you? I realized today that I’ve been behaving
like a fool. I do trust you, my love. And I’m damned if I’m going to let some
nonsense ruin things between us. When I returned home tonight and
found you were out I knew… Well, let us just say that we’ve both
been overwrought of late. I’ve come to beg your
forgiveness.’
‘Oh,’ Hester whispered, blinking back her
tears. ‘Oh Porter, I’ve been beastly!’
‘We’ve both been complete fools. Put it down
to overwork, for my part, at least. Now then, shall we dance? For I
do so enjoy dancing with my wife.’
‘ Why yes, I think a dance
would be delightful.’
‘Excellent.’ Turning, he looked at the
marquis, who was still standing there, solid as a rock and equally
inscrutable, if his expression was anything to go by. ‘Morvyn. How
astonishing to find you here. I didn’t think this was your kind of
affair at all.’
‘It isn’t,’ Morvyn replied shortly. ‘I came
for a word with Lady Pemberton.’
‘With Grace?’ Porter seemed surprised. ‘I’m
sorry, I did not know you were acquainted.’
‘We are not!’ Grace interjected swiftly.
‘That is to say, we have only met on several occasions and never
socially.’
‘I see.’ Porter murmured, although clearly
he didn’t.
‘Perhaps we should all
return to the ball.’ Grace had no idea what Morvyn wished to talk
about, only that she was sure she would not want to discuss it. For
what could he say? Did he intend to apologize for his behavior
towards Justin? Dear God, did he intend to apologize for the
other night ?
Either option seemed utterly unbearable. He could not undo the past
on either count.
‘An excellent idea,’ Porter agreed. ‘Why
don’t you come along, Morvyn? You can dance with Grace.’
‘I would enjoy that.’ The marquis said, just
as Grace vehemently shook her head in protest.
‘Oh, I don’t think so! That is, I promised
the next dance to Bertie.’
‘Did you?’ The man had risen to his feet and
was waiting; quite placidly it seemed, for the next part of his
night to unfold. ‘I don’t mind. We’ve already had one and I’m sure
I’ve been told there’s a limit.’
‘No more than two dances is
seemly,’ Hester agreed breathlessly, still grappling with the joy
and the horror of her husband being at the ball. What if he ran
into Lovington? What could she
do?
‘That’s settled then,’ Morvyn said, moving
forward to offer his arm to Grace.
She looked at it as if it were a live snake,
but refusing would be shockingly rude and, reluctantly, she laid
her gloved hand on it. However, she simply could not bring herself
to thank him.
They arrived back among the
throng of people just as a new dance, a country-dance, was starting
up, couples lining up on the floor. Porter led Hester onto the end
and Morvyn and Grace followed on. Facing each other, Grace found
she could barely meet her partner’s eye. Was there anything more
mortifying than having to stand up with a man who one cordially
detested? Of course there was, she reminded herself savagely. She
could stand up with a man she not only detested, but she had
kissed. Or at the very least, had been kissed by . Not that it mattered. He had been
left in no doubt as to her willingness to reciprocate. The thought
brought a flush to her cheeks and she stared determinedly at the
top button of his waistcoat as the music started up and they moved
with stately grace down the line of dancers. At least this was not
the kind of dance where one had to converse with their partner. Not
like a waltz. At the thought of the two waltzes they had shared,
Grace flushed again and wondered if a body could die of
embarrassment.
Looking up, she caught his
eye and saw something in them; something that in no way chased the
warmth from her cheeks. The marquis was not a man who would ever
wear his heart on his sleeve, so much she knew of him, but it
seemed to Grace that she saw something in his eyes that evoked that
kiss, a kind of hunger
like a fool. I do trust you, my love. And I’m damned if I’m going to let some
nonsense ruin things between us. When I returned home tonight and
found you were out I knew… Well, let us just say that we’ve both
been overwrought of late. I’ve come to beg your
forgiveness.’
‘Oh,’ Hester whispered, blinking back her
tears. ‘Oh Porter, I’ve been beastly!’
‘We’ve both been complete fools. Put it down
to overwork, for my part, at least. Now then, shall we dance? For I
do so enjoy dancing with my wife.’
‘ Why yes, I think a dance
would be delightful.’
‘Excellent.’ Turning, he looked at the
marquis, who was still standing there, solid as a rock and equally
inscrutable, if his expression was anything to go by. ‘Morvyn. How
astonishing to find you here. I didn’t think this was your kind of
affair at all.’
‘It isn’t,’ Morvyn replied shortly. ‘I came
for a word with Lady Pemberton.’
‘With Grace?’ Porter seemed surprised. ‘I’m
sorry, I did not know you were acquainted.’
‘We are not!’ Grace interjected swiftly.
‘That is to say, we have only met on several occasions and never
socially.’
‘I see.’ Porter murmured, although clearly
he didn’t.
‘Perhaps we should all
return to the ball.’ Grace had no idea what Morvyn wished to talk
about, only that she was sure she would not want to discuss it. For
what could he say? Did he intend to apologize for his behavior
towards Justin? Dear God, did he intend to apologize for the
other night ?
Either option seemed utterly unbearable. He could not undo the past
on either count.
‘An excellent idea,’ Porter agreed. ‘Why
don’t you come along, Morvyn? You can dance with Grace.’
‘I would enjoy that.’ The marquis said, just
as Grace vehemently shook her head in protest.
‘Oh, I don’t think so! That is, I promised
the next dance to Bertie.’
‘Did you?’ The man had risen to his feet and
was waiting; quite placidly it seemed, for the next part of his
night to unfold. ‘I don’t mind. We’ve already had one and I’m sure
I’ve been told there’s a limit.’
‘No more than two dances is
seemly,’ Hester agreed breathlessly, still grappling with the joy
and the horror of her husband being at the ball. What if he ran
into Lovington? What could she
do?
‘That’s settled then,’ Morvyn said, moving
forward to offer his arm to Grace.
She looked at it as if it were a live snake,
but refusing would be shockingly rude and, reluctantly, she laid
her gloved hand on it. However, she simply could not bring herself
to thank him.
They arrived back among the
throng of people just as a new dance, a country-dance, was starting
up, couples lining up on the floor. Porter led Hester onto the end
and Morvyn and Grace followed on. Facing each other, Grace found
she could barely meet her partner’s eye. Was there anything more
mortifying than having to stand up with a man who one cordially
detested? Of course there was, she reminded herself savagely. She
could stand up with a man she not only detested, but she had
kissed. Or at the very least, had been kissed by . Not that it mattered. He had been
left in no doubt as to her willingness to reciprocate. The thought
brought a flush to her cheeks and she stared determinedly at the
top button of his waistcoat as the music started up and they moved
with stately grace down the line of dancers. At least this was not
the kind of dance where one had to converse with their partner. Not
like a waltz. At the thought of the two waltzes they had shared,
Grace flushed again and wondered if a body could die of
embarrassment.
Looking up, she caught his
eye and saw something in them; something that in no way chased the
warmth from her cheeks. The marquis was not a man who would ever
wear his heart on his sleeve, so much she knew of him, but it
seemed to Grace that she saw something in his eyes that evoked that
kiss, a kind of hunger
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