Amelia smiled back at her mother, seeing the twinkle in her eye. “I can assure you, Mama, there is no-one who has caught my attention as yet.” As she spoke, the twinge in her heart reminded her of the Duke of Ashbourne but she ignored that without too much difficulty.
“Ah, but you have not even been in London for a fortnight!” her mother exclaimed, a teasing smile still on her lips. “Though I will still advise you against Lord Wilcox, no matter how charming he seems to be!”
Laughing, Amelia leaned into her mother. “I will, though I will be appreciative of any flowers he wishes to send me!”
“Might I have a word with you, Lady Amelia?”
Catching her breath with surprise, Amelia turned just as the looming figure of the Duke of Ashbourne stepped beside her. Lady Stanton stopped quickly, turning Amelia towards him though she herself managed to put a smile to her face.
“Your Grace, good afternoon.” Amelia bobbed a quick curtsy, aware of just how quickly her heart was pounding. “You wish to speak with me?”
“Yes, if you please.” Looking to her mother, the Duke gave a brief smile though it did not touch his eyes. “It will only be a few minutes, Lady Stanton, and I will return her to your company just as soon as the conversation is at an end. We will stand just here, if you will permit it.”
Lady Stanton cleared her throat gently, clearly a little uncertain though she looked to Amelia as though she was the one who ought to answer. Amelia blinked rapidly, her surprise still rattling through her heart as she then glanced again at the Duke.
“If my daughter is willing to stand and speak with you, then yes, I will permit it,” came the eventual reply. “Though I must ask, Your Grace, is it something of importance that you wish to speak to my daughter about?”
Again came that brief smile but again, there was no flicker of light in his eyes and Amelia’s stomach dropped.
“It is an apology I wish to make, Lady Standon,” he told her, though he did not so much as glance at Amelia as he said this. “That is all.”
“An apology?” Lady Stanton looked to Amelia but she could only lift one shoulder before letting it fall again, having very little idea as to what it was that the Duke meant to apologise for. “Then of course, Your Grace. Please, take as long as youneed.” With a lingering glance in Amelia’s direction, she gave her a small nod and then stepped away though only a very short distance.
Amelia looked up at the Duke expectantly, taking in the way his dark hair fell across his forehead, though he brushed it back carefully as if aware of her scrutiny. Lifting her eyebrows, she waited for him to speak, trying to ignore the way her heart pounded furiously.
“Thank you, Lady Amelia.” The Duke coughed though kept his gaze away from her, and the way he shifted from one foot to another, his hands clasped behind his back, made her believe that he was a little uncertain or unsure, perhaps even of himself. “As I have said to your mother, I have come here to make an apology.”
“Yes, I heard.” Amelia lifted her chin a notch. “What is it you wish to apologise for, Your Grace? From what I can see, there is no injury here.”
“Ah, but what you said of me last evening at the ball was quite true,” came the quick reply as, finally, his blue eyes settled on hers. “You spoke to me of my lack of conversation, stating that I was being somewhat rude in my unwillingness to converse. I will admit to you now, Lady Amelia, that having considered your words, I see them now to be quite true. I beg your forgiveness.”
Amelia could not prevent her mouth from dropping open such was her surprise. The Duke of Ashbourne was apologizing to her? And what was more, apologizing for something she had thrown at him? It was certainly not at all what she had expected.
“Goodness, I must truly be something of a beast if that is your reaction.” The muttered response of the Duke to her evident shock made Amelia’s heart flutter with mortification, heat pouring into her cheeks as she quickly shook her head.
“No, of course not, Your Grace, you are no beast. Though I will admit to being rather surprised at your apology.”
His eyes sought hers. “And for what reason would that be, if it is not that I am not a bit of a fiend?”
Amelia forced a smile, aware of how her blood was thrumming wildly in her veins. “It is a shock that any gentleman should listen to a lady they have only danced with on one occasion and who spoke with such sharpness to them,” she replied, aware of the heat in her face. “And I will confess to being sharp in my words and in my tone, Your Grace. Forgive me in that.”
Much to her surprise, the Duke quickly shook his head. “No, Lady Amelia, not in the least. There is no guilt upon you, no apology that you need to make. I was the one who acted poorly. I should have been willing to set aside my own preferences and make the dance all the more enjoyable for you. I should have spoken to you, I should have responded to your questions with more eagerness rather than by dismissal.”
Amelia nodded. “Yes, you should have, Your Grace,” she responded, with alacrity. “You stated that you find no purpose, no enjoyment in answering questions in that regard though might I offer another perspective?”
The Duke nodded slowly. “You may.”
“You might find yourself enjoying the dance all the more, should you begin to engage in conversation,” Amelia stated, seeing his eyebrows lift. “That is to suggest, however, that you enjoy the dance even a little in the first place!” When his eyebrows dropped and he pulled his gaze away, Amelia could not help but laugh – albeit rather ruefully. “You do not care for dancing either, then?”
“I had not danced in a long time, prior to last evening.” The Duke pushed one hand through his hair, a long hiss of breathescaping him. “It is not that I do not enjoy such things, Lady Amelia, it is only that I am not used to them.”
Amelia tilted her head, considering. The Duke of Ashbourne appeared to be speaking with nothing short of honesty and she appreciated that, she supposed. “You have not often been in society?”
“No.” He lifted his shoulders. “I have not had any desire to be so.”
“But you are in London now.”
“Yes, I am. Though I carry something of a dark reputation which, I am aware, I continually seem to spread through society given my disposition.” He rubbed at his chin. “Iamthe Beastly Duke.”
