“Oh, it is rather fortuitous that you did so, Your Grace,” Lady Elaine spoke up. “I was thoroughly unprepared to remain on my feet for such a long time and I am already longing for a respite. I am not certain whether I can handle another dance any time soon.”
“Marvelous,” he purred, grinning. “You might even share with me that deep, dark secret of yours while we rest.”
“I believed I had already done so.”
“Would you have me believe that your admission of not enjoying this ball qualifies as a secret? I must confess, this leaves my intelligence feeling somewhat affronted, my lady.”
“Not at all, Your Grace,” she replied with poise. “I merely wish for you to understand that I shall not be making any further confessions or revealing any secrets this evening.”
“Mayhap upon the morrow, then? Should I call upon you?”
Her cheeks went red again. “And if I were to decline?”
“Then, I fear, you shall miss the pleasure of my delightful company.”
“I believe I shall survive quite well, even without it.”
Michael put a hand to his heart, feigning distress. “You wound me, my lady. And here I thought we had begun to build a rapport.”
“Oh, we most certainly have, Your Grace. But you see, there is one more challenge you must overcome.”
“I am being challenged? I was not aware of this.”
“Neither did I know I was challenging you, but it appears that I am.”
Michael was intrigued. He couldn’t recall when he had stopped considering his next words and simply fallen into the conversation. He studied her sparkling green eyes as he inquired, “What is the next challenge?”
Lady Elaine smiled, then looked at her aunt. Lady Abney, who had been looking between the two of them with rapt fascination, caught her niece’s eyes and frowned. “Elaine, you would not dare.”
“Aunt Lorna, have you seen Ja—”
She broke off as her aunt caught her by the hand, hauling Lady Elaine to her side. “I think I see Lord Penly looking for you, Elaine. We mustn’t keep him waiting. He did tell me that he is rather smitten with you, after all.”
“Lord Penly?” Lady Elaine sounded bemused.
“Yes, the tall, handsome, wealthy lord who hung on to your every word. I’m sure you recall him. Your Grace, it was nice meeting you. I hope we see each other again during dinner.”
Lady Abney barely gave Lady Elaine the chance to say her farewells before she was dragged off to his Lord Penly. Michael watched them go, feeling…odd.
He’d succeeded, after all. The plan for tonight was to meet her and lay the foundation in order to get close to her. And by all measures, it had gone well. She seemed to like him well enough that she just might open up to him the next time they spoke.
And yet, watching her leave him behind to seek the company of another gentleman left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Michael shook the feeling away, not bothering to question what it was. All he knew was that it was invasive and he had to focus. The night was far from over and he still had much work to do.
But for now, he would leave her be. A part of him wanted to trail after her, not willing to give up on their earlier conversation just yet. But he quelled that insane urge and turned in the opposite direction instead.
“Your Grace.”
The Marquess of Grovington slid into his path. He was a hard gentleman to miss. His presence commanded attention, his power amongst the Ton and within the House of Lords wasnearly unmatched. Even though Michael had never been properly introduced to him, he knew of the marquess as much as anyone else did.
However, he hadn’t known that Lord Grovington had a daughter of marriageable age. And judging by the way she batted her eyelashes at him and smiled softly, Michael could already tell where their sights had been set.
“My lord,” he greeted, keeping it simple. He didn’t want this to drag on for longer than he needed it to.
“I believe I have not had the opportunity to congratulate you on your title,” Lord Grovington said, his whiskered cheeks moving as he spoke. “Though I am afraid I may be a few years too late.”
Michael tried not to sneer at that. He never liked hearing those words. He’d only received the title because of his father’s death, after all. And death was never something to be congratulated on.
