Page 24 of Courting the Earl
She didn’t move, but he saw her reflexive swallow in the way her throat tightened.
“You’re trying to confuse me. Convince me to betray Lydia to get your own way in this.”
She started to turn away, and he surprised himself by reaching for her, stopping her with a hand on her elbow. She could have fled his light hold, but his touch had caused them both to freeze.
“Eleanor?”
He released her at the sound of Lydia Pearson’s voice drifting through the doorway from the other room.
Eleanor turned to face him, tilting her chin up in a show of defiance. “I don’t believe you. This is just another trick. If Lord Stanley doesn’t lure my cousin away, you’re probably hoping I can convince her to speak to her father. But you should know that I won’t betray Lydia no matter how much you might tempt me.”
She turned away and strode from the room, her pace even.
He waited some time before following, hoping to allay any suspicion that they’d been alone in this room together. A smile touched his lips as he considered her parting statement. Eleanor Pearson was tempted by him. He could work with that.
Chapter 13
Eleanor vowed that she would have her emotions firmly in check the next time she saw Lord Hargrove. When they arrived at the ball—their third in the past week—she wouldn’t immediately check to see whether he’d already arrived. She would interact with the other guests and she wouldn’t spend her time anticipating dancing with the man.
It was more difficult than she’d thought possible. Especially when others seemed intent to mention him.
“Lord Hargrove is here,” Lydia said shortly after their arrival.
Eleanor ignored the way her heart leaped at her cousin’s innocent comment. “That’s nice.”
“I wonder if he’ll ask you to waltz again. I’m saving that dance for Lord Stanley.”
She wondered the same thing, but she wouldn’t admit it. Lydia had already remarked on several occasions that Hargrove went out of his way to dance with her. “Perhaps they won’t have a waltz tonight.”
“Oh, I hope they do,” Lydia said with a soft sigh.
Fortunately, the first of a long line of men approached her cousin then and asked her to dance, saving Eleanor from the uncomfortable subject.
She congratulated herself on her discipline when she didn’t glance about the room to see whether she could spot Hargrove. Instead, she made her way over to the group of women with whom she regularly chatted while her cousin danced.
“There you are,” Miss Stapleton said. “I’ve been waiting for your arrival.”
At the age of thirty, Miss Stapleton was never asked to dance. She was at every event, however, because she had a younger sister who was searching for a husband.
Eleanor wondered at the enthusiastic greeting. She settled into a chair by the woman. “Did I miss anything exciting?”
Miss Stapleton liked to keep track of all the dancing couples. If anyone was bold enough to dance twice with the same man, she would announce that it was clear they were now courting.
“Alas, nothing out of the ordinary. But I wished to speak to you about Lord Hargrove.”
Eleanor was unable to keep from searching the dancing couples for the man. She had a sudden fear that she would find him dancing with someone. Thus far, he’d only danced with her or Lydia. The thought that he was now showing preference for another woman left her feeling unsettled.
“He isn’t dancing,” Miss Stapleton said. “Which is why I wanted to speak to you.”
Eleanor forced her gaze back to the woman. It was an effort to keep her expression even as she spoke. “I don’t know the man well.”
“But he dances only with you and your cousin. It is a pattern that is repeated at every ball at which the three of you are in attendance.”
Of course she’d noticed. “His father was a friend of my uncle’s. Our two families are connected only because of that friendship.”
The woman let out a sigh. “I’ll admit that I’m relieved to hear that. I’d worried that he might be courting your cousin.”
Eleanor said nothing lest she betray the complicated situation surrounding Lydia and Lord Hargrove. And if she was being honest with herself, it rankled just a little that it hadn’t occurred to this woman that Lord Hargrove might be showing an interest in Eleanor.
