Lady Stanton laughed though the sound was a little forced. “Your Grace! Of course, my daughters would be delighted to stand up with you.”
“Of course,” Amelia murmured, as Charlotte did the same. The truth was – though the Duke was entirely unaware of her feelings, of course – she felt herself rather nervous at the thought of dancing with him, though at the same time, a littleexcited. A sudden recollection of how his hand had felt on hers flew right back into her mind and she caught her breath suddenly, turning her face away so that no-one would catch the way her face flushed.
This was the most extraordinary feeling to be having and try as she might, Amelia could not seem to rid herself of it. What was it about this Beastly Duke that so intrigued her? The man was of a sour disposition, his expressions always dark and his welcome to her less than warm and yet, for whatever reason, her interest in him was continuing to burgeon.
“The quadrille, Lady Amelia.” Lord Highcroft smiled and then handed the card to his brother, though he did not even glance at him as he did so. “And Lady Charlotte, might I take the country dance?”
“I would be very glad if you did, my lord,” Charlotte replied, as Amelia looked back steadily at the Duke of Ashbourne, wondering what it was that he intended to take fromherdance card. She had not yet been granted permission to waltz so it could not be that… though the thought of dancing with the Duke, of finding herself close to him was a rather absorbing thought.
“Then I shall take the country dance for Lady Amelia,” the Duke intoned, sounding less than interested in standing up with her even though he had been the one to ask it. “And then Lady Charlotte, the quadrille. That way, my brother and I will dance with each of you in turn.”
“A capital idea!” Lady Ashbourne looked absolutely delighted and despite her strange considerations of the Duke of Ashbourne, Amelia could not help but smile in return. “Now, Lady Amelia, you must go and speak to as many of these acquaintances as you can – and make as manynewacquaintances as you wish! Now that you have both the Marquess of Highcroft and the Duke of Ashbourne on your dance card, society will certainly take notice of you – as wellthey should! A beautiful, charming lady such as yourself ought to have all of society looking upon her. I am sure that many a gentleman will be glad to have his name upon your dance card.”
“You are very kind, Lady Ashbourne.” Seeing the Duke handing her back the dance card, Amelia reached out to take it, only to pull her hand back as their fingers brushed. It was as though she had been scalded, as though some red, hot heat had burned through her and the shock of it made her drop the dance card completely.
The Duke cleared his throat and then quickly bent to pick it up. “Do excuse me.” The second time he held it out to her, Amelia – though already embarrassed – took it by the ribbon so she would not risk touching his fingers again and then slipped it upon her wrist.
A quick glance around the group told her that no-one else had noticed her reaction and, thus relieved, she let out a slow breath of relief.
“I look forward to our dance, Your Grace. And to yours also, Lord Highcroft.” Charlotte bobbed her head and Amelia did the same before being taken from their company and led away to meet yet more acquaintances – though Amelia could not help but glance over her shoulder to once more look to the Duke… though he himself had already turned away.
***
“There is not much time for conversation during the quadrille, I am afraid.” Amelia tried to smile, tried to speak as her heart thudded lightly – both from exertion and from the anxiousness which filled her at being in the Duke of Ashbourne’s company. “Though there can still be a little.”
The Duke sniffed and turned away as the steps led them through the dance. When they were next able to speak, his blueeyes caught hers for a moment and then looked away from her again.
Amelia’s spirits sank. The Duke either regretted offering to dance with her or he was only doing so out of obligation. Mayhap his mother had urged him to do so. Mayhap since his brother was to do so, he felt himself compelled to do the same. Either way, he did not seem to be at all interested in conversing with her.
I was foolish to find myself intrigued by this gentleman,she told herself as they continued to dance in silence.I shall dismiss him from my thoughts and vow not to ponder upon his existence any further.
The dance continued and though Amelia tried again to make conversation, the Duke of Ashbourne responded only with a few brief words or with merely a nod. When it came to a close, he stepped back, bowed and then offered her his arm without a word, ready to take her back to her mother.
“I do not enjoy dancing… or conversing with banality, Lady Amelia,” he said, making her head lift sharply, his words piercing her as thoughshehad been somehow foolish in attempting to speak with him. “Mayhap you ought to tell your sister that so that she does not have the same expectations as you.”
Heat burned a line up Amelia’s spine, her face growing hot as anger tightened her core. “Your Grace, it is expected for a gentleman and lady to converse where possible. I do not think it wrong to have such expectations. Rather, I think it rude that a gentleman refuses to do so!”
“Is that so?” the Duke responded, mildly, sniffing and turning his head away. He said nothing more, not until he had brought her back to her mother. With a nod, the Duke released her arm and without so much as a final glance in her direction, turned on his heel and walked away.
Chapter Eight
“Lady Charlotte and Lady Amelia are both very pleasant, are they not?”
Nathanial looked at his brother, trying to ascertain if he meant anything more in expressing that aloud, though William merely smiled and continued his way across the room. Was it just Nathanial’s eyes or was William’s limp a little more pronounced today?
Nathanial’s stomach twisted. As glad as he was to be in his brother’s company again, there was always that awareness of his brother’s injury and with that awareness, a renewing of Nathanial’s guilt.
“Yes, it is a little worse today but that is only because I danced very often last evening.”
Jerking in surprise, Nathanial’s gaze flew up to his brother’s face but William was smiling gently, his shoulders lifting.
“I can see you looking at me and I know that you continually are filled with concern, though I wish you would not worry,” he told Nathanial quietly. “I am quite well and, as you can see, more than able to walk and dance as required.”
“Though it costs you.”
William chuckled. “I do not see that as a particular difficulty, brother. Dancing with various pretty young ladies is well worth the pain that might follow thereafter!”
Nathanial swallowed, not smiling. “I wish that I had never brought about this situation with your leg.”
