Page 21 of Duke of Bronze
He needed to see her. Soon. Perhaps the delight of her company would divert his frayed mind.
Our outing is not until tomorrow, but I might be able to see her tonight.
"I did not think you were coming tonight." Morgan approached Colin as he stepped into the ballroom.
"I wasn't," Colin admitted, straightening the cuffs of his coat. "But I changed my mind."
Morgan followed his gaze as it swept across the room. A knowing smirk tugged at his lips. "What—or who—truly changed your mind tonight?"
Colin ignored him, but his answer was evident when his gaze landed on a familiar figure standing amidst a group of ladies. Anna. She was turned away from him, laughing at something one of her companions had said. The sight of her—carefree, alive, radiant—stirred a warm and unwelcome feeling in his chest.
As he strode toward her, the ladies noticed him first. They blushed, some of them giggling as they nudged Anna, who turned toward him with a smile that froze the moment she saw him.
"Your Grace," she said, composing herself and curtsying. "I did not expect you tonight."
"I had no intention of coming," he admitted smoothly, his voice lowering just enough to be intimate. "Until I realized I needed to see your lovely face as much as I need to breathe."
Anna let out a short laugh. "Oh, stop being theatrical!"
He caught her gloved hand and pressed a kiss on her knuckles in greeting. The ballroom hushed, and whispers rippled through the room as he held her gaze.Let them think as they wish!He had never cared for society's speculation before, and he would not start now.
"Are you going to introduce us to your duke, Anna?" one of the ladies around them asked.
With a shake of her head, Anna gestured at them. "Your Grace, may I introduce Lady Hester Jensen, Lady Nancy Gallagher, and Lady Fiona Pierce."
"I am delighted to make your acquaintance, ladies." Colin kissed their hands, but he noticed that Lady Fiona blushed deeply as he greeted her. Colin turned back to Anna and said, "Dance with me."
Her fine brows drew together. "Dancing at balls was not part of our arrangement. People will think?—"
"Let them think," he interrupted smoothly. "Where is your sense of adventure? Do you not enjoy nettling society?"
That made her pause, and a slow smile spread across her rosy lips. "That, I do."
"Then waltz with me."
With an exaggerated sigh of resignation, she placed her hand in his. He led her onto the dance floor and all eyes followed them as the orchestra began to play.
His hand circled her small waist, and her eyes widened a fraction. This sent a thrill of satisfaction through him, and he drew her close. Leading her through the most intimate dance ofthe ball was not part of his plans tonight, but planning was futile where she was concerned.
As they moved together, Colin noted the delightful color on her cheeks. "You're flushed."
"It's warm in here," she countered quickly.
"Or perhaps you are flustered," he teased. "Chased all the way to a ball by a man you claim to have no interest in."
"I was not expecting you."
"Is that so? And how, pray, did you know that I was not coming?"
"Peggy is hosting," she said with a light shrug. "Of course I heard you weren't attending."
"That is hardly a valid reason. I think you have simply been keeping account of my movements."
She scoffed. "Dream until the world ends, Your Grace."
And yet, as they continued to dance, her company made his earlier burdens feel distant. The trouble, however, was that as he gazed into her green eyes, and at the freckles that dusted her nose, he was reminded of the woman in Whitechapel.
"Tell me," he said, pausing to twirl her before continuing. “Have you any pastimes beyond your charities and the art of scandalizing theton?"
