Page 5 of Pining for Lord Lockhart
But he was completely unaffected by her not-so-subtle rejection. “I know you have a notion as to what I’m capable of already, but I shall prove you wrong. I shall prove”—he leaned closer again—“that I can be so much more.”
He held her close as she danced in a circle at his side; they moved around each other in variations of the Waltz, her mind spinning with thoughts she could never say. How nice to entertain such a handsome man. But she knew, every part of her knew, he was up to no good. That as soon as he’d conquered her, the unconquerable, he would move on. And so she said nothing. And she determined that evening to spend time deciding what to say in just such a situation when her mind shut off. She laughed.
“Have I pleased you?” He smiled.
“Not precisely.”
“Oh? And just what are you feeling, Miss Charity?” His finger, ever so subtly, ran a line down the bareness of her back.
“I’m feeling like you speak the truth. You are a handsome man, Lord Wessex. But winning my mind will be a challenge indeed.”
She’d meant to dissuade him but instead, his eyes glowed with recognition. “One I can hardly resist. You must know.”
And then she realized her mistake. The challenge was his greatest pleasure. “No, that’s not—”
“Say no more. I shall show you by and by.” The music ended, and he bowed. “That was a most informative dance. Thank you.”
He led her to a frowning duchess, made his bows, and then moved across the room and out the door to the cards.
“Well!” The duchess fanned herself. “That was something to behold.”
Charity clung to her arm for strength, to regroup. “What?”
“Your waltz. I’ve never seen such a sizzling pair.”
“Sizzling?” She shook her head. “He has said he will not desist. He wants to win.”
“Did he now!” She grinned, obviously thrilled with something. “This Season will be delectably entertaining and wildly successful, if that’s the case.”
Charity didn’t know how that would possibly be the case. But she did know she was in desperate need of a lemonade. And a chair. “Do you think…” She looked around her.
Lord Lockhart joined them. “Would you like a lemonade? You must be positively parched.”
“I am. Oh thank you, yes.”
The duchess smiled kind eyes at him. “You have arrived at the perfect moment.”
“Have I?” He looked from one to the other in some form of confusion.
“Yes, where have you been?” Her eyes turned to him, seeking answers, but he shrugged. “I’ve been here, same as you. Perhaps not dancing with half the ton.” His eyes held more questions.
But she had no answers to give, and apparently neither did he.
“Can we get that lemonade? And then a chair? I might faint here and now.”
“Well, none of that. No one has heard any of your treatises on the plight of the poor yet.”
“No, they haven’t.”
“It has been an odd bit of a ball perhaps?”
“Certainly.” She shook her head.
He seemed to be studying her more closely, but they made their way to the refreshment tables in silence.
The music began again. And once she’d downed the whole of her lemonade, he handed her another. But she now felt overheated. With her fan out, she looked about the room for a perhaps less crowded corner.
“Would you like to take a walk in the gardens?”
