Page 39 of An Offer for a Spinster
It was Timothy, and he looked determined. A wave of affection swept over Katherine, more powerful than she might have expected.
Lord Barwood followed her gaze, and his expression dropped sourly.
“Mr. Timothy Rutherford,” he said lightly. “How unexpected.”
“How pleasant to see you, Timothy,” the Duchess said, her tone indicating that it was anything but. “I believe Katherine was just saying how much she would like some lemonade.”
He smiled tightly. “I’m afraid I didn’t come over here to fetch lemonade, your Grace. I came to see if Lady Katherine would like to dance.”
Lord Barwood was glaring at Timothy as if he hoped to bore a hole through his head with his gaze. Timothy smiled easily back, meeting his gaze unflinchingly.
“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Timothy?” Lord Barwood said easily. “I seem to recall you have two left feet. We wouldn’t want our dear Lady Katherine to be embarrassed, would we?”
Timothy’s gaze slipped past Lord Barwood, landing on Katherine. When their eyes met, a strange frisson ran through her. It was an odd feeling, something she hadn’t experienced before.
Might be a chill. Or maybe I’m just extremely tired.
“I’ll try my best to live up to Lady Katherine’s high standards,” he said lightly.
Katherine got to her feet, shaking out her skirts. “I should love to dance, Timothy. Lead the way.”
He smiled, holding out his hand. She took it.
“It’s not like you to stand up to Lord Barwood,” Katherine commented, letting Timothy lead the way through the crowd.
“I am aware I’m usually quite a coward,” he said over his shoulder, smiling tightly.
“Coward is not the word I’d use. I would have said reserved, or perhaps even a peacemaker. You don’t care to use sharp words and confrontations, and that is not something to hold against you,” she responded. Was it her imagination, or did his fingers tighten around hers, just a little?
“You’re very kind. I thought you needed rescuing.”
“You’re right,” she chuckled. “Lord Barwood and my dear mother seemed intent on cornering me all night. If you could keep me away from them, I’d appreciate it.”
“Your mother seems to approve of Lord Barwood as a suitor for you.”
She glanced sharply up at him, and Timothy bit his lip, looking away. It was too personal a question, and they both knew it.
But then, don’t I know him as well as I know my brothers?
“She does,” Katherine responded at last. “I can’t blame her, I suppose. All she wants is for us to all be respectable and happy. I could do worse than an earl.”
Timothy was quiet for a long moment after that. They took their places on the dance floor, the air shimmering with anticipation. It was going to be a waltz, Katherine realized with a flutter of excitement. The waltz was still causing a stir in the polite world, after all.
Would I have agreed to the dance if I had known?She wondered briefly. The answer came almost at once.
Yes.
The music began, and the partners bowed and curtsied to each other. Katherine and Timothy moved towards each other, neither of them speaking. The position was closer than she was comfortable with, her chin almost brushing his shoulder, their fingers interlaced, his hand resting on her waist, hers on his shoulder.
When did Timothy get this tall?She wondered, suppressing a smile.It seems like only yesterday William and he were so small. But then, of course, I was small, too.
“I have yet to become proficient in the art of the waltz,” Timothy said, breaking the silence.
“Me neither. Still, one must move with the times, yes? Fashion and time wait for no one.”
“Is that a quote?” she said, laughing. “FromKey to Emmeline Manor? The L. Sterling novel?”
“Yes, it is. I should really quote from different novels, shouldn’t I? You’ll think that’s all I read.”
