“A spot of fun for a lady means something else entirely than it does for a gentleman.”
“You are sure?”
“Leeds, old chap. Call off your wife. My heart can’t stand her teasing.”
Leeds chuckled, and Harriet grinned up at him. She did like her husband’s laugh. He should laugh more and keep on practicing his smiles. The world would be a better place if he smiled a bit more.
“Why are the two of you grinning like fools? What did I miss?” Calstone asked.
Harriet laughed, catching sight of Rohan as he sauntered up to them. “Leeds, Calstone. Lady Harriet, you are the picture of radiance. Blue suits you.”
“Graves,” Leeds greeted with a nod.
“Ah,theGraves,” Calstone said. “You are the good, childhood, best friend of our lovely Harriet. The Duke of Calstone, at your service.”
Oh?It seemed someone had been gossiping.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Rohan inclined his head to Calstone.
“Oh, the pleasure is all mine,” Calstone said. “What brings you to this side of town?”
Harriet shot Calstone a frown.
Rohan, on the other hand, took the duke’s question on a breeze. “The hope of a dance.” He smiled at Harriet. “Can I add my name to your card?”
“Certainly.”
“Is there still a spot on your card?” Leeds asked. “I thought I’d claimed them all.”
Harriet blinked, glancing at her dance card. Leeds’s bold scrawl had claimed all the dances. Her head jerked up to look at Leeds. “I can’t possibly dance every single dance on this card.” Even a reformed wallflower needed breaths between dances!
“All right, I’ll let you off on some of them. We can have lemonades as you revive.”
Was Leeds jealous over her friend? Still? She’d figured he would have become more used to Rohan by now and not mind if she scratched his name off one entry to give to Rohan. Apparently he still minded. She shouldn’t enjoy it, she really shouldn’t, but a thrill of excitement raced across the tips of her fingers.
Leeds’s eyes never wavered from Rohan. “As you can see, her dance card is full.”
Harriet wanted to pinch the man. “Next time, Rohan,” she said, trying hard, but failing just as hard, to keep the laughter from her voice.
“Of course. I shall just have to beat your husband to your next dance card.”
Leeds nodded, and Harriet glimpsed the slight twitch of the corner of his lips. “I welcome the challenge.”
“It’smydance card.”
Leeds leaned in close. “I too amyours, love.”
Harriet melted into a puddle. Any more, and she would just evaporate into a mist of steam.
Calstone groaned. “Why did the two of you even leave the house?”
Rohan chuckled. “I’m starting to share that sentiment.”
Harriet’s entire body heated to what she was sure to be bright vermillion. She peeked at her husband. Slight red blotches could be detected on his jaw line. Their gazes met.
Be still my heart.
Was Rohan right? Did Leeds fancy her?
