Page 53 of An Icy Christmas Engagement
The truth was, she only wanted to see Cedric.
Save me a dance.
She’d been hearing his voice play over and over in her mind all the way to Whitmore House and, now that she’d arrived, Caroline was downright giddy with excitement.
“Lord Sotheby is by the orchestra,” Elizabeth whispered excitedly in her ear. “We should go to greet him.”
“And that, ladies,” Louisa drawled as she walked by, “means I shall avail myself with another less dreadful mode of entertainment.”
Caroline giggled and Elizabeth shook her head disappointedly at that. But her mother’s attention could not be deterred for long.
“Come, Caroline,” she said, taking her by the arm. “We could use this night to make up for your discourtesy yesterday.”
“Mother, I have only just arrived,” Caroline protested, trying not to make it obvious that she was looking around the room. “Won’t I look desperate if I seek him out the moment I enter? We have not even greeted the hosts.”
“A little desperation is necessary at times, Caroline,” her mother insisted. “How will Lord Sotheby know that you are interested in him if you do not show it?”
“I am not interested in him,” Caroline reminded her but Elizabeth only rolled her eyes.
“Interested in marriage,” she exaggerated, as if that had not been clear enough. “Not love.”
Caroline would have argued with her had her eyes not landed on a familiar pair of broad shoulders. He was standing with a familiar looking gentleman, looking as devilishly handsome and unapproachable as he always did. But then their eyes met and he straightened a bit, the constant glower on his face dispersing.
“Mother, I shall go to see Lord Sotheby soon,” she said quickly. “I would just like to greet someone first.”
“Who?” Elizabeth asked with a frown.
Caroline knew better than to answer that question. She gently untangled herself form her mother’s arms and started towards the earl, a smile stretching across her face. He too began to smile, watching her come towards him.
Then someone slid into her path. Caroline nearly snarled when she looked up at Lord Sotheby.
“Caroline,” he greeted with a grin. “At last, you have arrived. I have been longing to see you ever since we parted ways so suddenly yesterday.”
“Lord Sotheby,” she said slowly, making a point of not using his given name. “I must apologise for how abruptly I left that day. I should have been a little clearer in how urgently I had to leave, so that you may understand.”
“I’m afraid I do not understand very well. But Lady York did assure me that I would be made aware of the situation during tonight’s ball.”
“Did she now?” Caroline pushed through gritted teeth.
“Would you like a drink, Caroline? Come with me. Perhaps we could talk a bit more about it so you could help me to understand. I am still terribly confused, you see.”
Equal bouts of guilt and irritation seized her at once. She floundered for a protest but nothing came to her lips, leaving her with no choice but to allow Lord Sotheby to lead her away.
She glanced over her shoulder to see Cedric staring after her. She hoped to offer him an apologetic look but then the sight of him was quickly swallowed up by the moving bodies around her.
Caroline tried to mask her disappointment as best as she could. It was bound to be a long night after all. These balls rarely finished until well into the morning., She would have plenty of time to share in Cedric’s company later.
***
Cedric watched as Caroline was led away and fought that insane bout of jealousy that seized him by the throat. It was a difficult battle. He didn’t like the way Lord Sotheby looked at her nor the way he seemed to find every opportunity to get closer to her. Caroline was polite, accepting the glass of orgeat lemonade he handed to her and nodding along to whatever he was saying, but Cedric could tell that her attention was elsewhere. That was the only thing keeping him from marching right over and stealing her away from him.
“She is a beauty, isn’t she?”
Cedric stiffened at Grace’s approach. He quickly averted his eyes, adopting that impassive expression she was accustomed to seeing on him.
“Who?” he asked boredly.
“Lady Winterbourne,” Grace said. “It is quite a shame that her husband died so quickly.”
