Page 55 of An Icy Christmas Engagement
Cedric frowned. He looked back at Isabella, but her eyes were on the floor, her head bowed. He wasn’t used to seeing her like that. The woman he’d fallen in love with had always carried herself with the kind of confidence only a beautiful lady could possess.
“Isn’t that right, Isabella?” Simon asked, his smile far too broad. She nodded slowly, not raising her head.
Cedric didn’t buy a word of it. But he didn’t want to stand around her talking with them any more than he needed to.
“What do you say?” Simon asked him. “Why don’t we put aside these hard feelings and go back to who we used to be?”
“I would rather throw myself into the deepest parts of the ocean,” Cedric told him. “Do not approach me like this again. I’m getting tired of it.”
Then he walked away, his mood far too ruined to be in the company of anyone else right now.
Chapter Sixteen
Cedric was standing just a few feet away from her.
Caroline was so aware of that fact that she couldn’t focus on a single thing the gentleman standing before her was saying. She couldn’t even remember his name or title, only that her mother had dragged him into her path a few minutes ago just when Caroline had found Cedric in the midst of it all again.
“Wouldn’t you say so, my lady?” the gentleman said.
“Hm, yes,” she hummed thoughtlessly, not bothering to look up at him. Caroline honestly didn’t care if he was offended by her lack of attention. She was too busy willing Cedric to turn around.
They were already an hour into the ball and they were yet to cross paths. Caroline couldn’t believe it.
It was easy to see that they wanted to see each other. When she’d managed to slip away from Lord Sotheby, Cedric had disappeared. She tried to look around the ballroom but could only do so much when she was being hounded by her mother.
Elizabeth was determined to ensure that Caroline was never without male company. When she got away from Lord Sotheby, Elizabeth appeared minutes later with two gentlemen on either side of her, sandwiching Caroline between them. Only then did Cedric reappear and their eyes met from across the room. But his attention was torn away by another gentleman.
It was a constant back and forth, going around in circles. Caroline was nearing her wit’s end.
“You do not seem to be listening to me, my lady,” the man said at last, sounding irate.
Caroline blinked up at him. For a moment, she considered apologizing and coming up with an excuse for why her mind was so distant, but why bother? If she was being honest with herself, she would take any route that was bound to get her out of this conversation sooner.
“I’m not,” she said at last. “I am simply not interested.”
The gentleman scowled at that and looked as if he was ready to argue when Louisa appeared.
“I do think that is your cue to leave, my lord,” Louisa said, slipping in front of him. With her back turned, she completely shut him out, which gave him no choice but to walk away to lick his wounded ego elsewhere.
“Thank you,” Caroline breathed. “I can only hope Mother will leave me be for a short while.”
“As do I.” Louisa was studying her curiously. “It is not like you to be so rudely blunt.”
“Was I too short with him?” Caroline asked uncertainly. “I was only hoping that would be enough to get him to leave me be.”
“You’ll hear no complaints from me. I, for one, would be happy if you were a little less nice.”
“Why would I do that when I have you?”
Louisa laughed. “Pray, do not provoke me, Caroline. I’m on my fourth glass of wine and it has since loosened my tongue.”
“Fourth?” Caroline gasped in surprise. “Others will certainly have something to say about that.”
“Perhaps. Perhaps not. I believe they may be far too interested in the Ice Earl staring at you from across the room to care about my overindulgence.”
Caroline felt her face grow hot. She was so painfully aware of where Cedric stood but she didn’t dare turn. “Is he looking at me now?”
Louisa gave her a look of surprise. “Yes, he is. Do you want me to tell him or—”
