The Duke snorted. “No, I have no intention of dancing this evening, Miss Renfrew. I find it quite a waste of time.”
“A waste of time?” Rachel found herself saying, as the Duke turned his attention to her again, sending another wave of awareness rushing through her. “Then why do you attend a ball at all, if it is not to dance?”
The Duke of Longford opened his mouth and then snapped it shut again, perhaps uncertain as to what answer to give. His eyes narrowed as though she was the problem, as though she was the reason for his inability to answer, though Rachel onlyheld his gaze with as much strength as she could, refusing to look away.
“There… there are card games,” he said eventually, clearing his throat as he spoke. “I may join them.”
“That is most disappointing,” Miss Renfrew replied, a smile on her face and a glint in her eye. “I am sure that many a young lady would be eager to dance with a Duke and yet, here you are, refusing to do so.”
With a roll of his eyes, the Duke of Longford let out a long and obvious sigh, as though Miss Renfrew’s remarks were not even worth considering.
“I quite agree, Miss Renfrew,” Lord Wrexham replied, a broad smile settling across his face as he looked at the lady rather than to the Duke himself. “A Duke ought to spend his time dancing and conversing with the young ladies of theton, for that will bring them a great deal of happiness, will it not?”
“I am afraid that I care very little about bringing happiness to others,” the Duke interrupted, before either Rachel or Miss Renfrew could reply. “I am not inclined to dance and thus, I shall not.”
“A great pity indeed,” Miss Renfrew sighed, though she laughed as she said it in clear response to the Duke’s angry scowl. “Though I confess that I am very contented with the dances I have at present and would not be particularly enamoured with dancing with a Duke.”
Rachel’s heart clattered as the Duke’s eyebrow lifted, his scowl quickly fading as his eyes then turned towards her. He waited, that eyebrow lifting all the higher as though he were waiting for her either to agree with her friend or say otherwise. She licked her lips, her mouth a little dry, struggling to know what to say.
“I – I would be accepting of anyone who wished to dance with me,” she said, eventually, “though I highly doubt that my dance card will be filled this evening.”
“I am sure that is not true,” Lord Wrexham said immediately, though Rachel offered him a small smile but shook her head, quite certain that was she had said was the truth of the matter. “You are going to be approached by a good many gentlemen during the course of the evening, I am quite sure of it.”
“You are very kind,” Rachel replied, relieved that she was no longer required to speak to the Duke of Longford directly. “However, my mother is not inclined towards introducing me to any gentlemen or ladies present and therefore, I cannot have the same expectation.”
“That is disappointing, I am sure,” Lord Wrexham replied though Rachel herself immediately tried to laugh, throwing that remark aside. Perhaps she ought not to have said anything.
“I think youmustsign Miss Grifford’s dance card now, Your Grace.” Lord Wrexham turned his attention towards Rachel, his eyes steady and a little grave. “Come now, there can be nothing wrong with dancing onlyonedance. After all, Miss Renfrew has stated that she does not want to dance and therefore, the only person you would be standing up with would be Miss Grifford!”
“Oh no, I should not like to trouble His Grace,” Rachel said quickly, her face bursting into flame as she shook her head quickly, seeing the way the Duke frowned. “That is a kind thought, Lord Wrexham, but I did not say any of that in order to encourage His Grace to dance. I only spoke the truth such as it was.”
“I see.” Lord Wrexham smiled at her and then turned his attention back towards the Duke of Longford in clear expectation of him saying something. Rachel could not bring herself to look at him, however, her face still burning hot, hereyes dancing from one place to the next rather than look the Duke of Longford in the face. She ought not to have said any such thing as that, ought not to have said a word about dancing or her mother or the like, for no doubt the Duke of Longford would now believe that she had been attempting to manipulate him into signing her dance card – which was precisely the opposite of what she wanted.
“It is as Lord Wrexham has said,” the Duke muttered, eventually. “I am sure your dance card will be filled very soon, Miss Grifford.”
“Though I am the very first to have signed it,” Lord Wrexham murmured out of the corner of his mouth – perhaps spoken so quietly so that Rachel would not hear it but Rachel heard it nonetheless, her whole being seeming to erupt into flames of embarrassment. “I am sure that if the Duke of Longford was seen standing up with the lady, then Miss Grifford would have no difficulty in securing other dances.”
“You ask too much, Lord Wrexham,” the Duke replied, just loud enough for Rachel to hear. “I have already made myself clear. I have no intention of dancing this evening, not even for some poor little miss who cannot find other gentlemen to dance with her.”
Tears began to burn in Rachel’s eyes at this and she turned away without so much as a word of excusal. The Duke had truly injured her with his harshness and tears began to drip down onto her cheeks, her chest tight as sobs threatened to break through. She heard Miss Renfrew’s voice beside her, felt her arm around her shoulders but she could say nothing for fear that her tears would begin to pour with great rapidity. Her heart aching, she permitted Miss Renfrew to guide her to the back of the ballroom where, once more, she stepped into the shadows and allowed them to cover her. This, Rachel supposed, as ahandkerchief was pressed into her hand, was precisely where a young lady such as herself, belonged.
Chapter Six
“What is the matter with you?”
Andrew frowned, seeing the anger burning in his friend’s eyes. “Whatever is the matter?”
“Are you being genuine in your question?” Lord Wrexham demanded, throwing up his hands. “Pray tell, are you genuinely earnest in your statement?”
“Of course I am.” Andrew’s frown grew bigger, taking in the way his friend almost exploded with exasperation. “I do not understand what the trouble is.”
“The trouble is that you have just insulted Miss Grifford!” Turning, Lord Wrexham flung out one arm in the direction the ladies had gone. “Did you not see that?”
Andrew hesitated, a swarm of guilt beginning to wrap around his heart. “I – I could not say.”
“That is nonsense and you know it is so,” came the immediate reply. “I know full well that you recognise that what you did and what you said only a few minutes ago was injurious to Miss Grifford. Or did you not notice the way her eyes flooded with tears?”
Something struck hard at Andrew’s heart. “She was crying?”