Page 52 of The Beauty and the Boxer
Jack felt like an ass. Whatwashedoing here? What did he expect to accomplish? Meredith wasn’t goingto be led blindly into anything she didn’t want and yet he had beenworried. But worried about what? That she might pick a gentleman?That they would get married and she would move away and she wouldnever watch him with that curious stare ever again?
Now his frustrations seemed to dissolve intosomething worse. Self-pity. He twisted back toward the ballroom,and slowly began to move around the edges of the dance floor,contemplating what he should do next. He always had a second orthird step planned before taking his first and yet he hadn’tthought through what he wanted to accomplish once he arrived atDragmoor. All he wanted was to get here. And now?
He gazed up to see Meredith again, twirlingand smiling as she danced with a different gentleman from before.What was wrong with him? He had always been so sure, sounwaveringly confident in everything he ever did and yet he wasacting dilettantish. All he wanted was to stop being soconfused.
As the music began to wane, Jack foundhimself walking forward. Dozens of warnings were battling for hisattention in his head and he knew each one of them were sane,rational ideas that would protect him from ridicule and whispers.But his body had a mind of its own and the closer he got toMeredith, the closer he felt to his old, confident self.
Meredith hadn’t realized his approach untilhe was next to her and when she did, her mouth dropped open as hereyes met his. He opened his mouth to speak, but then she smiled sowidely and welcoming that his words stuck in his throat for amoment. She was dazzling.
“Jack,” she said softly as she offered herhand to him. “I thought I saw you.”
He quickly took her fingers and for thefirst time in days, he smiled.
“May I have the next dance?”
“Excuse me, sir, but the lady ispromised—”
“Yes,” she said as she let him pull her awayfrom her previous partner.
Though Jack hadn’t been expecting to dance,he had asked her, if only to be near her, and while he wasn’taccomplished, he was sufficient. He leaned down towards her as theystood before each other, waiting for the music to begin.
“What are you doing here?” Meredith asked,still smiling.
“I came because I thought it would bebeneficial for Simon,” he said smoothly. “I’ve not given the duke afair shake.”
Her eyes seemed to sparkle and he tried toignore it.
“I thought you didn’t dance?”
“I don’t,” he said, as his hands came up tohers. “Unless I want to.”
Her smile deepened as the music sounded. Awaltz began to play as the two joined together. Jack knew they werebeing watched, but it hardly seemed to matter now that he was closeto her. Her smile seemed to shield him from all the tribulations hefelt upon his arrival to Dragmoor.
“I’m glad you came,” she said quietly as sheglanced around them. Her smile faltered. “Oh, dear. We seem to bequite popular.”
Guilt hit him in the chest.
“I’m sorry,” he said after a moment. “Ithappens when I go into nice places.”
She looked back at him and for a moment sheappeared confused before her eyes dropped to his scar.
“Oh,” she said.
They moved together in sync as the sweetsong played and Jack wondered if she regretted dancing withhim.
“You know, it’s rather arrogant of you toassume such a thing,” she said.
“Excuse me?”
“Hardly gentlemanly of you to suppose thatyour appearance is more prominent than the lady you’re dancingwith,” she said, her tone distinctively playful. Was she jestingwith him? “Unless you think I’m not something to gaze at.”
“I didn’t say that. On the contrary, you’reone of the most beautiful creatures in this room.”
Meredith’s cheeks went red.
“That’s not fair,” she said breathlessly asthey moved. “I was only teasing you. You needn’t flatter me. It’snot sporting.”
“I’m not flattering you,” he said. “It’s thetruth.”
