He’d looked forward to seeing her all day, and now his time with her was already over. “I wish we could dance again. I would rather not leave you. Not now.”
Her eyes met his, and for a moment, they were quiet. What was she thinking behind those deep-set eyes of hers? He’d run the gamut of emotions during that episode of his life. Euphoria, excitement, danger, longing, despair, and shame. He didn’t think she would judge him as harshly as Father had. But he ached to wrap her in his arms and promise her that any feelings he’d had for Lady Plymton had burned out long ago.
One small corner of her mouth rose, slowly, softly, as if she were releasing him from his unease on the matter. “I’ll be all right. You should dance with a few more partners today.”
He shook his head. “If I can’t dance with you, I’d rather watch you dance.”
“Would you?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I find that hard to believe. Besides, as the perfect gentleman you are, you should dance. There are poor wallflowers like me who need asking.”
“You’re hardly a wallflower.”
“I felt like one today.”
“I’m sorry about that.” His shoulders drooped. “I’m sorry about a lot of things. I’ll make certain a few men know I am not a jealous man.”
Her smile dropped slightly but then returned. “That would be appreciated.”
He led her back to her mother, bowed to the other women there, and asked the very next young lady he met to dance.
He would not be caught with a free moment until he went to the cardroom. He wouldn’t risk giving Lady Plymton a chance to speak with him. He had no doubt that Lady Plymton would not reenter Society quietly. If that had been her plan, her uncle wouldn’t have felt the need to warn him of her arrival.
He quickly danced three more sets with three different women, always making certain to stay far from the dark-haired woman who had ruined his relationship with his father. None of the women he danced with compared to Lady Mercy, though. Not in their grace and not in the way he felt like she belonged in his arms. For a man who had grown to respect rules and the things they protected, he was starting to despise the ones that kept Lady Mercy at arm’s length.
Chapter 15
The next morning, Penelope camefor a visit. Mama was still resting and Mercy was able to have her to herself. Mercy thanked Mrs. Brooksby for delivering the tea service and turned to Penelope.
“Any thoughts from the ball? Did you notice anything?”
“All I did was watch your duke last night. Poor Yolty. I think he was worried about me.”
“And?”
“Truthfully, I didn’t notice him paying serious attention to any of the women he danced with. None of them made him smile more than another. He didn’t follow any of them with his eyes afterward. Well, except for—”
“Lady Plymton.” Mercy jumped up and snapped her fingers. “Right?”
“I was going to sayyou.”
Mercy shook her head and waved a hand away from her face. Of course, he would look after her now and again. They were supposed to be courting. “I don’t count.”
Penelope pulled her face into a disbelieving grimace and shook her head. “Who is Lady Plymton?”
“You didn’t see her? The dazzling woman in the emerald dress?”
“Oh, her. I did notice her. But I never saw Harrington look at her.”
“If he didn’t, it was through sheer force of will.” She took Penelope by both shoulders. “He was in love with her, but his father broke them up and made him join the army. The man does, indeed, have some deeper feelings. They have just been shut off due to a misunderstanding parent’s disapproval.”
Penelope set down her teacup. “Are you certain? I asked Yolty about him last night. He said His Grace is one of the most upstanding men he knows.”
Lord Yolten said that? But how well would Lord Yoltenreallyknow the duke? And if he didn’t know the story of Harrington and Lady Plymton, perhaps it wasn’t one Mercy should be blabbing about. But Harrington had told her so quickly, she’d assumed the whole business had been fairly well-known. “The Duke of Harrington told me the whole story himself. And he used it to explain why he is so stiff and proper. He will never make those mistakes again, etcetera.” She waved her hand about. “Don’t you see? This is our opportunity. I can get out of the courtship, and he can return to the woman he loves.”
“Once loved.”
“Please.” Mercy flopped down into her seat. “Could anyone be more stalwart and steadfast than that man? His whole persona is a direct result of the pain she caused him when she married someone else. Lord Yolten may be correct, that he is upstanding, but at one point, she enticed him, and I don’t think anyone has done so since.”
Penelope didn’t look convinced, but as Mercy lay in bed after the ball, the more she thought about it, the more she became certain the duke must still have feelings for Lady Plymton. The Duke of Harrington had never shown her a tenth of the emotions that Lady Plymton had evoked in him. “I tell you, I have never seen him so impassioned. It was like he was another person. I don’t expect you to understand, since Lord Yolten has always been passionate about you. You didn’t have to resort to anything devious in order to have the type of match you deserve.”
