Page 42 of The Beastly Duke's Christmas Bride
She gave a tight nod. “And you need to relax?”
“Relax?”
“Yes. Can you do that?”
Sebastian thought of his years in training for boxing. When he took a deep breath, he managed a more fluid step. But Isabel couldn’t seem to settle on looking at any one thing for more than a heartbeat.
“Isabel?”
“Yes?”
He let out a deep breath in the hopes it would calm her. “You really to look beautiful tonight.”
A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. It was enough that his heart skipped a beat. He tried not to think about that.
Isabel softly whispered to him, “You already told me that.”
“It doesn’t mean I can’t tell you again.” Sebastian pointed out as calmly as he could manage. Why there was a thunderstorm heavy in his chest, he couldn’t explain. “Your dress suits you. The yellow does too, but this one more.”
Isabel blinked rapidly when she gazed back up at him in surprise. “You pay attention.”
“I do. To your dresses, to your smile… to your laugh.”
“My laugh?”
“It unsettles me in ways I cannot explain.” He nearly winced when that escaped his mouth.
What is that supposed to mean? Sebastian, think! I practiced this on the carriage ride over and feel as though I have forgotten how to speak the King’s English.
It was not his intention to sound strange. Uneducated. Sebastian was trying to charm her. But then, he’d never really tried to charm anyone before. “That is… Your courage, it outshines the candles. This room.”
A small laugh of surprise escaped Isabel, and she almost stepped away. He saw the way her balance rocked back before moving right back into him, that sweet floral scent of hers feeling like a warm breeze on his cheek.
“You are…” She gave a gentle shake of her head as she gazed up at him. Their eyes met and she trailed off. His heart raced, feeling like he was back in the boxing ring, ready for another match. But it was just him and her.
Until the music ended.
The two of them stopped as well, and Sebastian wanted to keep gazing at Isabel. He liked studying the shades of brown and gold in her soft hair. And those amber eyes of hers were more gold tonight, perhaps because of her dress’s coloring. He wanted to spend hour studying the color of her eyes, he decided.
But not with an audience.
“Thank you.” Isabel darted another glance around. She managed a sheepish smile before pulling her hand free, offering a flourish of a curtsy. “How lovely it was to have a proper dance with you, Your Grace.”
“Yes, of course, I…”
Two others had joined them, he realized. The baron had been talked into a few turns and Warner had brought another young lady there. Those four, along with a few others who had watched and whispered, politely clapped.
“If we are all sharing our talents this evening,” the young lady remarked cheerfully, “then I must share the sweetest song I have learned. Mrs. Worthy, won’t you play the pianoforte for me?”
Off she went to eagerly perform for everyone.
It wasn’t unusual to have everyone line up and share some talent for all to see or hear, but Sebastian had never quite understood it. He didn’t always care to be in the audience, though no one here would be interested in a boxing match.
“Perhaps,” Isabel started to murmur but paused when Warner was caught muttering under his breath near them.
He said something about talent, before going on with, “and as fallen ladies have no place in polite society––”
Not another word was necessary for Sebastian. Anger flooded through him. He felt Isabel begin to tense up. Enough was enough. Hands balling into fists, he knew dimly how he needed to behave himself in polite company.
