He decided to test her. He brushed his knuckles against hers as he stood beside her, and he heard her breath hitch.
“Thank you for what you did with the Earl, Miss Snow.” He bowed. “I am glad I have gotten to know you. You have been of unimaginable assistance this Season. Will I see you again soon?”
“At the next event, Your Grace. You can count on me to complete our deal.” She curtsied, heading back to the tent where her chaperone stood, ready to walk back to their carriage.
She looked back at Rowan and gave a small nod of her head before disappearing into the crowd.
ChapterSixteen
Alice swayed in the middle of the ballroom, the music lilting as she danced with one Sir Malcolm, whom she had never met before.
When the evening started, Alice discovered that the Earl would not be attending this ball, and so Rowan had promised to get as many suitors to line up for her as possible, but she did not know if she was strong enough to deal with all of them. It turned out that the Duke was sending her the most boring people she had ever met. If she had known what he had meant, she would not have agreed to this.
“The Bos Taurus, or cow in common folk language, is quite a specimen, as well,” the man rambled on, and she felt her eyelids getting heavier as she shuffled her feet. “They are highly social creatures, and their social lives are something to study! I have been doing so for seven years now.”
“That is interesting,” she mumbled, her fake smile beginning to ache.
She recognized the end of the song, and she forced herself to wake up to finish the dance.
“Thank you for sharing this dance with me, Sir Malcolm.” She curtsied.
“If you’d like to join me for a drink?—”
“I have given the next dance to another, but I will find you later if I have time,” she said, dipping away.
She did not have plans of dancing with anyone else for the rest of the night after that disaster, and she sped out of the ballroom to the nearest empty hallway. She took a deep breath, sitting on a bench.
She must tell Rowan that he has done enough to make the Earl jealous by simply existing.
“Another wonderful suitor, I see,” his voice spoke in the darkness of the hallway as if summoned.
“A cow scientist,” she retorted, and he cackled. “It is not funny. I was practically falling asleep while dancing. I have never even done that before!”
“I saw,” he said, sitting next to her, his thigh touching hers through their clothing. She tried her best to not react, but it was difficult. “It was quite entertaining.”
“Well, I am glad I was able to provide amusement for you.” She pouted, looking at her hands in her lap.
He leaned down so that she could see him, bringing his hand up, tucking her hair behind her ear so that he could see her better, and he smiled. “Do you have room on your dance card for me? I guarantee that I can bring your smile back, Miss Snow.”
“I doubt it, Your Grace,” she muttered tiredly.
“Hm,” he said quietly, and before she knew it, he had swept her off her feet and held her close.
“Your Grace, what are you doing?” she stuttered.
“We are dancing, Miss Snow. Surely, the cow scientist did not bore you into being simpleminded.” He chuckled.
He began to sway her around the dark, empty hallway.
“But we can hardly hear the music.” She was being stubborn, but she could not deny that he had raised her spirits.
“We do not need music, Miss Snow.” He spun her around, dipping her over his arm and smiling at her.
The moonlight from the window shone on them, and his hair fell across his eyes as he gazed at her. She felt her chest tighten as she looked at him, her core doing flips. His proximity was beginning to have a serious effect on her, and she felt her palms tingling as she held his, and a chill went up her spine where his hand rested on the small of her back as they danced in the darkness.
Thankfully, they only did a few more spins before they slowed and she backed away from him, needing distance to catch her breath.
“Are you feeling better? I truly was not trying to ruin your night with the most boring people at this event, though they made themselves abundant tonight.” He chuckled.
