who manages to conquer you.”
“Conquer me? I’m not an invading army. That’s reprehensible.”
And utterly disgusting.
“Not an army, but a mysterious, beautiful foreigner who denies everyone who asks.” When Thea tried to pull her fingers loose, Christian pulled her closer still and settled his hand over hers. “The first rule of gossip: if you don’t give them answers, they’ll make up ones to suit themselves.”
“Who are they ?” Thea asked. The music ended and the orderly lines of dancers merged into a mass of people surging around them.
“The ton .” He was matter-of-fact in his answer. “Surely there are gossips where you’re from. The principle is the same everywhere. It’s just in London we commit to gossip as a full time profession.”
“But I don’t want to dance. You don’t either,” Thea protested. She felt her heart racing as panic set in. It seemed as though every eye was on them.
“You also don’t want to end up in the wager book at White’s. I assure you.”
Thea realized with horror that he’d settled them at the top of the dance floor, where the entire crowd would be able to view her disgrace. Indeed, they seemed to be pouring out of the card room and from the furthest reaches of the ballroom.
“So your dancing with me is purely altruistic?” she asked. Christian smiled in response, but said nothing. She felt the heat of his hand settled into the small of her back. “It has nothing to do with winning a wager?” She didn’t believe this for a second.
“Why don’t you dance, Thea?”
She glared at him. He quirked an eyebrow in question. His deep brown eyes searched her face for an answer.
“Why don’t you dance?” he repeated.
“Because I can’t.” Thea admitted, keeping her voice low, anger seething. “You’ve brought me out here to win a bet, and now I will be utterly humiliated.”
“I won’t let you be humiliated. Follow me, and you’ll be fine. I’m an excellent partner.”
Fine. She’ll be fine. Thea snorted, knowing full well she would not be fine. This magnificent man in tailored superfine, overcome with hubris, had no idea the magnitude of how not fine things were about to become.
He smiled at her thinking for all the world he was in control of his destiny.
Oh the fool. Well, if she was to be humiliated there was no one she’d rather bring down with her. It serves him right, the pompous ass.
“All right then, you stupid man, lead on.” Thea placed her hands where they should be. Her fingers clutched his shoulder as a proactive stance against falling.
The violin introduced the waltz, and his palm on her back compelled her to take a step and she promptly trod on Christian’s foot. To his credit, he didn’t make a sound, not even a quiet grunt. Of course, that didn’t last long. It was only a matter of a few bars into the music before she crushed his toe again and this time he did expel a sharp breath.
“Don’t try to pass me, Thea.” Christian instructed. “Let me guide you.”
“I’m trying,” she insisted, but somehow her feet always tried to go where his feet already were.
“One, two, three,” Christian counted out the steps in time with the orchestra. “You move your feet on the two and the four.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She winced on his behalf as she trod on him again.
“The turn is coming,” he warned her. When Thea lifted her head from where she’d been staring at their feet, she saw the turn was indeed looming, and she didn’t see any possible way she was going to be able to negotiate that. The other couples seemed to spin so effortlessly. She looked to Christian for encouragement, but the look on his face lacked confidence and that was not at all encouraging.
His grip on her waist tightened. “Hold on and take small steps.” He picked up the pace to keep up with the rest of the field of dancers. It was a mistake and Christian had to know it as well, nevertheless, he headed into the turn, his mouth set
“Conquer me? I’m not an invading army. That’s reprehensible.”
And utterly disgusting.
“Not an army, but a mysterious, beautiful foreigner who denies everyone who asks.” When Thea tried to pull her fingers loose, Christian pulled her closer still and settled his hand over hers. “The first rule of gossip: if you don’t give them answers, they’ll make up ones to suit themselves.”
“Who are they ?” Thea asked. The music ended and the orderly lines of dancers merged into a mass of people surging around them.
“The ton .” He was matter-of-fact in his answer. “Surely there are gossips where you’re from. The principle is the same everywhere. It’s just in London we commit to gossip as a full time profession.”
“But I don’t want to dance. You don’t either,” Thea protested. She felt her heart racing as panic set in. It seemed as though every eye was on them.
“You also don’t want to end up in the wager book at White’s. I assure you.”
Thea realized with horror that he’d settled them at the top of the dance floor, where the entire crowd would be able to view her disgrace. Indeed, they seemed to be pouring out of the card room and from the furthest reaches of the ballroom.
“So your dancing with me is purely altruistic?” she asked. Christian smiled in response, but said nothing. She felt the heat of his hand settled into the small of her back. “It has nothing to do with winning a wager?” She didn’t believe this for a second.
“Why don’t you dance, Thea?”
She glared at him. He quirked an eyebrow in question. His deep brown eyes searched her face for an answer.
“Why don’t you dance?” he repeated.
“Because I can’t.” Thea admitted, keeping her voice low, anger seething. “You’ve brought me out here to win a bet, and now I will be utterly humiliated.”
“I won’t let you be humiliated. Follow me, and you’ll be fine. I’m an excellent partner.”
Fine. She’ll be fine. Thea snorted, knowing full well she would not be fine. This magnificent man in tailored superfine, overcome with hubris, had no idea the magnitude of how not fine things were about to become.
He smiled at her thinking for all the world he was in control of his destiny.
Oh the fool. Well, if she was to be humiliated there was no one she’d rather bring down with her. It serves him right, the pompous ass.
“All right then, you stupid man, lead on.” Thea placed her hands where they should be. Her fingers clutched his shoulder as a proactive stance against falling.
The violin introduced the waltz, and his palm on her back compelled her to take a step and she promptly trod on Christian’s foot. To his credit, he didn’t make a sound, not even a quiet grunt. Of course, that didn’t last long. It was only a matter of a few bars into the music before she crushed his toe again and this time he did expel a sharp breath.
“Don’t try to pass me, Thea.” Christian instructed. “Let me guide you.”
“I’m trying,” she insisted, but somehow her feet always tried to go where his feet already were.
“One, two, three,” Christian counted out the steps in time with the orchestra. “You move your feet on the two and the four.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She winced on his behalf as she trod on him again.
“The turn is coming,” he warned her. When Thea lifted her head from where she’d been staring at their feet, she saw the turn was indeed looming, and she didn’t see any possible way she was going to be able to negotiate that. The other couples seemed to spin so effortlessly. She looked to Christian for encouragement, but the look on his face lacked confidence and that was not at all encouraging.
His grip on her waist tightened. “Hold on and take small steps.” He picked up the pace to keep up with the rest of the field of dancers. It was a mistake and Christian had to know it as well, nevertheless, he headed into the turn, his mouth set
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