Mercy stopped dead in her tracks. Lady Bryant’s dark hair and impeccable dress alone would be enough to make her stand out in a ballroom, but the fact that she owned a railway company truly set her apart.
That and the fact that she had been interesting enough to make Lord Bryant finally tie the knot. But Lord Bryant had had a short, but almost scandalous, flirtation with Penelope before either of them were married. Was she about to see a darker side of the beauty in front of her?
Still, she wouldn’t deny knowing her best friend. “Yes, she is a dear friend.”
Lady Bryant gave her a broad smile. “She is lovely, isn’t she?”
Mercy fought the urge to rub her eyes in disbelief. It appeared that Lady Bryant was a kinder woman than Mercy would ever be.
Lord Bryant came up behind his wife. “Did you finally get rid of all the stodgy businessmen so you can pay some attention to me?” he said with a pout. Most of those businessmen were right behind him, and well within earshot. “And were you speaking of Lady Yolten? She is one of my favorite women of theton.Top fifteen, easily.” He gave Mercy a wink.
Heavens. Top fifteen? Did he rank every woman in London?
Lady Bryant shook her head and clicked her tongue. “Everton, stop. You will scare poor Lady Mercy away.” Lady Bryant turned toward Mercy with a smile. “And I would like to get to know her better.”
Lord Bryant glanced about the room. “It seems most of London is hoping to get to know her better.” He smiled at her, and therewas no flirtation behind it. The genuine camaraderie seemed foreign to his face and yet also very authentic. “I hope you are well prepared to be the most envied woman in London.”
Because of a stiff duke’s attentions? She would rather not be envied for that. “Thus far, all I have gained is a sad lack of dance partners.”
Lord Bryant leaned toward his wife and whispered into her ear. She gave him a quick nod. Lord Bryant stepped forward. “I’m certain the last thing Harrington would want is for you to feel neglected. Would you dance this set with me?”
Mercy glanced between Lord Bryant and his wife. Since when did a seasoned philanderer ask his wife’s permission to dance with another woman? Then again, she hadn’t truly seen him act scandalously. The quartet was playing a polka, and her feet had been itching to dance ever since they set foot in the room. “I would be honored. Thank you, Lord Bryant.”
Lord Bryant dropped the slightest of kisses on his wife’s cheek and held his arm out to Mercy. Lady Bryant smiled at him the way Mama and Papa smiled at each other when they thought no one was looking.
The dance had already started, so as soon as Mercy and Lord Bryant reached the outskirts of the dancers, he pulled her into position, and they were off.
Lord Bryant was an excellent dancer, almost as proficient as Mr. Beauford. How had she never danced with him before he married? He had seemed to dance with nearly everyone. Actually, that wasn’t true. He had danced with many women, but usually one or two more often than others.
He didn’t bother with talking, either, and held her at what even the most prudish of mothers would call an appropriate distance. When the polka ended, they were both slightly out of breath. Lord Bryant smiled down at her—the genuine smile, not the flirtatious one—again. “I’m certain the news of your courtshipwon’t keep you from dance partners forever. A woman who enjoys dancing as much as you do should never find partners in short supply.”
Mercy smiled back. “I hope so. If I had known that was the result of a courtship with the duke, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have agreed to it.”
Lord Bryant’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. “You wouldn’t have?”
“No. If a courtship with Lady Bryant would have meant you could never again flirt with other women, would you have agreed to it?”
“First of all, I never agreed to a courtship with my wife. She manipulated me into it. And second, a thousand times yes. Despite my habits of spreading cheer with my charming smile.” He sent her his devilish grin, and yes, it did spark something in her. Not desire—but the warmth that comes from having been noticed and singled out by a man who was arguably one of the most handsome in England.
The Duke of Harrington didn’t smile at her like that, nor did he smile at her like Lord Bryant smiled at his wife. His smiles were not about appreciation or giving her joy. They were... she didn’t know exactly what they were. She enjoyed his smile, especially when he’d smiled at her after she agreed to allow him to court her. But she didn’t see it often. She got the feeling that the Duke of Harrington was as surprised by his smiles as everyone else was. As if he hadn’t meant to smile; it had simply happened. They weren’t given, like Lord Bryant’s. They had to be teased out.
The strains to a slower dance started, and once again, the two of them fell into a comfortable dance pattern. The dance was an easy one, and she needed no concentration to speak. “What do you mean, your wife manipulated you into courting her?”
“I mean just that. I hadn’t planned on it. I was involved withanother young woman at the time...” He trailed off, and Mercy was left to try to piece together the two images of Lord Bryant. On the one hand, a devoted husband, but on the other, by his own admission, someone who had been pursuing many women before he settled down. “Sometimes,” Lord Bryant said with a wink, “we can be a bit obtuse to what is standing right in front of us. I resisted Diana as long as I could.” He tipped his head. “But that didn’t actually turn out to be very long.”
They finished the rest of the dance in silence, and Lord Bryant led her back to Mama. Lady Bryant still stood with the three women, laughing. Four other figures had joined them during their dance.
Mercy’s shoulders automatically straightened, and she put another inch or two of distance between herself and Lord Bryant. The Duke of Harrington, his mother, and Lord and Lady Ottersby were waiting for their return. A muscle in His Grace’s jaw tightened as he watched Mercy walk toward them with her arm around Lord Bryant’s. That small movement was the most notable reaction she had seen from the duke since he’d laughed during their first game of chess.
His Grace might not be overly affected by her, but he was certainly affected by her dancing with Lord Bryant.
Men.
“Well, Harrington,” Lord Bryant said once they were in earshot. “This lovely lady has been bored to tears without you.”
“I have not.” Mercy took back all the good thoughts she’d had about Lord Bryant.
Lord Bryant tsked. “I suppose not after I showed up. Still, ask her to dance, for heaven’s sake, before she becomes a wallflower.”
