Page 4 of A Fake Courtship with the Duke
“I am well, thank you,” she mumbled, not surprised when Elizabeth turned back to their parents before she had finished her response.
“Please, come in,” she said. “The rest of the guests should arrive any moment.”
Anne and her family followed her elder sister and the earl to the ballroom, which was the epitome of grandeur, with chandeliers casting shimmering light upon the crowd of guests who mingled on the fringes of the dance floor. Anne's eyes immediately found her dearest friend of two years, Susan, at the opposite end of the room. Susan spotted Anne in the same instant, and she waved merrily at her, motioning her over.
“Excuse me, Mother,” Anne said, pausing long enough to give Charlotte a brief kiss on the cheek. “Susan is calling to me.”
Without waiting for a response and hoping to slip out of her mother’s line of vision in the crowd, Anne vanished, making her way toward Susan. Her dear friend met her halfway, rushing up to her and throwing her arms around Anne.
“I am so glad to see you,” Susan said, beaming at Anne. “Come and talk with me. Tell me how you’ve been lately.”
Anne laughed as Susan dragged her to the refreshment tables, which were arranged vertically along the back wall of the ballroom. Susan fetched two glasses of wine, handing one to Anne, which she took gratefully.
“It is good to see you, too, Susan,” she said. “Mother and Father made sure to embarrass me quite nicely on the way here.”
Susan sighed, shaking her head.
“Are they still upset about last year?” she asked.
Anne nodded.
“And the dinner party where I discreetly admonished the overly forward baron with a gentle tap to his shin beneath the table,” she said, unable to help smiling at the memory. “And the ball where I ‘accidentally’ stomped the drunk earl’s foot when his hand ‘accidentally’ slipped down my back.”
Susan rolled her eyes, shaking her head.
“They should be grateful that you would not subject yourself to such inappropriate behaviour,” she said. “One would thinkthat would reflect more on your character than you defending yourself.”
Anne nodded, taking a generous drink of her wine.
“One would think,” she murmured.
Susan gave her a sympathetic look.
“Well, don’t you worry, my dearest,” she said. “You and I shall remain in each other’s company this evening. I will never be too far away.”
But no sooner than she had spoken the words than a gentleman in a crisp green suit approached. Anne took a step back, knowing full well he hadn’t come to speak to her. Her instincts proved right when he completely ignored her and held out his hand to Susan.
“May I have your first dance, Lady Susan?” he asked.
Susan looked at Anne over her shoulder, looking torn. Anne gave her a reassuring smile, subtly waving her toward the dance floor. After a moment of hesitation, Susan reluctantly turned to face the gentleman.
“Of course,” she said, looking back at Anne once more. “I will be right back,” she mouthed before allowing the gentleman to lead her onto the dance floor.
Anne remained alone near the refreshment table, finishing her first glass of wine, and reaching for another. She knew she should pace herself, as she could hardly afford to get too lightheaded from the wine and end up on the dance floor. But deep down, she knew that she wouldn’t be asked for a dance. And when the first strains of the first dance set of the evening wafted from the orchestra and she still stood alone, she was hardly surprised.
Her thoughts were just beginning to wander and she was preparing for another evening of staying as hidden as possible and doing her best to avoid trouble when Lord Sebastian Gray, the only person in the ton more notorious for his mischief thanshe was for hers, sauntered over to her. Anne froze, not daring to so much as blink, lest she manage to blind herself just enough to trip herself. Or Lord Gray.
“I see that you are as popular as ever on the dance floor,” he said with a snicker. “I do hope your feet aren’t too sore by the end of the night.”
Anne's blood heated instantly, and she turned her face away from him. She wanted to push away the insolent man, but she remembered her promise to herself to not embarrass Charlotte.
“I see that you’re not dancing, either,” she retorted, smiling smugly.
Lord Gray chuckled, purposely bumping into the hand with which she held her wine glass as he reached around her to fetch his own. She managed to keep her grip, but just barely, and her temper rose a few centimeters.
“It is by choice, I assure you,” he said. “I had an important business conversation to finish, and then I felt compelled to pay my respects and offer salutations. But I knew I would have plenty of time for that, seeing as how no one would dare risk dancing with the most impudent lady in the ton.”
Anne’s vision went red and, before she could think better of it, she threw her glass of wine at him. The red liquid coated the white cravat of Lord Gray’s immaculately tailored suit, and the glass tumbled to the floor with a loud thud. It didn’t shatter, but that made no difference. Several people had witnessed her tantrum and soon enough, everyone was once more staring at her.
