The laughter startled Callum as it was unexpected.
"All of this is still an act. You are still pretending to court Catherine and yet, I do not know why you would continue to do so," Catherine said, "after all, she is not particularly beautiful. In fact, I do not know why all the bachelors seem to be swarming around her when she has no redeeming qualities."
Callum sighed again and decided there and then to set Catherine straight.
"I do not know what Felington has told you or what is currently going through your mind, however, I want you to know that I am not in the least interested in a relationship with you," he said, "now, you can stop worrying about if I am pretending to court Louise or not."
Catherine did not seem to take his words well as her fingers tightened up around his as though she was intentionally trying to crush his bones. She continued to dance with him in silence without responding to his words.
ChapterNineteen
"Lady Louise, do you know that the color yellow symbolizes youthfulness and happiness?" Felington said.
Louise smiled and forced herself to look surprised. "Is that so, Lord Felington," she made a show of being pleasantly surprised at the unsolicited information that Felington had just given her.
"I find your choice of color quite interesting, Lady Louise," he continued, "yellow is just the perfect color for you as it encapsulates the beauty that you are and the delight that radiates from you."
Louise smiled yet again. In fact, if she could, she would blush on demand at Felington's forced show of flattery.
Considering the number of guests that frequented the house daily after she returned from the house party, Louise was not in any way surprised that bachelors were falling over each other in an attempt to snag a dance sigh her.
What she found surprising, however, was Felington and his public show of interest in her. Not only did he sign her dance card, but he also signed it twice, a gesture that was interpreted in thetonas almost synonymous with an engagement.
Considering his actions toward her at the house party, Louise was surprised at how he was now fawning over her. While she was tempted to blow him off and reject him ceremoniously as revenge for how he treated her, she also knew that she could fall from the public favor just as easily if she did that.
Therefore, she just danced with him and listened to him fall over himself in a bid to impress her. She began to wonder when the dance would come to an end so that she would be rid of him.
She had underestimated how hurt she had been by the manner in which he embarrassed her at his house party. Dancing with him, however, brought the negative emotions that she felt then to the fore, and she had to control herself so as not to say anything rude to him.
"Lady Louise, I suppose I have your next dance too," Felington said.
Louise rolled her eyes involuntarily before she quickly covered it up with a smile. She could not afford to spend more time around him. "My Lord, I am not certain that would be possible," she said.
"How so?" He asked, with the confidence of a man who had probably never had anyone say no to him before.
"If we were to dance twice in a row, then thetonwould begin to speculate that we had formed an attachment. A bachelor and a maiden dancing together two times in a row are as good as an engagement announcement," she said, "and I suppose you would not want that kind of speculation following you."
"And why would I not want it?" Felington asked, staring intently into her eyes.
"I am not certain I understand what you are saying, My Lord," Louise said.
"A speculation of us being engaged is not such a bad thing as I would want to propose marriage to you and marry you as soon as possible," he said.
Louise faltered in her step, but Felington quickly sprung to her aid, helping her get stabilized again. "Thank you, My Lord," Louise said.
"It is my duty to look out for my intended wife, Lady Louise," he said, "you have nothing to worry about when you are around me."
She could not believe her ears. A while ago, she would have been more than happy to have Lord Felington propose marriage to her, but now, she knew that she could not possibly accept his proposal. Despite the fact that she and her family would have no house to call their home after the season ended, she still knew that Felington would never be her husband, not if she had a say in the situation.
At that moment, Louise decided to address the issue head-on. "This is quite surprising, Lord Felington," she said, smiling to belly her brewing anger, "considering that you had just called off what was supposed to be an engagement between the both of us a while ago. In fact, I am certain the memory is still fresh in the minds of theton, as it is in mine."
"Lady Louise," Felington said, his voice dropping to barely above a whisper, "I knew this was a discussion we would, unfortunately, have to have eventually."
"And I would be glad if we had it now," Louise said sternly.
"The only reason I acted in such a manner toward you was that Lady Emily seduced me," Felington said.
Louise's eyes widened in surprise. "Emily seduced you?" she asked. She had not known what excuse Felington would give when she asked him and yet she was shocked at the blatant lie that he had just told.
