“It was a friendly warning,” he told her as she moved around him in a box step.
“Well, I have no intention of traveling so far,” she replied. “I have never liked the water, so I would be utterly useless aboard a ship. I do believe I would go quite mad, trapped in such a thing, unable to leave it for weeks on end. No, thank you.”
Daniel shrugged. “There are rewards in life for those who are courageous.”
“I shall leave the courage to others. My only dream for my life is to have as much fun as possible!” She came back to stand in front of him, dipping into an elegant curtsy, while he dipped into a respectful bow, as the orchestra slowed the music to a close, ending the dance.
Rising up from her curtsy, Joanna clapped her hands together, her cheeks rosy, her eyes bright. “That was glorious, My Lord. I do not suppose I can tempt you to share another dance?”
“I think not,” Daniel replied. “I ought to return you to your mother or father before they chastise me for dancing without an introduction first.”
Joanna eyed him with something like disappointment. “You did not enjoy yourself?”
“I did not say that, but Idohave a reputation to uphold,” he replied, offering her his hand.
All around, young ladies gasped and whispered, envious eyes burning into the pair. It was a sensation that Daniel had learned to ignore in the last few months, after returning from what would be his final stretch of travels for a while. After all, according to the scandal sheets, he was the most eligible bachelor in England.
He did not know about that, but he supposed that his fortune did make him something of a “catch” for Society’s unmarried ladies.
“A reputation as a heroic gentleman who saved a damsel from a cruel, twisted goblin of a man?” Joanna teased, taking his proffered hand and casting smug glances at the gossiping ladies nearby.
Daniel chuckled. “Lord Blackstoneiseccentric, I shall grant you that.” He paused. “Now, where may I find your mother or father? Or are you here with a chaperone? Whoever they are, you must point them out.”
“My mother is dead,” Joanna said so casually that it jarred Daniel for a moment. “My father will be asleep in the smoking room, I expect, and my chaperone—well, that would be my sister, though she cannot truly be considered a chaperone, as she is desperately unwed. Still, she is who you should return me to.”
Daniel’s head spun, for the young lady spoke so quickly that his ears struggled to keep up. “Where might she be?”
“Over there.” Joanna gestured to a familiar group of women. “Heaven help me, she does not look happy. I suppose I should not be surprised—she never looks happy. I do not think her face is capable of a smile.”
Daniel’s stomach sank, his gaze resting on a woman in an elegant gown of jade green. She was not smiling, that much was true, nor had she ever seemed happy whenever she and Daniel had encountered one another in the past. Usually, because he kept spilling things on her and ruining her gowns. It was not his intention, but whenever they were in the same room together, he always seemed to do something to upset her, a clumsiness taking over him that was not at all part of his nature. He could still hear her first, chilling scream the first time he had ever crossed paths with her.
Yet, at a safe distance, where he was at no risk of angering her, there was no denying that she was the most beautiful woman in the room. Hair the color and shine of mahogany, the curls coiled up in a bun studded with wildflowers. Eyes like a summer sky at dusk, forever burning with fury at him. Her every movement was the epitome of grace, her willowy figure like that of a ballerina, which made his clumsiness in her presence all the more apparent.
“Which one is your sister?” Daniel asked hopefully, praying it was not Phoebe.
Joanna raised an eyebrow. “The crosspatch in green.”
“Of course,” Daniel mumbled, steeling himself. “Very well, allow me to return you from whence you came.”
“I cannot persuade you to indulge me in one more tiny, minuscule little dance?” she pleaded.
Daniel shook his head, even more determined to take Joanna back to her chaperone. “You cannot, I apologize.”
Of all the gentlemen at the ball, he imagined that he was the very last one that Phoebe would want to see her sister dancing with, if only for the sake of Joanna’s gown.
Already nervous, and grateful that he did not have any sort of beverage in his hand, he led Joanna through the guests to where Phoebe stood with two of the infamous Spinsters’ Club. Their names evaded him, and all his mind could conjure instead was, “the tall, scary one who loathes men, and the small, shy one who resembles a fairy.”
Where the devil are Evan and Nathaniel?
He cursed inwardly, for they would, at least, have provided a bulwark between him and Phoebe.
“Ladies,” he said by way of greeting. “I apologize for keeping Miss Wilson from you for so long, but, as you can see, she is in one piece.” He could feel the searing heat of Phoebe’s glare before he even met her gaze.
“You?” she said coldly, her address forcing him to look at her.
He put on a smile. “I did not know that this young lady was your sister, but I assure you, I have taken the utmost care with her.”
“You know my sister?” Joanna seemed unpleasantly surprised.
