“Well, good. Then you will do as I say and not sabotage our plans. Now, you need to follow my instructions, Judith. Smile, act politely, and show interest in whatever they are talking about. It’s important to appear humble and engaged. People already think you’re picky.”
“But eye contact feels too intimate,” Judith protested, her voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t like looking people I don’t know in the eyes.”
Aaron took a step closer, his expression serious. “Judith, eye contact is important. It shows confidence and interest. We need to practice.”
Judith felt mortification rising within her. “I’d rather not,” she murmured, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Aaron’s expression softened even further as he reached out and gently touched her chin. She shuddered under his touch, but not in a bad way. Instead, she felt a sudden warmth spread through her. Her heart raced as he lifted her chin, his fingers light but firm.
“Look at me, Judith,” he said softly.
She hesitated for a moment, then met his gaze. As their eyes locked, the world around her seemed to blur and fade away. Aaron’s eyes were deep and compelling, holding hers with a magnetic intensity she couldn’t resist. It was as if he was seeing right into her soul. The initial discomfort she felt melted into an unexpected warmth that flooded her chest, spreading like wildfire.
Her breath caught, and she felt a curious mix of vulnerability and connection. The blue depths of his eyes were not just looking at her but drawing her in, pulling her into an unspoken promise of understanding and intimacy.
Her pulse quickened, and she realized that this eye contact, once daunting, now felt like an open door to a deeper, unexpected closeness with him.
“Aaron,” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “I do not…”
He smiled, a slow, confident smile that made her heart flutter faster. “It’s not so bad, is it?” he asked softly.
Judith shook her head slightly, still captivated by his gaze. “No, it’s not bad at all.”
Aaron lightly brushed his thumb against her chin before he dropped his hand. “Remember this, Judith. Look the other person in the eyes and do not look away first. Let them be the ones. Do not stare either, you do not want to look as though you are bird-brained.”
She nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from his. “Right. I shall not look bird-brained,” she repeated, a little perplexed. “I promise.”
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the garden into a soft twilight, Judith realized that something had changed between them. At that intimate moment, she had discovered a new strength within herself, a strength she hadn’t known existed. And as she looked into Aaron’s eyes, she knew that she could face whatever challenges lay ahead with confidence and grace.
CHAPTER 7
The following evening, Aaron entered the hall, his eyes scanning the room. He hadn’t been in Almack’s since he returned from Italy a couple of weeks ago, and before that, it had been at least a year. Oddly enough, nothing seemed to have changed. Gentlemen mingled, many standing in small groups as they chatted, while women chuckled behind feathered fans, wearing their best dresses, and an orchestra played.
He spotted a footman carrying a platter of what had to be Almack’s infamous, horrible, dried cake into the banquet room, a place he would surely avoid.
“Aaron!” a voice called, and he turned to see his friend Marius walking toward him, followed by Henry.
Usually, he enjoyed seeing his friends at events like this. They would sit together, drink, place wagers, and make merry, but since their meeting in the park, he felt differently.
“Well, well,” Henry drawled. “Is she here? Or has she decided to stay at home and deal you a humiliating defeat before you could even start your quest?”
“She will be here,” Aaron stated, though he had yet to spot Judith.
They had agreed that she would come with her maid and she would meet him inside before the minuet—the first dance. His hope was that he could ease her into dancing in the hope she’d be a good partner to others, rather than a stiff broom.
The orchestra was playing already, but the master of ceremonies had not yet called for the first dance. Therefore, she wasn’t late.
But what would he do if she didn’t show up? After their conversation, he knew she understood what was at stake—nothing short of her happiness. But she seemed so uncomfortable during their exercise yesterday, when he had made her look into his eyes to practice eye contact.
He wasn’t quite sure why that had occurred to him. He never really thought about such things. Flirting came naturally to him, as it did to most of the ladies he knew. He never had to teach anyone.
Still, after their afternoon in the park, he had not been able to stop thinking about Judith and how uncomfortable she had been. He had looked at his task as an irritating one, only taken on out of duty to his friend, but now that he took it on, he had to do his best for her. And thus far, he hadn’t.
Judith was right, her behavior had likely been due to him pushing her and making her feel insecure. And yet he couldn’t deny that when he had stood with her outside in the garden and looked into her eyes, he had felt something.
“Aaron?” Marius prompted.
Aaron looked up. “Yes?”
