“Who is that man, my lord?” she asked, grateful to speak of something else besides what had nearly happened on the balcony.
“That is my best friend, Thomas Fitzgerald. He and Emily are also dear friends.”
As they spun by, Lord Balwood nodded at his sister, and Jane heard a snippet of their conversation between the young lady and Thomas. They were speaking of a particular painting.
“They have an interest in art, I see.”
“Ah, yes,” Lord Balwood said with a laugh. “Thomas is a very accomplished artist, and my sister enjoys art herself.”
“Well, she looks very beautiful this evening. I hope she is enjoying herself tonight,” Jane said kindly. “It must be very difficult to be the center of all this attention.”
“Yes, I think so.” He let out a sigh and shrugged.
There was a little furrow in his brow, and even though he was smiling, Jane wondered at his expression. It seemed that something hung heavy on him, just as something hung heavy on her. Might it be that she and the impossibly handsome Lord Balwood were kindred spirits of a sort?
“But I believe she is happy to dance with someone she knows so well, someone she is comfortable with.”
When Jane turned to look at them again, she could see by Lady Emily’s expression that she was more than comfortable with him.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
They spoke of other mundane matters, but all the while, Jane could see the heated look in his eyes whenever she dared to meet them. That buzzing and tingling still clung to her skin even when the dance ended, and then he kissed her hand before parting from her side.
Jane knew somehow, even if she wouldn’t yet admit it to herself, that she was in trouble. Big trouble.
Chapter 7
After Nathaniel parted from Lady Jane, he left the ballroom, not wanting to dance with anyone else. Why should he after that? His heart was still racing, and his breath still wasn’t steady since their moment on the balcony. He found himself in the parlor with other gentlemen playing cards and smoking pipes, and he poured himself a glass of port.
“Taking shelter, are you, old friend?” Thomas asked with a glint in his eye and a skip in his step.
“Something like that.” Nathaniel smirked at him. “I’m glad you were dancing with Emily. I know she was nervous about tonight and dancing with too many strangers.”
Suddenly, Nathaniel’s easy, confident friend Thomas looked nervous. His cheeks even colored a little, and he stammered a bit as he spoke. “Oh, of course it was no trouble. We have been good friends for a long time, she and I, as you know.” Nathaniel frowned, noticing that Thomas was speaking far too quickly. “And she has such interesting opinions on art,” Thomas added.
“Yes, I know,” Nathaniel replied, a little acknowledgement of something sparking in his mind. “I’m glad she has someone to share her art opinions with. I’m hopeless about art.”
Thomas grinned, finally looking more at ease. “Now that is true. Pour me a glass, will you?”
Nathaniel handed off his own glass of port to his friend, and then he turned around to pour another when he overheard a bit of conversation from two other gentlemen. They were young bachelors themselves. He knew that both of them were seeking wives this season.
One said, “I don't know if we'll get the chance to even speak to Lady Jane. It seemed that every other man in the room was eager for a dance with her.”
Nathaniel froze as he listened to the first man speaking. He was right in the middle of pouring his wine when he paused, a strange feeling coming over him.
You cannot be jealous, surely not. You’ve only just met the woman!
The other man said, “Yes, well, with that kind of money as her dowry, I know that anyone would do anything to get close to her. I plan to do so at some point.”
They both chortled and walked off to another part of the room. Nathaniel finished pouring the port and took it back to Thomas, feeling stiff and angry. He was lost in thought for a few seconds.
Was that truly why Lady Jane rushed away when we were close? Perhaps she thinks I'm just like them.
That thought horrified him, and he had to think about how to disabuse her of that notion if he was going to make any headway with her.
But that is what you are doing. You are just like them. Your family needs the money, and so you need to marry a wealthy wife. You have that in your mind.
“Are you all right, Nathaniel?” Thomas asked, bringing the glass to his lips.
