That finally satisfied him. “Good, because I needn’t tell you what will happen if you act out tonight. Father is well-connected and he will surely hear of anything you’ve done.”
“I’m well aware that our dear Father has his ear to the ground. But enough about me.” Jovially, William clapped Christopher on his shoulder. “I’m sure you’re looking forward to finally being able to ask Lady Emma for a dance.”
Christopher nodded, a look of determination coming over his face. “I do not intend to allow the opportunity pass me,” he declared.
“As you shouldn’t! I’m sure you can already picture it. A lovely lady, pressed against your chest, swaying to the romantic tune drifting through the room—”
“Don’t take it any further than that,” Christopher warned in a low voice.
William chuckled. “Very well, very well. I shan’t burn your ears, Brother.”
He almost laughed again when he noticed how tense Christopher was, as if he truly was anxious about asking Lady Emma to dance. It was a bit sweet, William had to admit. Christopher had never really set his eyes on anyone before, so to see him become so nervous at the thought of seeing Lady Emma warmed his heart.
What William felt was excitement. Knowing that Lady Alice would be attending as well, that she would erect those cold walls between them without hesitation and ignore his presence, filled him with a strange sense of longing, unlike anything he’d ever felt before. He remembered when they’d first met, when he’d watch her and her sister descend the staircase and the spark of amazement that had flashed across her face before she’d settled into the aloof lady he knew. The memory made him smile.
But when they came to the top of the staircase, his smile was wiped from his face. Lady Alice stood by the front doors, smiling at her sister while Lady Emma talked animatedly. The Duke of Warington stood by as well, the three of them so engaged in their conversation that they didn’t notice William and Christopher coming toward them.
William used that as his chance to study Lady Alice, his heart racing at the sight of her. She wore a lilac evening gown, gloves the barest shade of white pulled up to her elbow. Her hair had been styled onto the top of her head and she wore a simple headdress with a small feather protruding from the side. The addition was understated and yet, without any effort, she became so much more beautiful that William, for a moment, doubted his very eyes.
It doesn’t make sense, he thought, trying to bring himself together and failing miserably,for one lady to be so enchanting and yet…
As if she’d heard his thoughts, Lady Alice looked up at him. Her smile slid from her face and she coolly looked away. Noticing her shift in mood, Lady Emma and the Duke turned to see William and Christopher’s approach.
Not to William’s surprise, Lady Emma’s eyes slid uninterestedly over him and rested on Christopher. She looked just as lovely, wearing a mint-green gown and a shawl around her shoulders. She too wore a headdress, but one that boasted a few more feathers than Lady Alice’s.
William returned his attention back to Lady Alice, even as her father began to speak. She was turning away, accepting a fan from a maid William hadn’t noticed standing nearby.
“Are we all ready then?” the Duke was asking.
“Yes,” Christopher responded, a bit breathless. William glanced at him and caught him visibly trying to collect himself. “Yes, Your Grace,” he said again. “Please, lead the way.”
The Duke nodded and gestured for them to follow. The butler—who William also hadn’t notice standing nearby—opened the door for them and they all exited the foyer, heading toward the carriage that stood waiting in the driveway. William didn’t miss the fact that Lady Alice made sure to position herself before him, not looking at him once.
He didn’t mind. He was still trying to recover from the sight of her. The radiance of her beauty stalled his mind and for a few moments, all he wanted was to see her smiling again. No well-curated, charming words came to his mind, none of his usual methods of bewitching young ladies.
He only wished she would turn to him and smile.
The Duke’s steps faltered and he touched Lady Alice on the arm. Lady Alice paused at her father’s touch and William was forced to walk passed her, continuing on to the carriage. He resisted the urge to look back and instead, kept going until he was seated inside. Then, he glanced out the still open door, watching as the Duke spoke to Lady Alice in a hushed tone. The indifference in her eyes made William’s insides twist.
The two broke apart upon reaching the carriage and they filed in as well. Lady Alice sat between her sister and father but that didn’t stop her from staring out the window, ignoring William’s obvious stare.
For the first time, William felt a little uneasy. So far, he’d been driven by how uninterested she was in him, hoping to have a little fun and to see just how long it would take before she inevitably fell for him.
But now, he was hoping for something a little different and the fact that she wouldn’t budge…well, William didn’t feel like smiling this time.
Chapter 6
Alice wasn’t sure she had it within her to pretend Lord Erlington wasn’t sitting across from her any longer. The entire ride to Lord Brownley’s estate, which wasn’t very far, was filled with polite and eager conversation, mainly between Emma, Lord Christopher, and the Duke. They would pull her and Lord Erlington into whatever discussion they were having a few times, but Alice’s attention never lasted long on it. Every ounce of it was directed toward the man who would not take his eyes from her.
I suppose this is simply another one of his methods to making a lady fall in love with him. He must think my heart is fluttering right this moment and that I’m struggling to keep from looking at him.
It pained her to know that this was truly the case.
But she wouldn’t let Lord Erlington know, she promised herself. She would maintain her composure, act as if he wasn’t even in the carriage, even though she could feel the weight of his eyes boring into her.
‘Ignore the Marquess’ dubious reputation, Alice’, her father had said earlier when he’d pulled her aside. ‘I know Lord Erlington’s Father quite well and I am most certain that, underneath his behavior, is a man worth respecting’.
Well, I fail to see how I can respect a man who will stare so blatantly at me even though my Father is sitting right across from him.
