“Lady Patroness at Almack’s perhaps, since you pride yourself on your connections.”
At this, a genuine laugh escaped him. She had a true sense of humor, this young lady. Still, he needed to address the matter at hand.
“I shall consider your suggestion. Now, I can see you are witty and strong-willed, but I must say, if what I saw back there was any indication, you are not as skilled at making civil whiskers as you might have thought. Regardless of whether I was a little hasty in my quest to introduce you or not.”
“Your Grace is awful for speaking to a lady in such a manner.” She puckered her lips in an adorable yet petulant manner.
Aaron’s expression softened. “I didn’t mean to offend you. I only want to help. I know you want to find a husband.”
Judith crossed her arms, her stance defiant. “I appreciate your concern, but I don’t need your help.”
He took a step closer, his tone more serious. “I beg to differ. Your brother will take matters into his own hands when he returns. Would it not be preferable if I helped you learn how to be charming and find a husband, so you can succeed before he returns? For, I dare say, Oliver is a great many things, but a matchmaker is not one of them. You’d have to agree to follow my orders on the matter, of course.”
The idea of her brother making a match for her seemed to sufficiently disturb her, for her eyes went wide and her nostrils flared.
“You want me to follow your orders?” she asked, skeptical. “That seems rather demanding, Your Grace.”
“I shall not demand that you do anything you do not wish to do, but I know a great many people, and I can make introductions. And I am rather well known for my charms, and you could benefit from that.”
He knew he sounded high in the instep, but the fact of the matter was that he was right. He had a reputation for being charming—and for being hard to charm himself. It would do her good to pay attention.
She pursed her lips, considering his point. “Very well. But know this—I’m agreeing to this only because it serves my purpose, not because I particularly enjoy your company.”
Aaron grinned. “Finally, something we can agree upon. Now, do you have a voucher for Almack’s?”
She rolled her eyes. “Of course, I do.”
“Good, as do I. In fact, one of my aunts is a Lady Patroness,” he revealed and grinned at her. “So, I propose that the two of us go to Almack’s tomorrow. I will ensure every gentleman will wantto dance with you. We will fill up your dance card. I guarantee, your feet will hurt by the end of the night.”
She sighed, more resigned than anything else. “I suppose we could do that. But I ought to warn you, I have not danced in a very long time,” she said with a small shrug.
“Well then, I suppose the first dance shall have to go to me, won’t it? I assure you, my toes are made of steel, so you can step on them as many times as you need,” he assured her, suddenly determined to make her feel more comfortable, so the entire evening did not end in disaster.
The last thing he needed was for her to run out of Almack’s as she had just done.
She flashed him a small smile, but something about her gave him pause. She’d spoken with her shoulders pulled back and her head held high, but there was something different about her. She appeared defeated, though she did her best not to show it. Alas, it was written in her eyes and the corners of her lips, which were downturned.
A part of him felt badly for the position she was in. Sometimes, in his desire to be rid of this responsibility, he forgot that in the end, she was just a young woman who’d lost her father and whose brother had given her over to the care of someone who might as well have been a stranger.
She might grate on his nerves and fight him at every turn, but there was something about her that touched him, for he’d seenthat beyond her independence, there was a vulnerable young woman. And that tenderness and uncertainty made him want to protect her—a feeling he’d never expected until this very moment.
CHAPTER 5
Aaron looked after her as she rejoined her friend, feeling entirely less certain of his role in her life. He’d been tasked with a job he hadn’t wanted, found Judith rather irritating when they met again, but now found himself at a crossroads.
He’d taken quite a lot of joy out of teasing and exposing her a little, but her reaction had shaken him. Had he taken things too far? Their banter and her biting replies to his challenges had given him the impression she was rather a fiery, steely young woman, but there was a vulnerability there he hadn’t expected. Perhaps he’d have to approach their time together with a little less bravado and a little more empathy.
He sighed, for this was proving far more challenging than he’d anticipated. Curse Oliver and his tasks. His friend should have warned him about how difficult this would be.
“Aaron?” Henry called behind him and caught up to him a moment later. “Pray, did I say something wrong?”
Aaron shook his head. “No, not at all. It is just that I overestimated her…” He waved a hand. “I should not have introduced you to her in this manner, or her to you. She was ill-prepared.”
“I’ll say. I do not think I’ve had such a peculiar introduction in a long time,” Henry admitted, before he laughed. “Why did you want me to meet her?”
Aaron shrugged. “A friend of mine asked me to help her find a husband. She has not courted in a while, and I thought… I thought this would be a simple task. I ought to have told you ahead of time.”
Henry shrugged in return. “It would not have made a difference. Pray, how old is she? She seems a little old not to be married.”
