Page 28 of An Icy Christmas Engagement
She nodded, solemn. “Did you know him well?”
“My father did, so I knew him in passing. He was a good man. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Her rueful smile grew, eyes gleaming with something he could not put his finger on. “Have I ruined my air of mystery with such somber information about myself?”
He shook his head. They moved with such unison that he hardly had to think about what he was doing. He wasn’t thinking about anything really, except the beautiful lady in his arms.
“Not quite,” he admitted. “There is still much that I am curious about.”
“Such as?”
“Such as why you took interest in me that day, to the point of nearly injuring yourself.”
Her laugh was like the song of sirens, light and enticing. “I shan’t say. A lady mustn’t give away too many of her secrets in one night.”
“I suppose this means that I will have to work to uncover those secrets then,” Cedric murmured.
She met his eyes, her smile falling as she nodded. “I hope you are not daunted by that fact. As candid I may be, I am not an open book.”
“I beg to differ. I think I know quite a number of things about you already.”
“Oh? Such as?”
“You do not enjoy dancing unless, of course, you have the right dance partner. You aspire to become a wallflower, a feat rather impossible considering you possess beauty that cannot be ignored. You have a smile capable of stopping men in their tracks and a laugh that keeps others from thinking straight. I think that is quite a number of things to know about a lady whose name I’ve only just learned, don’t you?”
Her smile was completely gone now. And the look in her eyes could easily be deciphered: stunned.
“That is not fair,” she said at last. “You must have taken those words straight from Lord Byron. And I can hardly beat that.”
Cedric’s laughter surprised him more than it surprised her. “It is not a competition, my lady.”
“I know that,” she said with a nod. And then again, “I know that,” as if she was trying to convince herself.
“And besides, I do not waste my time reading such things. My interests are more likened to philosophy and history.”
“Interesting topics to be certain. I enjoy all books and I am a firm believer that one should have a healthy dose of fiction and non-fiction.”
“Fiction?” He frowned. “Like novels?”
“Yes.” It felt as if her eyes were boring into him. “Is there something wrong with that?”
He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “I must admit that I have never been drawn to them. But given that fact, I cannot say for certain if I would enjoy them or not.”
She visibly brightened. “I could give you a few recommendations, if you wish. I could give you a wide variety, from mysteries to drama to romance.”
“Something tells me I would not be able to say no.”
“Do you want to?” she asked with a raised brow.
He shook his head with surprising ease. “I must admit that I am intrigued.”
“Then it is settled.” Cedric watched that beautiful smile stretch across her face once more. The set came to an end andthey were forced to stand apart, much like she did with her other dance partners. Only this time, she did not seem to be in any rush to leave. She kept grinning even as she sank into her curtsy.
“Caroline!” An older, more ample version of Caroline hastened to her side. Cedric had no choice but to assume that she was Caroline’s mother. They were spitting images of each other. “Lord Sotheby is about to take his leave. We must bid him adieu.”
“Mother, I am in the middle of—”
“The dance is over, so you needn’t—” Caroline’s mother stopped in her tracks the moment she noticed Cedric. Her lips parted, eyes widening.
