“I quite agree.”
“Thank god for that.” He looped her hand through his arm as he led her across the ballroom. “Then come with me. I am determined to see you smile as much as possible tonight.”
“You are?” she asked in surprise. “That is hardly a great challenge when you can so easily make me smile.”
“Ha! Maybe not to your mind. I would still do anything to see it happen though.” He turned her toward the dancefloor just as the violinists were finishing their first tune of the night. As they struck up their second, he led her onto the floor and took up their places in the middle, never releasing her hand, even as they bowed and curtsied to her. “I intend to start by asking you to dance many times tonight.”
“Ask me to dance three times and you’ll start your guests whispering, Aaron. They will think we are betrothed.”
“Then I’ll let them whisper.” His playful words were uttered as he took hold of her, ready for the waltz to begin. With his hand resting on her waist and his other hand in hers, he could feel the way she had flinched in surprise, then her palm had warmed in his grasp.
“I have a feeling you are setting something of a riddle for me, Aaron,” she said quietly with a small smile. “Care to give me another clue as to what you are intending tonight?”
“Perhaps there is one other clue for this riddle I can offer.” As he led her into the dance, he drew her closer, whispering in her ear. “I have a question I wish to ask you later tonight.”
“A question? Are we talking of a simple question, such as where shall we go this week, Somerset House, or the Tower of London? Or is it something much more important than that?”
He laughed at her jest before turning her around one more time.
“Something much more important.”
* * *
Aaron stepped away across the ballroom, having to bend his head to bow beneath some of the lowest hanging decorations and avoid colliding with them. It was a busy room, leading him to circle the dancefloor, squeezing past young couples that were waiting to take their place in the next dance.
Remembering how Emily had felt in his arms as he danced, Aaron smiled. He knew it would not be long before he invited her back to that dancefloor this evening. He was certain to set tongues gossiping then, to dance with her so many times in one evening.
When he reached the drinks table and began to pour them punch, he grew aware of a shadow moving over the punch bowl, blocking out some of the candlelight.
“Aaron?” Jane’s voice made him still with the punch and lift his head from the glasses to meet her gaze.
“It is probably best if you call me Lord Tattershall these days, Miss Drew.” The formality felt necessary to him. Addressing her as ‘Jane’ reminded him of times past. That was a part of his life he did not wish to revisit after all.
Jane’s eyes widened as she stepped closer to him, startled by his request.
“After all that passed between us, you really wish for such a formality?” she asked quietly.
“I think it best, do you not?” he asked, dumbfounded by her surprise.
“We are too close for that,” she insisted.
“We once were. That was a long time ago.” He dismissed the idea, turning his focus back down to the punch glasses in front of him and pouring them out from the silver and enameled ladle placed in the punch bowl.
“As you wish,” Jane murmured, hanging her head a little. “I need to speak to you.”
“Now?” Aaron queried, his brow furrowing. “It is not the best time. My father will be making his toast to you and my brother soon, and I wish to return to Emily’s side.”
“It is important, Aaron.”
“Lord Tattershall,” he repeated his title through gritted teeth, waiting for her to utter the words, but she did not. She just kept staring at him, never correcting herself.
“It’s about Hugh,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder at the other guests, as if nervous of being overheard. “It’s important. If you love him at all, surely you would not deny me this now. Please, let us speak.”
Aaron felt something curdle in his chest as he lifted one of the punch glasses to his lips and took a small sip. Of course, he still loved his brother, he always had done, it is just that love had been smothered by resentment and the callousness of Hugh’s words over the last few months.
“As you wish,” Aaron gave way and turned to face Jane properly. “Speak as you wish to.”
“Not here.” She shook her head. “Come, follow me. We must be somewhere private.”
