Page 89 of Sinful Persuasion of a Lady in the Making
Chapter Thirty-Two
“You don’t have to write your name down out of pity,” Jenny said, shooting Thomas a withering look as he filled in one of the many blank spaces on her dance card. “I’m quite happy not to dance at all.”
“Pity? It’s far from pity, My Dear. Is there really something wrong with my wanting to dance with my sister? And as for not dancing at all, well, I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous. What else is a ball for, if not for dancing?”
“Gossiping,” Alison interjected, leaning over in her chair with a grin.
“Finding an appropriate suitor,” Luke added, in a much more serious tone.
Jenny rolled her eyes, but when she spoke it was with a tease in her voice and a smile on her lips.
“I can’t say I’m particularly interested in any of those.”
“Then you’re doing all three of them wrong,” Thomas said with a chuckle.
“Speaking of the latter, I noticed you talking with the Earl of Bexford.”
“Yes, he seems very…” Jenny trailed off as she searched for the right word, “polite?”
Boring, more like.
“And?”
“And we are to dance, after my dance with Thomas.”
“Excellent news,” Luke said, sitting back in his chair, his hands clasped over his stomach and a grin of satisfaction reaching across his cheeks.
They sat at a corner table, away from the main bustle of the crowd. The ball was already in full swing, and the room crackled with happy, excited energy. Jenny’s dance card had even less names on it than the last time, but she didn’t mind that, not after all that had happened. And, for the moment at least, the whispering about them seemed to have lessened but for the talk of their broken engagement.
And that’s much preferable to talk of my mother.
She would dance with Thomas and Lord Bexford, to keep her brother happy if nothing else, and then she could relax.
“Balls are one of life’s greatest pleasures,” Thomas continued. “You’ve just got to embrace it, that’s all.”
He clutched a glass of sparkling white wine, cradling it to his chest as he spoke with a tender smile. It warmed Jenny’s heart to hear him talk in such a way. It made a pleasant change from the turmoil that was happening in both her head and her home.
“It’s difficult to embrace it when everything seems so dismal,” she mumbled, offering him a weak smile.
“I know, Dear Girl.” He looked over at her with such kindness that she wanted to do as he asked. “But put the sadness away for one night and give life a chance to bring you something else.”
“All right,” Jenny said coyly. She smiled around at each of them.
“And there’s the smile I’ve been trying to get to all week!” Alison cried in mock exasperation.
“Thomas rather has a way with words,” Luke said. “Unfortunately, when I try to say the same things, they come out rather harsher.”
“Different,” Jenny said. “That’s all. And there’s nothing wrong with that.”
The Master of Ceremonies made an announcement and they all turned to the entrance way.
Lady Diana.
Jenny’s gut felt as though it was being tightly twisted, and she felt sick. She peered behind Lady Diana in a desperate attempt to see if she had any companion, even though none was announced. She didn’t know whether she wanted to see someone with her or not, but when Sebastian didn’t appear, the twist in her gut wrenched tighter still.
Of course he is not with her, you fool.
“Uh… if you’ll excuse me,” Thomas said, not taking his eyes off Lady Diana, his voice almost far away. “I ought to greet my guests. I’ll be back to dance later.”
