The next evening, Harrietenjoyed a light dinner with her family before they all headed to the Assembly Room dance. Lord Hartley hadn’t been at the property line that day, and she was disappointed, but perhaps tonight would be different. She hoped he’d attend, especially with his friends still residing in Bath for a few more weeks.
Lord and Lady Evans would meet them there, and Lord Spenser had opted to escort Miss Weston and Mrs. Kennedy to the dance in the Dalling carriage while they took the ducal carriage.
The duke had purchased a subscription to the Assembly Room last week so they could attend the dance as well. Wiltshire handed up Mercy, Gran, and her mother into his carriage before joining them. The ride into Bath didn’t take long. Arriving in the duke’s carriage was causing a bit of a stir. Harriet waited while Wiltshire handed down Mercy, her grandmother, and her mother before he helped her.
“Are you ready, my dear?” Wiltshire asked Mercy. This would be their first public outing as the Duke and Duchess of Wiltshire.
“I must admit, I’m a little nervous,” Mercy said.
Wiltshire held out his arm. “I’m sure you’ll dazzle them with your beauty and generous spirit, my darling.”
Harriet loved watching the interactions between them and hoped someday to enjoy that same type of connection with Lord Hartley.
Their entrance didn’t go unnoticed. It wasn’t every day that the war hero duke and his lovely duchess graced the floor at the Assembly Room although Harriet was sure most of the ton knew they were in town when the duke purchased a subscription. Wiltshire secured them a large table, and the news of the duke and duchess’s arrival must have spread quickly, as the area was quickly becoming crowded.
“Wow, I’ve never seen so many people attend one of these dances before,” Harriet said. She wondered if Lord Hartley would indeed attend, given his aversion to crowds. But before she could ponder whether he would arrive, the room quieted once again, and she instantly knew he’d made his entrance.
He looked magnificent in his evening kit. He looked around the room and soon spotted them and made his way to the table.
“Good evening, Hartley,” Wiltshire said.
“Wiltshire.” He turned to the ladies and bowed. “Good evening, Your Grace, Lady Dalling, Lady Collin, Lady Harriet.”
“Good evening, Lord Hartley,” Mercy said.
“Hartley, let us procure lemonades for the ladies before the dancing starts,” Wiltshire said.
Hartley nodded and followed Wiltshire to the refreshment room. Wiltshire gave their order to a waiter and turned to Jon. “How are you this evening?” he whispered.
Hartley scanned the crowd and noticed many of the patrons were watching them. “It seems having you and your lovely wife in attendance this evening has brought out every person in Bath.”
Wiltshire chuckled. “Not quite, but I agree, it’s quite the crush. Even Lady Harriet remarked on how many more people were in attendance this evening.”
“I don’t know how long I can stay,” Hartley whispered.
Wiltshire nodded. “I understand. Making an effort is enough for now.”
The waiter returned and handed the men the lemonades. “Shall we return to the ladies and request our first dance?”
“Absolutely,” Hartley said, striding back to their table, and passing out the drinks as the orchestra began playing the first strains of the waltz. “Lady Harriet, may I have the honor of this dance?” he asked, holding out his hand.
“I’d be delighted, my lord.”
Wiltshire also escorted Mercy out onto the dance floor.
“I’m so very pleased to see you this evening, Lord Hartley,” Harriet said as the earl took her in his arms.
“You’re a vision this evening, my lady,” he said.
“Thank you,” she said as Hartley twirled her around the dance floor. Once again, it felt like she was floating on air. As she looked around, she was happy to see most of the attention was centered on her sister and brother-in-law. She hoped that would help Hartley feel more comfortable in the crush.
“Having the duke and duchess here this evening has certainly lessened the attention paid to us,” Harriet said.
“Yes. I agree it’s pleasant being able to dance with you without every eye in the room dissecting our every move.” When the music ended, Hartley held out his arm for her. “Care to promenade, my lady?”
“I’d love to, my lord,” Harriet said with a brilliant smile.
He steered them around the room, and when they reached the door, they slipped out into the cool night air. “Ah, this is better. It’s quite stuffy in there.”
