Still, that was surely not enough time for Evelyn and his sister to become such firm friends, was it?
“Ah, well, I was creeping out into the gardens,” Octavia explained in a lively fashion, “while poor Evelyn was in quite the rush to get into the manor. She did not see me, for I had positioned myself in a most inconvenient spot, and she knocked into me. But she also caught me before I could fall, saving me from what would surely have been a terrible injury.”
“It is… fortunate she was quick enough to help you,” Hugo said tightly.
“Fortunate indeed.” Octavia nodded. “But, as it was my fault, and as she was so swift in saving me, I think you ought to repay her kindness to your dear sister by asking her to dance.”
If Hugo had been eating one of those ices, he would have choked on it. Judging by the size of Evelyn’s eyes, she too had not been expecting Octavia to suggest such a thing.
“Oh, there really is no need for—” she tried to say, but Hugo jumped in ahead of her.
“If you have a place upon your dance card, I would be glad to dance with you.” He flashed her one of his most winning smiles, seeing an opportunity before him.
He could have spent an hour in Selina’s company asking to learn more about Evelyn and her apparently exhaustive list of attributes, but why do that when he could get the information directly from Evelyn? It was the swiftest way to discover if Selina had been playing silly games or not and, besides, Evelyn had put a smile on Octavia’s face. That was worth far more than any rescue from a minor fall.
“What I mean to say is,” he continued in a soft voice, “would you do me the honor of dancing the next set with me, Lady Evelyn? I almost forgot my manners there for a moment.”
Evelyn stared at him, an echo of the panic that had seized her in the park, a muscle flickering in her jaw as if her teeth were clenched. He had surprised her; that was a promising start.
“Say that you will, Evelyn,” Octavia urged.
Evelyn’s throat bobbed and her gaze lowered, but she did not reach for the dance card on her wrist. Instead, she gave a small nod of the head… and the hue of her cheeks became a darker shade of pink.
“Yes,” she mumbled. “Yes, why not?”
It was not the enthusiasm that Hugo might have been accustomed to, but then she was not like the ladies he usually encountered. Perhaps that would at least give the evening some variety.
He extended a hand to her. “Come with me, Lady Evelyn.”
For a moment, she hesitated, and he wondered if she had the nerve to reject his offer and run from him. Would he be met with the meek and fearful Lady Evelyn or the determined, fierce version?
With a quiet cough as if she had something in her throat, she placed her hand in his… and a funny shiver tingled up from the spot where her cool glove met his skin, prickling all the way up his forearm. A slow breath filled his lungs as he remembered how wild she had been, grasping at him, and how he had not hesitated to hold her close to him.
The memory moved through his veins like warmed honey, until he heard the musicians begin to fade toward the close of the last song.
Putting on a smile, he snapped out of his thoughts and led Evelyn toward the somewhat unorthodox dance floor. There were whispers as they approached the immediate periphery, some ladies murmuring to one another behind their fans, their eyes narrowing at the sight of Evelyn at Hugo’s side.
Once again, that strange jolt of protective impulse caught him unawares, but he could not hold her close enough to blockout the gossip of bored and judgmental guests. He could do nothing at all against whispers. So he just ignored them and concentrated on the silky sensation of her gloved hand resting on top of his bare skin.
Soon enough, the previous couples were leaving the dance floor, giving up the space for new couples to take their place. There was a suitable number of dancers, though it was still early in the party’s proceedings, and as Evelyn withdrew her hand so she could join the line of ladies, Hugo had to swallow the sudden desire to reach for her, to take her hand in his again.
What is the matter with you?He shook the feeling off, blaming the lack of sleep that had overwhelmed him over the past few days, after the incident in the park. The terrified look on Evelyn’s face had continued to haunt him, but he hoped that this dance might temper the memory, softening it so he could forget all about the visceral nature of her fear.
Someone called for a country dance, and the festivities began.
“Your sister was not actually in any danger,” Evelyn said immediately, as they hopped forward together, meeting in the center. “I was not looking where I was going.”
He smiled. “I did not say anything.”
“No, but… I thought you should know,” she retorted, gracefully leaping from side to side.
She was more elegant than he had expected, though perhaps that was another of the mysterious attributes that Selina had spoken of. Indeed, Evelyn did not merely dance the steps, but seemed to feel them throughout her entire being, her arms adding flourishes, her toes perfectly pointed, her neck long and poised, her chin tilted up in a manner that compelled Hugo to touch.
He did not, of course, but he could not help admiring the slender curve of that neck. She was not particularly tall, but it rather made her appear taller, adding to the flowing movement of her arms and the innate grace that she possessed.
“I noticed you did not pause to speak to Miss Parsons after you finished dancing with her,” Evelyn said, as the dance brought them back together to skip in merry circles. “Does this mean you are finally heeding my advice? I cannot be certain, for the very fact that you asked her to dance suggests you are ignoring what I said.”
His expression hardened, a protest teetering on the tip of his tongue. Was it just him that had the ability to break through the polite shell of this infuriating woman, bringing out the less polite, infinitely discourteous wildling beneath? He had not seen her behave this way with Octavia, where it might have made more sense. Friends could speak to one another however they pleased, but he and Evelyn were not friends.
