Page 71 of A Virgin for the Duke of Scars
“I did not think he would,” Theresa lied.
Juliette smiled at her and disappeared into the crowd as Theresa turned to face her husband. He offered her his arm, which she gratefully took.
This was what was expected of them.
“You look rather handsome tonight, dear husband,” she said, in an attempt to break the tension between them.
He looked her up and down, his eyes pausing on her breasts. “You look mesmerizing, as always.”
Despite the compliment, things still felt forced between them.
It did not last long, as they were soon swarmed by Aaron’s friends, all requiring his attention.
The Duke of Hiverville was there.Morgan,she reminded herself. She did not always have to refer to him as the Duke.
“You look stunning in that gown, Your Grace,” Morgan said with a glance over his shoulder at the people who milled about looking for an entry point to the conversation. “But I see youhave many admirers this evening. I hope to dance with you later tonight, Duchess,” he said with a smirk in Aaron’s direction.
“My wife will be otherwise occupied tonight, I’m afraid,” Aaron interjected curtly. “I have promised her every dance this evening.”
“I look forward to witnessing that.” Morgan let out a laugh. Theresa did not understand. He must have seen the confusion on her face because he added, “I have never known your husband to dance.”
“He is a better dancer than I,” she said with a polite smile.
Here was another thing she was told that Aaron did not do. He did not trust easily, he did not dance, and he did not take off his mask.
She had already gotten him to cave to the first two. What would it take to make the third one an inevitability?
As Morgan retreated, she noticed the Duke of Devishire and the Duke of Ireton approach. None of them addressed her, though they all looked her up and down, appraising her.
When the third duke came around and did not engage her in conversation, she decided she could take no more of this farce. She felt the urge to get lost in the crowd, somewhere that no one would know who she was.
She longed for anonymity.
“Excuse me, husband. I am feeling quite parched. I am going to visit the refreshments table.”
She hurried off before Aaron could protest. Still, she felt his eyes follow her until she got to the table.
The footman there quickly poured her a glass of punch. She had never tried the drink before, and she was pleasantly surprised by how sweet it tasted on her tongue. If she could spend all night here at the refreshments table, she would be happy.
She knew the Dowager Duchess and Lady Sophia would wish to see her engage with the crowd, though. They would want to see her dance, as was befitting of a lady of her station.
She stood near the table and observed the crowd. Names fluttered to the front of her mind with each new face that whirled past her. For those she was unable to name, she tried to commit their faces to memory that she might ask Juliette later. Who would she need to curtsy to? Who would curtsy to her?
She was so lost in her thoughts about what would be appropriate in each interaction that she missed Lady Isabella’s approach. By the time she looked to her left, Lady Isabella had already pinned her with a stare and was making straight for her with a glass of punch.
“Your Grace,” Lady Isabella greeted with a brief curtsy and a smile.
Theresa noted that it was like Juliette’s curtsy. It was shallow and short, a curtsy done only halfway. Theresa longed to show her what a real curtsy to someone of a higher station should look like, now that she had mastered it with Lady Sophia and the Dowager Duchess.
Lady Isabella looked at her with a smirk on her face, a half-smile that did not touch her blue eyes.
“Lady Isabella,” she returned stiffly. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your company this evening?”
“I just came to ask for your permission this evening. I hope you would not mind if I danced with the Duke at least once tonight. I do love dancing.”
Theresa bit her tongue and tried to remember that her actions and words reflected on the Dowager Duchess. She knew Aaron could not care less about what she said and did at this house party.
“I doubt my husband would want to dance with anyone else,” she said, trying to keep her tone light.
