Page 42 of A Chance to Dance with the Duke
She lifted a shoulder, her smile wry. “It’s easier to craft a story others find more palatable, don’t you think?”
His displeasure with this reasoning came out in the form of a growl, which made her smile brighter. “In this household, one must choose her battles wisely,” she said. “It’s not worth arguing over who embarrassed who. What matters is that we have the opportunity to dance together.”
That soothed him somewhat. It made him hope this was a battle he could win…at a later date.
Perhaps once they were sincerely courting.
Or, better yet, when they were married.
Yes, he’d certainly have much to say to her parents after she was well and truly his to protect.
The thought had his arm tightening around her, and he squeezed her gloved hand before realizing he might be crushing her.
Her smile didn’t falter, however. “Shall we try again?”
He couldn’t stop a smile of his own in return if he’d tried. “Let’s.”
And that was how her father found them when he entered the drawing room unexpectedly a short while later.
Grinning like fools as they stumbled and spun around the living room.
Her father’s voice cut through the diverting moment like thunder at a picnic. “What is going on here?”
14
Meg paced the hallway outside her father’s study, the knot in her belly twisting and turning with each phrase she managed to catch.
“...only dancing,” came from Carver. His tone wasn’t loud, but she heard it.
“I’ve looked the other way too many times.” Her father’s voice was loud indeed. Nearly a shout. And Meg knew better than anyone that there was no reasoning with him when he was in this mood.
Carver’s answering response was too low for her to overhear, so Meg used the time to inwardly rant and rail at her own stupidity.
She’d known from the start that this plan was foolish. Her parents wished for nothing more than to marry her off to a man with wealth and a title.
They hadn’t dreamt their disappointment of a daughter could catch the eye of a fellow like Carver, and to make them think it…
To allow anyone to believe it…
She’d known it would end like this.
And yet you went along with it anyway.
Guilt nipped at her heels, and her limp grew more pronounced with each new lap in the hallway.
“Do stop pacing, dear,” her mother said as she rounded the corner to find her there. “And you know better than to eavesdrop. It’s unseemly.”
“I’m not eavesdropping,” she said quickly.
Perhaps too quickly, if her mother’s look of disbelief was anything to go by.
“Are we eavesdropping?” Her brother chose that moment to join them. “What are they saying?”
“Your father’s no doubt insisting that the duke do the right thing,” their mother said, with so little hesitation, it cut through Meg’s scattered thoughts.
She turned to her mother. “Did you know…that Father was going to try and convince Carver to marry me, I mean?”
Her mother’s smile was smug. “One cannot let an opportunity like this one pass, now can one?”
