Page 81 of Falling Into Bed with a Duke
“That’s not what I meant. It’s just that he seems to be moving very quickly.”
“Which I’m grateful for as I’m aging quickly.” She bit her lower lip. “Trust me, dear brother, I do keep questioning. As it makes no sense whatsoever. He could have anyone. Why me? Is he in debt?”
“Not that I’ve heard.” Her brother knew a great deal about a great many lords. “I can ask around if you like.”
“No. I’m enjoying his attention. I won’t do anything stupid.” Although he would no doubt claim that she already had if he knew about her trips to the Nightingale.
“I think he’s giving you attention because he’s a smart man,” Grace said. “And because he’s enamored.”
“You are a loyal friend, Grace,” Minerva assuredher.
“It’s not that. I watched him the other night. Watched him watching you. In his eyes, I saw admiration, affection, warmth—anytime he looked at you. He paid little attention to the cards you were striving to share with him. All his focus was on you. I think he cares for you. I think that’s why you have garnered his interest.”
“But why this Season? It’s not as though either of us has suddenly burst into the ballrooms. He’s been in them for as long as I have.”
“It has been my experience that when one faces death, one comes away from the encounter with not only a greater appreciation of life but an understanding that it’s incredibly precarious. Perhaps that lion’s pouncing on him made him realize it was time to put his affairs in order and settle down.”
“I suppose you have a point.”
“You enjoy his company, so simply bask in his attentions and be happy.”
“I suppose I do seek out too many answers.”
“Having been in your position of fending off fortune hunters, I know we tend to be suspicious, but when all is said and done, I believe we should trust our instincts. And how he makes us feel.”
She smiled. “He makes me feel treasured.”
“There you are then.”
Grace made it sound so simple, so uncomplicated. Perhaps she had the right of it, and Minerva should simply embrace the moment and, if opportunity arose, embrace Ashe as well.
HE would have preferred not to have three women fluttering their fans in his face or whispering to him behind their hand when he first caught sight of Minerva, but he’d been fending off advances for the better part of half an hour now, and it was growing wearisome. He shouldn’t have arrived as early as he had, but he wanted to ensure she didn’t have too much time to capture anyone else’s attention.
She looked ravishing tonight in her white and silk. He thought of her on other nights in white and silk. She didn’t need the pink roses for embellishment. The sleekness of her lines enhanced the gown all on their own.
The broad smile she’s been wearing when she first walked in dimmed a little when she saw him. He should have made excuses to this trio sooner. “If you ladies will excuse me ...”
“You haven’t signed our cards,” Lady Honoria said.
“I’m afraid I’ve already reserved my dances for the night.” Turning, he searched the crowd for dark auburn hair and pink roses. Finally, he spotted her on the dance floor performing a quadrille. Her partner ... Edward. He stifled a groan. Hopefully, the man was merely serving to keep other would-be suitors away, but if his sister-by-marriage really was advocating that Grey give him less of an allowance, then he might have decided to go into the hunt for a dowry. Edward wouldn’t settle for a pittance. Of them all, Edward was the spendthrift, the one who found pleasure in simply handing over money.
Moving to the edge of the dance floor, Ashe let his irritation float away as he watched Minerva, the grace of her movements, the sparkle in her eyes. He didn’t resent that she was enjoying herself. He merely wished she was with him.
He hated that he needed money. He hated that she had so much. Always his debt and her dowry would be between them. Even if she never learned of his financial situation, he would know. The trick was not to let it matter. But studying her, he feared it would matter a great deal.
The song ended, and the couples began to scatter, Edward leading Minerva off the floor to a distant side. Ashe began wending his way around people, trying not to get sucked into conversations. The next dance was a waltz. He intended to have her in his arms the moment that the first chord was struck.
IN spite of the concentration that the quadrille took, Minerva had been very much aware of Ashe’s gaze on her for a good part of it. She didn’t know why she’d thought he’d be standing off to the side like some wilting wallflower waiting for her to arrive. He’d always attracted the ladies, probably always would.
As Edward escorted her from the dance floor, she had to admit that she’d enjoyed his company, in spite of his irreverent comments regarding what some of the ladies were wearing. Or perhaps because of the comments. He didn’t seem to take himself seriously, and yet she sensed that he was a man within whom still waters ran deep.
“Thank you for the dance,” he said, delivering her to an area where girls were lined up as though they were on a bidding block. He lifted her hand to his lips, pressed a kiss against her knuckles. His eyes shifted slightly, and the humor reflected in them deepened. “Ashe.”
Minerva spun around, not able to go nearly as far as she’d have liked because Edward still had hold of her hand and seemed determined not to release it. She gave it a little shake to gain her freedom, then smiled at Ashe. “Your Grace.”
“Miss Dodger. I believe the upcoming waltz is mine.”
It absolutely, most assuredly was.
