She jerked her gaze up to his eyes, hoping he hadn’t been able to detect precisely where she’d been looking, trusting hunger had not been written all over her face. That he had not in fact been asking if she wanted to taste or explore. “I beg your pardon?”
“Which slipper has the pebble?”
As he waited, his hands were near her feet, ready to attend to the task. The pebble had been a lie, simply a means to escape the odious conversation with her mother. Now, she was trapped by her own deception. “I believe it worked its way free.”
“It’s best to be sure, don’t you think? You’re certain to be dancing much of the night. Right or left?”
Lady Althea leaned down slightly. “Do you really think this is appropriate?”
“It’s merely a slipper. I shan’t have to even expose her ankle.”
Leonora was aware that several ladies and a couple of gentlemen had stopped to gawk or take a gander outof curiosity. She wanted to jump up and run. On the other hand... “Right.”
He wound one hand around the ankle that remained hidden beneath her skirt, his fingers dancing lightly over her stocking as his other hand removed her shoe and extended it up to her for an inspection so she could find the errant pebble. While she carried on with the pretense and searched, his palms explored the arch of her foot, her heel, her toes, slowly, so slowly, kneading gently as though she’d truly been hurt and required his tender ministrations to ease any bruising caused by the troublesome piece of stone.
She’d always considered her feet too large, but at that moment, she wished the slipper was three times its size so examining it would take longer and thus his investigation could continue. But their audience was growing, and whispers were beginning to echo around them. “It’s as I thought. It’s gone.”
“Jolly good.” He took the slipper from her and carefully slid it back onto her foot. She didn’t want to consider how many women for whom he might have performed the same service after they’d visited his bed. He was entirely too adept at removing the satin shoe and putting it back into place. She suspected he was equally skilled when it came to various aspects of a woman’s clothing.
In one fluid motion, he unfolded his body and stood. Offering his hand, he helped her to her feet.
“Thank you, my lord.”
“I wouldn’t want you limping about when we dance.”
“Are we going to dance, my lord?”
“If your card is not already full.”
She wished it was. He made her feel light-headed,as if she’d just enjoyed several glasses of absinthe. Instead, she held up her wrist, the card dangling from it serving as an invitation. She watched as he used the attached tiny pencil to scrawl his name next to a waltz. Then he gave a curt bow. “Until later, Miss Garrison.”
His walking off seemed to signal that everyone else should scurry away.
“Hmm,” Lady Althea hummed. “Rook usually spends more time in the cardroom than on the dance floor.”
“He’s giving me attention only because he has a possible interest in investing in our company. He wants an advantage.”
“I’m not really sure he needs one. Your brother won’t turn away an investor, surely.”
Were they coming across as desperate? It would put them at a disadvantage. They needed people clamoring to invest. “No, I suppose he won’t.”
“Shall we return to the ballroom now that your... pebble has been seen to?”
“What he did was rather scandalous, wasn’t it?”
Lady Althea smiled. “Not so scandalous that you’ll be forced to marry, but I’m quite certain it’ll warrant a mention in the gossip sheets on the morrow.”
Leonora had never been the object of gossip. Unfortunately, she suspected it was going to thrill Mama no end should it come about.
“I’ve never known you to take much interest in watching the dancing,” Knight said, sotto voce, as he and Rook stood at the edge of the ballroom. “You’re usually off playing cards by now.”
Rook was tempted to tell him to mind his own business. Instead, he confessed, “I signed a dance card.”
“Miss Garrison’s, I presume.”
“Why would you think that?”
Knight’s grin was irritatingly confident. “Regina claims to have detected a spark between the two of you during dinner the other night.”
