“I – I am already engaged for the waltz, Lady Judith,” Henry called, moving quickly away. “Forgive me!”
And now I must find someone to dance with.
He could not be seen hiding away in the shadows, not after what he had just said by way of excuse to Miss BlakefieldandLady Judith but, who exactly was he to dance with now? Turning his head, he looked all around him, only to spy a young lady standing by the wall, her arms folded and a sharpness about her expression. No one was with her, no parents, no chaperone or the like, and thus he ought not to approach, only for his breath to catch as the music began.
“Will you dance with me?” It was most unorthodox to walk towards a young lady in this manner and practically beg for herto stand up with him, but what else was there for him to do? Hehadto dance the waltz and yet he did not know this young lady and had never been introduced to her. “Unless, for some reason, you ought not to dance?”
The lady lifted her chin.
“There is no reason I ought not to dance.”
“And are you permitted to dance the waltz?” Glancing over his shoulder, Henry snatched in a breath as Miss Blakefield and her mother came into view, having come wandering after him, perhaps to make certain that hewasdoing as he had said. “Please, might we step out together?”
“You do not know me.” The young lady came closer to him, her eyes flashing as she looked into his face. “We have not been introduced.”
“Then permit me to do so now. I am Viscount Yarmouth.” Bowing, he offered her his arm. “And you would be doing me a great favor.”
The lady hesitated, her eyes going over his shoulder only for them to flash back to his face.
“You are being pursued, I think.”
Henry turned, groaning aloud when not only Miss Blakefield caught his eye but, thereafter, Lady Judith who was still waving the dance card in her hand.
“Yes, I am.”
“And you are unwilling to be caught,” she said, a light smile on her face, bringing his attention to her green eyes which sparked with laughter. “Very well, Lord Yarmouth, let us step out together – though I warn you, you may find yourself the subject of conversation for dancing with a wallflower.”
“That is quite all right.”
When she put her hand on his arm, Henry let out a slow breath of relief and stepped forward, hurrying the lady through the crowd of dancers so that they might melt into the center,hidden from view by the many other gentlemen and ladies who were dancing also. He was not a moment too soon, for the music began as they reached the center and thus, Henry had to step forward and catch the lady in his arms without so much as a bow.
“I thank you,” he murmured, beginning to turn gently, making sure not to knock into any other dancers. “This has saved me a great deal of strife.”
The lady looked back at him, her feet moving in careful steps, never once going awry.
“The young lady in question was quite hopeful that I would dance with her,” Henry continued, feeling as though he was required to give her an explanation for his haste. “I had the desire to step away, however, and made an excuse.”
“You lied.” The lady lifted an eyebrow and Henry took his gaze from hers, heat in his chest. She put it so bluntly, so clearly, that it was not something he could argue against.
“Yes, I suppose I did.”
“You should have told her the truth,” she said, quietly. “You ought to have told her that you did not want to dance and then take your leave. Otherwise, she would not have been pursuing you, and you would not have had to pull a wallflower out to dance the waltz with you.”
Henry waited for a sense of frustration to build within him, for his irritation to grow into something more but, instead, all that came was a quiet acceptance that yes, she was quite right. He oughtnotto have lied to Miss Blakefield, for now look at what he had been forced to do. There was nothing wrong with dancing with a wallflower – indeed, she was an exceptional dancer – but he had only done so because he had been attempting to hide from Miss Blakefield. Had he been honest, then she would not have questioned, for even a moment, where he was and what he was doing.
“Was she very disagreeable?”
The softness in the young lady’s voice made Henry glance back into her eyes, letting his gaze take her in as he thought about the question. There was a gentleness to the vivid green of her eyes, and her red curls bounced gently as they waltzed. Why did he find himself eager to tell her all?
“I am afraid that Miss Blakefield was a little more insulting than she might have realized,” he found himself saying, without having made a clear decision in his mind to tell this young lady the truth. “She spoke of how there was a gladness within the heart of a gentleman upon gaining the title.”
The young lady frowned, her eyes still fixed to his.
“Gladness upon receiving the title?” she repeated as Henry continued to spin them around the room, her words coming in short bursts as the dance continued. “To think there would be joy in learning of the death of one’s parent is utterly preposterous!”
Henry smiled then, relief spreading out across his chest.
“Yes, that is precisely what I thought. I knew then that there could be no further connection between myself and the lady.”
