Page 17 of The Uncouth Duke of Longford
“Yes, ofcourseshe does,” the other Miss Grifford said, emphasizing it so strongly, Andrew understood precisely what it was that she was hoping for. It was clear that the other Miss Grifford was hoping for a chance to dance with him also, though Andrew had no intention of giving it. The only reason he was dancing with Miss Grifford was because he had stated he wished to and he was not about to go back on that now and embarrass her even more.
“I confess, I am surprised that you would wish to dance with Rachel rather than asking for Bettina’s dance card, Your Grace.”
Andrew looked up from where his pencil had been hovering over the dance card, mentally deciding which dance he would take. “I beg your pardon?”
Miss Grifford’s mother – Lady Carmichael, if he remembered correctly – was looking back at him with one arched eyebrow.
“I asked why you appear so eager to dance with Rachel when my eldest daughter, Bettina, is standing here,” she said again, gesturing to the elder Miss Grifford who immediately smiled and then batted her eyelashes. “Rachel is nothing particularly special, Your Grace, but my eldest Bettina… as you can see…”
Andrew did not know what to say to this. He could not think of what to say, could not imagine what it was that Miss Rachel Grifford was thinking and feeling at this very moment and, as he looked to Miss Bettina Grifford, found his stomach clenching and his heart beginning to pound furiously. Miss Bettina Grifford, rather than showing any sort of embarrassment, being at all disappointed with her mother’s words or worried about her sister was, instead, beaming up at him as though what her mother had said was the most incredible thing in all the world. Andrew swallowed the knot in his throat, looking back at Miss Rachel Grifford and seeing how her head dropped low and how her gaze settled to the floor.
Shame swallowed him up and he closed his eyes for a moment, recalling all that he had said to Miss Grifford at the previous ball and realizing now just how fully his words had cut into her.
He was utterly ashamed of himself.
“The polonaise, Miss Grifford?” he said, a little more loudly than he had intended, ignoring both Lady Carmichael and the grinning Miss Bettina Grifford. Putting his pencil to the dance card, he signed his initials for the polonaise and then hesitated. “And the waltz.”
He heard the swift intake of breath from Miss Rachel Grifford and caught the way Miss Bettina Grifford looked straight to her mother, her eyes rounding. Finding himself smiling, he handed the dance card back to Miss Rachel Grifford and turned to her fully, ignoring Miss Bettina Grifford entirely.
“I do hope that you will be contented with that?” he asked her, seeing her look up at him with wide eyes. “I will come in search of you later this evening.” So saying, he snapped his heels together and then turned to move away.
“Your… your Grace?”
Andrew glanced back over his shoulder, seeing Lady Carmichael’s wide eyes staring at him with what appeared to be utter shock in her expression. “Yes, Lady Carmichael?”
“Are… are you…?” She closed her eyes for a moment, drew in a breath and then set her shoulders, gazing up at him. “Might you be dancing with anyone else, Your Grace?”
He shook his head. “No, I do not think so.”
“You have no desire to dance with my other daughter?” There was a slight hint of surprise melded with irritation which wrapped through her words, making Andrew’s stomach twist.
“I have no intention of dancing with anyone else,” he stated, firmly, “save for Miss Renfrew.”
“Then… then you will only dance with two young ladies this evening?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“But… ” Lady Carmichael seemed to run out of things to say, finding herself staring back at him with such wide eyes, Andrew could not help but smile. She could not question him as to why he was only dancing with two young ladies and certainly could not state that he was doing something wrong by pursuing only these two. Nor could she ask why he was choosing not to dance with her eldest daughter for no one had any right to question a Duke! With a nod, his smile growing a little more, Andrew turned and made his way back through the ballroom, finding a sense of satisfaction growing steadily within him.
Though, he considered, his brow furrowing, he wouldhaveto find Miss Renfrew and beg a dance from her. If she refused him, he would have to explain that it was only so that thetondidnot take notice of his two dances with Miss Grifford and surely she would understand that? Thereafter, Andrew considered, he would have to give a genuine apology to Miss Grifford for what he had said to her at the previous ball. It was only now, when he had heard and seen Lady Carmichael’s disregard of her, that he had finally realized just how much his words had pained her. Now that he had seen it, now that he understood it, the realization of what he had done swallowed him up with guilt and a true apology was certainly required of him.
And I will give it,he told himself, firmly.The very moment I take her out to dance, I shall make certain she knows just how sorry I truly am.
“The polonaise went very well, Miss Grifford, so I can safely assume that our waltz will be the same.”
Miss Grifford looked up at him with wide eyes, her lip catching between her teeth and, much to Andrew’s surprise, he felt his heart swell suddenly. Whatever this feeling was, whatever sensation had caught him, he was not particularly pleased by it and quickly looked away from her.
“There is something I wish to say to you before we dance,” he continued, a little frustrated that he had not managed to find the words before they had danced the polonaise. To his frustration, he had been rather nervous and now that this second opportunity was upon him, Andrew knew he had to take his chance to speak to her all that was on his mind.
“Oh?” Miss Grifford looked up at him but then pulled her gaze away from him again just as quickly.
“Yes, I… ”Why do I find this so difficult to say?He harrumphed and then turned, stepping back from her so they might bow and curtsy to one another before the waltz began. “I must apologise for what I said to you at the previous ball.”
“You have apologised already, Your Grace.”
“Yes, but not with any sincerity,” he admitted, a little darkly. “I see now that my words must have cut right through you, must have caused you a great deal of pain and for that, I am truly sorry. I ought never to have said a word and indeed, I believe that I did so out of frustration and irritation. I did not want to dance and I was frustrated with Lord Wrexham’s attempts to encourage me to do so but all the same, I should never have said a single word to you in that regard.” He put one hand to his heart and then bowed low. “I beg your forgiveness, Miss Grifford.”
She blinked at him and then sank into her curtsy, as was required and expected before their waltz. “I thank you for your honesty, Your Grace. It is much appreciated.”
