However, as they danced, Lord Pembroke talked incessantly about himself, his wealth, and his connections. Judith nodded politely but felt a growing sense of unease. His conversation was self-centered, his demeanor arrogant. She couldn’t wait for the dance to end.
When the partners changed again, she was back with Lord Leeds. Relief washed over her as she returned to his familiar and kind presence.
“Are you alright?” he asked, noticing her discomfort.
“Yes, thank you,” she said, more sincerely this time.
She realized then that Graham was indeed a very decent man. His kindness and forward-thinking nature were admirable. Indeed, if she hadn’t met Aaron, Lord Leeds was exactly the sort of man she would have hoped for. She didn’t feel any romantic attachment to him, but she could imagine this might change in time. Even if it did not, he was pleasant. And that was more than many wives could ask for.
Determined to push thoughts of Aaron away, she focused on Lord Leeds, allowing herself to be more outgoing. She focused on each word he said, and when he made a witty remark about the Lord Chancellor’s penchant for overly grandiose decorations, she chuckled almost naturally.
When the music ended, he escorted her off the dance floor as their conversation continued. Still, even then, when she caught Aaron’s eyes across the room, she felt a pang of longing.
No. Lord Leeds is the type of man I need. He wants a family. He offers stability and kindness. Aaron offers nothing, he’d made that clear.
She focused on the man before her, who might be her future. But even as she laughed with Lord Leeds, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her heart was elsewhere, with the man who had always been there for her, silently supporting her.
CHAPTER 22
Aaron sat quietly on a chair at the edge of the dance floor, a flute of sparkling wine in hand.
“Looks like I’m going to have to pay up,” a familiar voice said.
He looked up to see Henry standing there.
His friend plopped down into the seat beside him and waved a lazy index finger in the direction of the dancers. “I should have had a rule that you cannot fix her up with one of your friends. That seems awfully unfair, but since I did not bring it up before, I suppose I shouldn’t bring it up now,” he said.
Aaron grunted, having already forgotten about the wager.
He saw Judith gliding across the dance floor on the arm of Graham and felt nothing but bitterness clawing up his throat. Yes, he would win his wager. If the way Graham looked at her now was anything to go by, there would most certainly be anofficial courtship, and they might even be married by the end of the season.
He had watched Graham carefully as he danced with her. Not because he had worried that his friend would be anything but an upstanding gentleman to her, but because he had hoped against hope that he would not care for her. He had hoped that Judith would make a mistake, bungle his name, present herself awkwardly, or perhaps even step on his toes. But he had taught her well.
She was charm and grace personified. Indeed, she was a diamond of the first water. None of the other women at the dance floor compared to her in any way. This was his doing—he knew this.
She had turned from the awkward young woman who was trapped in a state of limbo of her own making into what could be described as a swan. Other gentlemen watched her also, and not with the curious smirk they had looked at her with at the park.
They looked at her in a pleased kind of way—the way a man looked at a woman he admired.
When Judith had switched partners, Graham had continued to look at her. He carried a silly smile on his lips, which only made it clearer that Aaron had been right. Graham was smitten with Judith, and soon she would be smitten with him.
“What’s wrong with you?” Henry scoffed, ripping him out of his contemplation. “You do not look happy at the prospect ofwinning your wager. What happened? Are you over her? Have you fallen for your charge?”
The mocking tone in his friend’s voice told him that Henry did not really believe this. No wonder, everybody knew that Aaron had little to no desire to get married.
“Nothing is wrong, I am simply tired, that is all.”
“Ah well, if that is all, I will leave you to it. I must find Lady Annabella—she has promised me the quadrille, and I cannot pass that up. She is truly one of the fairest ladies in the land. And not difficult to charm either, I hear.”
Henry winked at Aaron and then departed, leaving him alone, though only for a minute, for the dance ended.
Graham and Judith spoke briefly, their smiles letting everyone know that they cared for one another. Or perhaps just Aaron, for nobody else appeared interested in them.
He got up and straightened his waistcoat, then ran a hand through his hair. As he approached her, he glanced into the mirror and adjusted his cravat. He wanted to look handsome—for her. Although that should not matter right now.
“Aaron,” she said as she caught up to him, her eyes bright and a soft smile on her lips. “Graham is a true gentleman,” she gushed. “He asked to dance with me again. Should I? People might think there is something between us.”
Aaron’s heart sank, the bitterness from earlier now twisting painfully in his throat.
