Sebastian followed his gaze upwards. “I confess that I had not noticed them until you mentioned them,” he admitted. “But now that I look at them, they are rather fine.”
Adrian chuckled. “I can imagine what you are thinking about right now to make you so distracted.”
Sebastian gave a wry smile. He thought that it was, in fact, highly unlikely that his friend could imagine just what had been in his thoughts at that last moment. He had been picturing in vivid detail how Isabella had looked as she had lain beneath him while he was making love to her. Her pert breasts rising to meet his eager hands, and her lips parted, waiting to be kissed again and again.
And that sweet wetness between her legs that had made it so easy for him to enter her and feel the very essence of her around his manhood. He wondered, a little wickedly, if Adrian had indulged in such thoughts about Lady Daphne. He suspected that even if he had, his friend would not care to admit it out loud, even in private, let alone in the hubbub of a ballroom.
“I wonder where Lady Daphne is,” Adrian mused, looking towards the ballroom entrance. “I know that young ladies like to make an entrance, but they are leaving it rather late, don’t you think?”
Sebastian nodded a little absently. He had been thinking of Isabella all day, and ever since their strange interaction in the garden earlier, he had felt ill at ease. Something was wrong, he could tell. He knew that he needed to maneuver some way of speaking to her alone tonight, but he acknowledged that that would not be easy.
At that moment, the buzz of conversation in the ballroom quietened for a moment, and all eyes were drawn towards the entrance. In the doorway stood Lady Daphne in an exquisite gown of peach silk, and next to her was Lady Isabella. As the hosts’ daughter, her entrance was a moment of significance in the evening, and everyone watched as they made their entrance.
Her gown was a daring dark red velvet, scooping low around the neck, and Sebastian could not take his eyes from her. He found himself walking forward to the middle of the room, where he could get a better view of her and perhaps snatch a moment of eye contact with her as she made her entrance.
She saw him immediately, and their eyes locked together. Her lips parted a little as she looked at him, and their gaze remained held together for what felt like an eternity and a fraction of a second all at once.
Around him, Sebastian felt a stirring among the crowd. He finally pulled his eyes away from her and turned to Adrian, who gave him a sly grin.
“When are you going to do something about it, then?” Adrian whispered.
“What on earth do you mean?” Sebastian replied, thinking immediately that he and Isabella had done far more than they should have done. But thankfully, no one knew a thing about it.
“I mean, my friend, that you are clearly infatuated with that girl, and everyone can see it. It is as plain as the nose on your face.”
Sebastian huffed. He felt they were on dangerous ground now, and denial was the safest option.
“I do not know what you are talking about,” he retorted, keeping his voice as low as he could. But as he looked around the room, he could see people looking first at Isabella, then at him, and whispering in groups as they did so.
“Sebastian, do you think that everyone around you is blind?” Adrian said, an incredulous note in his voice. “It has been quite clear to me since the moment we arrived that you have been incapable of looking away from Lady Isabella. And clearly the pair of you enjoy one another’s company.”
Sebastian swallowed. He did not know what to say. Every word that his friend had uttered was true, and of course there was more between himself and Isabella than anyone else could possibly imagine. But things were not as simple as Adrian might have imagined. Not by a long way.
“Please, Adrian, let us not speak of it now,” he begged his friend.
Adrian shook his head and chuckled. “Well, if we do not speak of it, then I fear that will not prevent the rest of the room from talking about it, but very well.” He paused and looked around the room. “Now, if you will excuse me, I am determined to secure Lady Daphne’s hand for the first dance. I hope no one has beaten me to it.”
“I wish you luck, my friend,” Sebastian said, feeling a stab of envy once again for the simplicity of Adrian’s situation.
“And you may or may not wish to hear my advice, Sebastian, but let me say this to you,” Adrian said. “You should go and dance with her too, with Lady Isabella. And you should make your intentions clear before it is too late.”
He turned and walked away without looking back, intent on his mission. Sebastian considered his words. Perhaps, though, it was too late already. He honestly did not know.
***
“Daphne, why is everyone staring at me?” Isabella whispered as they walked down the stairs and into the ballroom.
Daphne giggled. “Well, because you are the hosts’ daughter, of course. You are Lady Isabella Langley. The ball has been thrown in your honour, pretty much.”
Isabella frowned, then straightened her features into a more even expression. The whole room seemed to be staring at her, after all.
“But my parents always have a party at Christmas. This one is nothing out of the ordinary.” Isabella knew, though, that it was not true. There was something different about tonight. She let out a sigh.
“What on earth is it, Isabella?” Daphne said, taking her arm and leading her into a corner of the room. “I insist that you tell me right now. You have been acting strangely for days, and I am your friend. Surely you trust me to confide in me whatever is troubling you? Honestly, I will be rather offended if you do not tell me what it is.”
Isabella looked around the ballroom. She was convinced that everyone was looking at her, even more than she would have expected. Something strange was going on; she was sure of it. But Daphne was right. She should have confided in her friend. She glanced around to check that they could not be overheard, but then realized it did not matter. Everyone in the room would know soon enough.
She swallowed before speaking the truth out loud. “My father is going to announce my engagement to the Duke of Harbridge tonight after the first waltz.”
