Page 44 of The Lady Who Said No to the Duke
‘Well, heisthe most eligible man in London,’ Thea said, making a joke of it because she feared her feelings were beginning to show on her face.‘Surely you have noticed that all the young ladies are pointed towards him like a compass needle finding true north, Mr Haddon.’
That provoked a mixture of laughter and indignant denials and the party became quite lively.Thea felt her balance beginning to return.She did not want to marry the Duke of Leamington, so, really, who he did find attractive, or flirt with, or end up married to, was absolutely of no concern to her.
And then she saw a dark head across the room and recognised instantly, even through the press of bodies in the supper room, Hal’s relaxed, easy walk.
I do not want to marry the Duke of Leamington, but I do want to marry Hal Forrest.Because I love him.
It was a shock, one that jolted her into swallowing a piece of pastry unchewed.Thea choked and coughed and was patted on the back and offered water and Champagne simultaneously.
Eventually she recovered herself, dabbed at her watery eyes and apologised.Then she saw, standing behind Mr Haddon, the tall figure of the Duke.He raised an eyebrow in query and their eyes met and she found herself nodding in answer to the unspoken question.
Yes, I am quite all right.
Then he was gone, back to his table, which was the other side of the room.How had he known it was her?Perhaps her coughing and spluttering had been so loud and unladylike that it had attracted attention from right across the room.Or perhaps he was as aware of her as she was of him.
Something like hope blossomed and then faded.Hal was a gentleman and, whatever she had said before he left her parents’ house, he would feel obligated to renew his suit if she showed signs of changing her mind.She could flirt with him, offer encouragement, and he would respond and propose again and she would have no idea whether his feelings were engaged in the slightest.
He had been a good friend to her when she had not known who he was and he had still ben that friend when he had agreed so readily not to marry her.She winced at the thought of how unpleasant it would have been if she had been left to fight against her parents unsupported or just how difficult he could make her life now if he chose to.
But that was simply friendship and honour, wasn’t it?She would be deluding herself if she imagined anything else might change in his feelings.
‘Do you not think so, Lady Thea?’
‘I— Oh, I am sorry, I quite missed what you said, Lady Penelope.’Thea fixed a determined smile on her face and set herself to be sociable.She had to get through the evening somehow, and without allowing herself to dwell on the knowledge that she had been so utterly foolish as to fall in love with the Duke of Leamington.
And then she remembered that she had promised him the dance following supper.
* * *
Thea had finished supper without either choking on anything else, or, she was fairly certain, allowing her distraction to show.
She had also come to a conclusion about how to behave with Hal.She would be pleasant, friendly, but not flirtatious.If he showed any inclination to flirt with her, then she would respond.In other words, she would not put herselfforward, but neither would she repel him.They were friends already, she told herself.Nothing would change that, unless she let it.
Then, surely, if he had any inclination towards asking her to marry him he would let that show and she could offer more encouragement.
Could she marry a man who did not love her?Yes, she told herself firmly.She had never expected love, after all.Hal never need suspect anything and she would make an admirable duchess, she was sure of it.
Or might he suspect?Just how easy would it be to pretend in the marriage bed?She was aware of what happened, improbable and deeply embarrassing as it sounded, but she guessed that it might be a more revealing process in more senses than that of being naked together with a man.
Cross that bridge when you come to it, she told herself firmly.
And then discovered that the man in question was standing in front of her, his hand extended, ready to lead her onto the dance floor for the promised country dance.
At least we both have all our clothes on, Thea thought and felt herself blush, the blood rushing to her cheeks in a wave of heat.
It was not her imagination—Hal was looking at her with some concern.‘Are you quite well, Thea?’he asked as they took their places.‘We can always sit this out if we go now.’
‘Oh, it is nothing,’ she said lightly, quailing at the thought of spending all that time sitting talking with him.‘I am just a trifle embarrassed after causing such a scene in the supper room.’
‘A frog in the throat?’he asked with a grin.
‘A sudden shock when I had just taken a mouthful of pastry,’ she confessed, feeling more comfortable now theywere standing side by side and he was no longer looking at her pink cheeks.
‘What?Who?’he demanded, making her jump.‘Did someone offend you?’
‘No, nothing like that.It was all my own fault.Entirelymy own fault.Now,shh.’
Their set formed up, the music began and, thankfully, Thea found herself with no space to think and certainly no time to stand still and talk to Hal.A happy little voice inside was trying to tell her how protective he had sounded when he asked if anyone had caused her to choke and she trampled on it firmly.Being unrealistic, snatching at every encouraging sign, could only lead to heartache.
