Page 14 of Enslaved to the Seduction of a Lady
“It is,” he said, nodding. “Would you care to dance?”
Alison wanted to say no. She wanted to say no more than anything in the world. To her, he was at the very least unpleasant, and she had not a single desire to be as close as dancing required.
But she couldn’t say no. It was neither proper nor fair. The Earl had done nothing wrong, nothing to offend her, and so she reluctantly handed her card over to him so he could write his name in the next available space. It was he who would have the next dance, and it was to be a slow waltz.
Alison felt the disappointment as though it had stabbed her. There would be no way to avoid getting close to him now. When the music changed, he approached her keenly. He put an arm around her waist, perhaps a little lower than was strictly proper, and held the other out for her to hold.
His palm was sweaty, and she fought hard to stop herself from sneering in disgust. It was no wonder he smelled so bad if he sweated quite so easily. It was not a particularly hot evening, and the summer breeze did wonders at cooling the air.
“Are you ready, My Lady?” he asked, and as he looked at her she felt oddly naked, as though he were looking at her body rather than at her. She felt entirely on display—a slab of meat at the market. She shivered again, wanting him to look away.
“I am ready,” she said with sigh.
As they danced, he led her around the garden happily, looking over her shoulder rather than looking at her, as though proud to have such a toy on his arm. That, at least, was something. It made her feel a little more comfortable that he was not staring at her anymore. But still, her body was tense, and she held herself as far away from him as was possible.
And Mother thinks he is an acceptable match?
She thought then of Luke, of how she would dance with him. She would fall easily into his arms, breathing him in and letting his hands rove over her. They would laugh, as they always did, and tease each other. But it would be teasing filled with love and desire, a craving for one another—both body and soul. It would not be this horrid, stiff dance she had with the Earl of Belmont.
Alison glanced up at the hill where she knew the servants gathered, and she sighed. As much as she loved her position in life, a good part of her longed to be up there, with him. Even if it meant becoming a maid.
Or I wish for him to be here, instead of this brute of a man.
“You are very beautiful, you know,” he said, still not looking at her, and his words sounded empty, hollow, as though they were mere duty rather than a true belief.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice cracking. She thanked him for nothing, in truth, but she could not be so impolite as to say so.
“I suspect you would make a wonderful wife,” he said.
She didn’t quite know how to react to that. No one had said as such before, and it seemed like an unusual thing to say at all. She blinked rapidly, but that she didn’t reply seemed to be of no bother to him. It was almost as though she wasn’t there—he paid her no heed, not even when he spoke to her. He spoke, it seemed, out of duty only.
When the music ended and there was a pause, she pulled away from him and curtsied—shallow and insincere. He reached out to grab her again but she skipped backwards.
“Thank you, My Lord,” she said. “Perhaps we shall see each other another time.”
Before he could even reply, she scurried quickly away, but not without seeing the smirk on his face.
He sees this as a game!
Her brow furrowed and her cheeks burned with irritation. Her mother could say whatever she wished, but Alison knew she could never marry such a man. Even if it were not for Luke, she could not marry the Earl. She looked again to the hill, searching Luke out, when her sister spoke in her ear.
“Do you have some fondness for that hill?” Teresa asked. “For you seem unable to take your gaze away from it?”
“Nonsense,” Alison said, a forced laugh in her voice. “It is just—” she trailed off, not quite sure what to say. She had no reason to look to the hill or to pine after anyone. How could she explain it to Teresa without giving her all the facts?
Later, she told herself,in a day or two.
“All right,” Teresa said, shrugging. “I was only teasing you.”
“I know,” Alison said, her cheeks reddening even further.
“So,” Teresa asked, raising her eyebrows in question, “how was the dance with the Earl?”
“As good as you could expect,” Alison said with a pout. “Is it just me or is he a particularly unpleasant man?”
“It is not just you,” Teresa said. “I don’t know what Mother was thinking when she said he would make a good husband. He is positively vulgar.”
“Yes,” Alison said wearily. “But Mother and Father are determined to see me betrothed this season, and it seems he is first choice.”
