Page 20 of A Chance to Dance with the Duke
While she no doubt resembled a drowned rat, his clothes molded to his muscles like a second skin.
She was a joke, and he was a Greek statue.
Wonderful.
“I’ll never be invited to another ball,” she muttered.
“Nonsense. This was my fault.” He paused, his wince full of chagrin. “All of it. I will make this right?—”
“Please don’t.”
“Pardon?”
She sighed, all at once weary beyond belief. Maybe it was the weight of her water-logged gown, but she felt weary to the bone. And she was starting to feel immune to whispers as a servant reached them and began to fuss.
The Duke took the blankets from the girl and gave her a quiet, “Please find Miss Taylor’s parents.”
The girl ran off and now it was the Duke who took great care in wrapping her in warmth, making a show of tucking the material under her chin.
“What are you doing?” she whispered.
His gaze met hers. “Making this right.”
She drew in a sharp breath, torn between confusion and anger and a helpless frustration that made her want to run away and weep.
“Are you joking? Is this another joke at my expense?” She hated that she had to ask. But truthfully, she couldn’t make sense of it. Ofhim.How could a man with such kind eyes be so cruel?
“This is not a joke.” He shook his head with a frown. “I want to undo the damage I’ve done to your reputation?—”
With a humorless laugh she pulled away from his touch. “My reputation…”
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. The sound that escaped was a mix of both.
“I was hopeless before you came along. Only my dowry and my father’s status gave me any hint of a prospect. All I had to look forward to was a marriage of convenience. And now…now you’ve ruined even that for me.”
“I only meant to apologize?—“
“Which you did,” she said, her tone sharp. “To my father. He forgave you for making a mockery of me then, and he will undoubtedly do so again.”
“But—“
“So fear not, Your Grace. You will continue to be admired and respected for the sheer fact that you are young, handsome, titled, and wealthy. And I…”
She took a step back, ignoring the pain in her leg as she evaded him when he tried to block her path. “I will continue to be pitied or mocked for my flaws.”
“Miss Taylor?—“
She pulled away when he touched her arm.
“If you wish to make amends, then do me the courtesy of staying away from me.”
“I cannot do that, Miss Taylor because…”
He muttered an oath when she pulled away from him and took off as fast as she could for the house. But she heard him behind her.
“I promise you, I will make this right.”
7
