Still, when Kenneth turned to her, he saw kindness in her eyes. No, this young lady would not cause their charade to fall apart. She adored Joanna too much, that much he could tell just by looking at her.
For a split second, darkness cloaked his heart as thoughts of Edward surfaced. They had been like this, inseparable and united in all things, despite their age difference.
A lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed hard past it.
“Are you dancing?” Joanna asked him then, drawing him from his troubled thoughts.
“I am. Would you care to?” He offered her his arm, and she took it at once. “Though, I do not think they play the waltz here.”
“A shame,” she said and giggled before nodding at her sisters, who remained on the edge of the dancefloor.
“Do they dance?” he asked as they walked side by side.
A hint of her orange and vanilla perfume tickled his nose, and he noted how perfectly this matched her personality. Sweet yet spicy.
“Rosy will dance every dance if she can. Sally has not been here for some time due to a foot injury, but I think she will also dance,” she replied as they stood across from one another and waited for the music to begin.
“I should warn you, I have not danced yet this Season. I may have forgotten how,” Joanna said quietly.
Kenneth raised his eyebrows in mock shock. “Not once?”
“Well, I danced in the drawing room with Rudy in my arms, but he was a willing partner and did not need to worry about me stepping on his paws.”
Kenneth inadvertently let out a deep laugh. “I am forewarned and will thus guard my toes,” he replied.
Then, the musicians struck the first notes of a cotillion, and he placed his hands on her, enjoying the sensation of holding her more than he was willing to admit. He had to remind himself again of their agreement. No falling in love…
Why was that so hard?
He knew he had to distract himself, and thus as they moved in rhythm with the music, he changed the topic to something more serious.
“I wanted to tell you once again that I’m truly grateful that you didn’t let my behavior ruin our arrangement,” Kenneth admitted, a sincere expression on his face.
Joanna, her gown swirling with each spin, flashed him a warm smile. “It is as I said, I understand. My father and I have a great many disagreements, though most of them are conducted with as few words as possible and communicated through glares and assorted grunts on his part,” she said with a laugh, and Kenneth couldn’t help but smile. She managed to make him smile even during somber moments. “There are times when I wish I could raise my voice at home, but I know it would not be right. I rely on him, after all.”
“He can be difficult. I have experienced this myself with regard to the charity,” Kenneth relented.
It occurred to him that he had still not received the promised funds from the Earl for the new schoolhouse. The thought to ask Joanna about this crossed his mind, but he dismissed it. She was a volunteer, unlikely to know much about her father’s activities.
“Yes, he can be,” she said with a grimace. “That is why he and I pretend to be civil to one another.” She looked up at him, her head tilted to the side. “What you said to your mother at dinner, is it true? She and your father did not get along?”
Kenneth took a deep breath. “It is. Theirs was an arranged marriage, and they were ill-suited. Their marriage was always difficult, but when I was young, I thought it normal. I only truly noticed the deep dislike they held for each other when I grew up.” He gulped. “I believe my older brother’s passing only added to the divide between them. Anyhow,” he said quickly before she could ask anything more. “That is in part why I am so glad we have found one another—so I might escape that fate.”
Her eyes narrowed as if she sought to dissect his statement, but then she noted, “So, she did what my father likes to do. She wore a mask for my benefit”
“It is what she does—what many people do. I must say, people wearing masks, hiding behind illusions… it’s a terrible thing. Authenticity is rare these days,” Kenneth said as the dance’s coordinated steps took them across the dancefloor.
A mischievous twinkle appeared in Joanna’s eyes then, and she leaned closer, her voice low. “Yet, aren’t we guilty of it as well? Playing our roles for Society’s stage? At this very moment, everyone who looks at us sees what we want them to see. In a way, you and I are the king and queen of deception.”
Kenneth grinned in response. “Indeed, we are. A questionable achievement, some might say.”
“But an achievement nonetheless,” she quipped, and they burst into laughter. “I am glad we have been so successful. I trust you saw the article in theLondon Caller?”
Kenneth frowned at once. “TheLondon Caller? No. Pray, enlighten me.”
“We are on the front page of the scandal sheet, although we did not quite make the top of the page, as that was reserved for Lord Byron and one of his latest exploits. But they wrote about us.” She cleared her throat. “The sometimes elusive Duke of W. and the Earl of C.’s reserved middle daughter are the ton’s newest couple. The latest on dit is that an official betrothal is imminent after they were seen having an intimate conversation at the opera. I memorized it.” She chuckled.
“Well, we are successful, then. The king and queen, indeed. We will have them believing we are getting married soon enough,” he said, but as he spoke the words, he felt once more that things were not so simple. Not anymore.