Page 5 of The Duke and the Lady in Red
He showed her the gaming room that was for men only. It was much like the salon: dark and ominous. Masculine. It spoke of power and wealth. How she would like to be a fly on the wall in here.
With few words uttered, he escorted her back to the main salon. But he was a man who communicated nonetheless. With a touch to her elbow, the small of her back, her shoulder. Light and quick caresses, but still there was an air of possessiveness to them. He was not completely immune to her charms. He was simply striving not to be sucked in too far.
“Dance with me,” he said.
His words startled her. Inwardly she cursed herself for losing her composure for a moment, for letting him take her off-guard. “I’m not certain why but I didn’t think you were one to dance.”
“Normally, I’m not, but my mother spent a fortune on lessons. I should put them to use now and again. Would you prefer to dance here or in the ballroom?”
“There is a separate room for dancing? I somehow missed that.”
“Something tells me you don’t miss much.”
And neither did he. She considered making her excuses, leaving now before things went too far, before she was the one sucked in, the one not thinking clearly, but it had been a good long while since anyone intrigued her. He was mysterious. Based upon how few people stopped to speak with him, she suspected he was not known for being interested in their affairs and was known for not sharing his. She could take advantage of his tendency toward privacy.
“I should like to see the ballroom,” she said.
“If I must walk that far for a dance, I shall have to have two.”
“That would be rather scandalous, wouldn’t it?”
“You’re past the first blush of innocence. I suspect scandal suits you.”
“In all honesty I try to avoid it, but I have not danced in ages, not since my husband’s passing,” she felt obligated to say. Wrapping her hand around his arm, she gave him a smile intended to charm, to make him feel as though he were the only man in the room worthy of her attention. “Lead on.”
As he escorted her through the rooms and hallways, she caught the speculative glances, the raised eyebrows. It was to her advantage to garner attention, but not too much. A woman was always best served by keeping an air of mystery about her.
The ballroom was magnificent. Glittering chandeliers. Mirrored walls. A balcony with an orchestra of at least a dozen. Lilies emitted their sweet fragrance into the air. Ah, yes, Drake Darling was providing a place for the untitled wealthy to socialize with the nobility. Clever man. He had brought all she sought into one convenient place. She would have to send him a note of appreciation when the time came.
“You seem impressed,” Avendale said.
“I appreciate elegance.” And it was important that she remember every detail. She would no doubt be grilled on them when she returned home. “I shall have to do something similar with my ballroom. It’s in need of a touch more stylishness.”
“You have a ballroom?” he asked, and she heard the surprise in his voice.
“My husband, bless him, left me quite well off. I’d have thought you intelligent enough to discern that I’m a woman of independent means. How else might I have garnered an invitation?”
“Quite right. I wasn’t thinking. I forgot that Darling has certain requirements regarding his members. At least it should keep out the hoi polloi.” He nodded toward the center of the room. “Shall we?”
“By all means. I would be most delighted.”
With a smoothness that set her heart to tripping over itself, he swept her into the fray of dancers. She realized a tad too late that waltzing with him was a mistake. He held her close and firmly, possessively. Yes, she could see the peril now. He was a man accustomed to owning what he desired.
His dark eyes never left hers. She was acutely aware of his blatantly assessing her. Every strand of hair, every eyelash, every blush. Which was only fair as she was assessing him. Not a strand of his dark brown hair was out of place. Sometimes when the light hit it just so, she thought she detected shades of red in it, but mostly the dark had its way. She suspected it dominated all aspects of his life.
Nothing about him seemed light or carefree. Everything was intense. While others conversed and smiled at their partners, he merely studied every line and curve. She could tell that he preferred the curves. She was accustomed to that when it came to men. Her bosom was her finest asset, and she took great pains to show it off. She’d long ago shed the mantle of timidity.
His face was composed of hard lines and harsh angles. He would never be considered beautiful, and yet there was beauty in the ruggedness of his features. Handsome, manly. Appealing. He appealed to her in ways no other man ever had.
That made him very dangerous indeed. She kept a wall between herself and men. They were to be used, then discarded. She didn’t think this man would be easily tossed aside. She needed to escape his company as quickly as possible, while she could. She was far too attracted to him. That would not suit her purposes at all. He would not suit.
The final strains of the waltz drifted into silence.
“That was lovely,” she said. “Thank you. I shall leave you to enjoy the remainder of your evening now.”
His eyes narrowed. “I thought we had agreed to two dances.”
“I don’t wish to dominate your time.”
