the letter in her hand and began to read from it. “ ‘If we are to see you begin moving in society, you must learn to dance, dear Daphne. I realize that attending dance lessons with the little girls on Saturday mornings at the assembly rooms in Wychwood might be a bit awkward for you. Please consider my well-meant advice and ask my brother for assistance. Though he does not often go to balls nowadays, he is an excellent dancer. I am certain he would not be so ungracious that he would refuse to teach you the waltz and a few quadrilles.’” She looked up, making a sound of disbelief rather like a sneezing kitten. “As if you would agree to teach me anything.”
Anthony saw nothing silly about it at all. In fact, he thought the suggestion an excellent one and quite in keeping with his own intentions. Here was a way to keep Daphne at Tremore Hall a bit longer, a way that was fair and beneficial to both of them. He began to smile.
She pounced on his pleased expression at once. “You see?” she said, pointing at him with the letter in an accusing fashion. “My ignorance of these matters and the possible consequence of my being a social failure no doubt fill you with overwhelming glee. I am sure you are looking forward to watching me make the most complete fool of myself on a ballroom floor, thinking disgrace will force me back here to finish your artifacts.”
“Do not think so ill of me as that. I would like you to finish your work here because you choose to do so, not because you were forced to it.”
She folded the letter and put it in the pocket of her apron. “I do not believe you.”
“With the amount of power and influence I possess, if I wanted to force you to remain here until my villa was completely finished, I could do so, baron’s granddaughter or no. I have many faults, Miss Wade, but taking pleasure in someone’s social embarrassments is not among them. You have already expressed your dislike of me quite frankly. Do not go on to impugn my honor as a gentleman.”
She looked away, then back again. “I did not mean to insult you. However I cannot help but question your motives.”
No one had questioned Anthony’s motives since he had become a duke at the age of twelve, and he seldom felt the need to explain them. In this case, however, he knew it was important that he do so.
“I mean what I say, Miss Wade. You intend to leave, and I intend to do all I can to persuade you to stay, but I am a man of honor. If I cannot succeed in my objective by fair and honest means, I would prefer to fail, even if my museum is delayed indefinitely as a result.” As he spoke, Anthony saw a perfect opportunity to further that objective, and he went on, “In light of your distrust, I should like to prove it to you.”
“How?”
“Contrary to your low opinion of me, I have no desire to see you disgraced, and I should be happy to adopt Viola’s suggestion and teach you to dance.” Before she could get over her astonishment enough to reply, he added, “In exchange for more of your time here, of course.”
“Hmm. I don’t suppose you could simply offer to do this without expecting something in return, could you?”
“No. But you must admit I am not making any attempt to deceive you.”
“How honorable of you.” She looked up at him, her arms folded, her head tilted to one side. “How many dances?” she asked in a brisk, no-nonsense fashion. “How much time?”
