Page 30 of My Secret Duke
Relieved, she left him with his next partner and made her way to Gabriel and Vivienne, only to find Ivo bowing before her, and asking her to dance.
A duty dance, she reminded herself as she agreed, to kill off the speculation. As he took her in his arms, his hands were firm and warm, his steps fluid and elegant. This time, it was Olivia who was stiff and ill at ease in her partner’s arms. Then he smiled at her. A warm, genuine smile. She could not help but smile back, until she remembered the part she was meant to be playing, and hastily wiped it from her face. Perhaps it was better not to look at him at all. She fixed her gaze on the dancers over his shoulder, and she spotted Justina in the arms of Charles Wickley.
“No!”
The word was muffled, but Ivo heard her and glanced around. “Whatever has made you look so fierce?” he asked curiously.
“I think my sister has a tendre for Charles Wickley.” Olivia answered before she could think to stop herself.
“And that is something to be discouraged?” Ivo asked in a puzzled voice.
“I know he is Gabriel’s friend, but he has nothing else to recommend him. And he has a reputation. Justina is too silly to realize he is playing with her.”
At that moment, a smiling and blushing Justina noticed her sister was watching her. She leaned in to speak with Charles. He promptly whirled them away through the crowd and out of sight. Olivia sighed. Sheneeded to mend her fences with Justina, but she didn’t know how. Without her sister to share confidences with, and with Ivo forbidden to her, she felt very alone.
“I apologize for earlier.” Ivo’s soft words interrupted her thoughts.
“It wasn’t your fault. Someone was trying to make trouble for us. Well, me.”
“Georgia looked a little guilty when I escorted her back to the house,” he offered.
Nothing would surprise her about Georgia, but to be fair, her sister could not have done this alone. The letters, the assignation…
“Georgia is a puppet, and someone else is pulling the strings.” And Olivia thought she knew who that “someone” was.
“That sounds very ominous. Who is this puppet master?”
“My mother,” she blurted out. “At least I think so.”
“Ah.” He frowned down at her. “Can I help?”
Surprised, she met his eyes and was momentarily dazzled by their green depths. “No. Thank you. Though that is very generous of you, after…” After his treatment at Gabriel’s hands, and her own.
“I am a very generous person.” He was laughing at her. His mouth twitched, and she tried not to remember kissing those lips. The way he had tugged on her lip so gently, causing an ache of need deep in her belly. It was still there, and this wasn’t helping. The feel of her hand in his, the closeness of his body, the tilt of his head… Dancing with him had been a mistake. She opened her mouth to make some excuse, but he was already speaking.
“Have you repaired matters with the prince? I noticed him giving me dangerous looks.”
Olivia almost tripped, forgetting to concentrate on her steps, but Ivo was such a good dancer, he smoothed over her fumble. “What do you mean?”
“He’s jealous,” Ivo said. “Or at least he thinks he is. Maybe he’s the possessive type.”
“I don’t…” Olivia was about to say, “I don’t know him well enough to tell,” but she guessed what Ivo would think of that.
“Did your grandmother scold you?”
“She reminded me of my priorities.”
Ivo tightened his grip on her hand. “Well, you’re safe for the moment.”
It was an odd thing to say, and yet it was the truth. With him, she did feel safe. Ivo lifted her spirits, made the world a not-so-alarming place. She knew she needed to push him away once and for all because her future was with the prince in chilly Holtswig. Although she would make certain that they spent a good part of the year in London, because what was the point in marrying well if one could not show off one’s good fortune?
Just for a moment, she saw herself in the future, snuggled in a fur-lined cloak with diamonds at her throat and the prince at her side—although he was far more at ease than he was now. Perhaps he had even put on a little weight and was laughing jovially.
“You are plotting something, Olivia,” Ivo spoke close to her ear, his warm breath stirring the curls that lay against her cheek. “You have that dreamy look that bodes ill for someone.”
Olivia gave a brittle laugh. “You have a vivid imagination, Northam.”
He smiled down at her, not believing her for a moment, and once again, she remembered their kisses. It reallywasn’t fair that he had this effect on her. And why did he have that warm, intimate note in his voice? As if despite this room full of people, they were the only ones in it?
