“It’s late so, I’d best hide away all this evidence of your clandestine foraging before someone discovers it. Then I shall take you to bed.” That last bit sounded like an invitation, but before Portia could correct the end of her sentence with “I shall help you back up to your bed” she was sure his gaze heated for a moment. But then the yearning that she thought she saw—perhaps wanted to believe she saw—was gone. And he was standing.
“I can take myself, Miss Kendall, as I have importuned you enough already this evening.”
“Let me help you.” She stood too. “Youaresupposed to bekeeping your weight off your leg.” No matter how much he had left her off-kilter, and how much more off-kilter she would be if he had to wrap his arm around her again, she did not want him to do more damage.
“No need.” He stayed her advance with a raised hand. “I managed to get down by myself, so I daresay I’ll manage to get back up myself in much the same way. It’s hideously undignified so for the sake of my manly pride, I would prefer to shuffle back up on my backside in private, Miss Kendall.”
“I thought you just said that dignity was overrated, and that pride always comes before a fall?”
“When I said that, I obviously wasn’t talking aboutmydignity ormypride, Miss Kendall, so I shall cling to both regardless, if you don’t mind.” His smile was ironic. And perhaps a little wistful, as if he too knew that the pair of them really shouldn’t be enjoying one another’s company quite as much as they currently were. “Please take your time following me up the stairs, and thank you for feeding me.”
Portia wasn’t sure if she was relieved by that reprieve or disappointed. “It was my pleasure.”
And, rather bizarrely, it was.
Chapter
ELEVEN
Miss Kendall looked thoroughly miserable from her desolate position in the middle of the otherwise empty wallflower chairs, and that filled Leo with guilt. He had cajoled her into coming to this fundraising ball tonight to help him out because ten days on from his accident he was still hobbling around. But, being one of the patrons of the local hospital this event was raising funds for, he felt duty bound to attend. Fearing that his sisters might use his incapacity against him despite their uneasy armistice, he wanted some assistance nearby in case they attempted to rebel. Especially as he was in no fit state to chase after them.
However, two hours in and, likely because as it was tipping it down outside, neither Abigail nor Emilia had tried to escape the ballroom once. Emilia was enjoying being one of the only young ladies present with a full dance card. Abigail, who was undoubtedly the most aggrieved with him, had been ensconced in a serious-looking conversation with a bunch of her new academically minded acquaintances and showed no signs of tiring of it anytime soon.
In short, it was eleven o’clock and all was well. If that blessed miracle continued until midnight when this blasted ball finished, then he had definitely dragged poor Miss Kendall here under false pretenses.
“Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Joshua Marshall, a businessman who has recently moved to our great city from Bristol. Mr. Marshall has generously donated twenty guineas to our cause.” Lord Teignmouth, Leo’s friend and the organizer of this evening’s fundraiser, brought their next victim over because clearly Mr. Marshall had a great deal more money than his twenty-guinea contribution suggested. As the resident duke and therefore precisely the sort of connection that the increasing Bath contingent of new money craved, it was his job to encourage this man to part with more.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Marshall.” Leo tore his gaze from Miss Kendall to stick out his hand with what he hoped was convincing enthusiasm. “What line of business are you in?”
He spent the next ten minutes asking all the right questions that guaranteed Mr. Marshall talked about himself and his success, which made the man feel good, and by default guaranteed Mr. Marshall would reopen his purse. All the while Leo’s gaze frequently drifted to Miss Kendall, who was doing a splendid job of being his eyes as far as his sisters were concerned. Despite her diligence, he still sensed her unease at being in this ballroom and fought the urge to wander her way to make her feel good about herself too.
She seemed self-conscious, for some reason, although he could not fathom why. Even in her simple coral evening gown, which she filled to perfection, she outshone every other woman in the room.
There was something about her that drew the eye and, from the appreciative glances he kept noticing from plenty of the other men here, not just his. She had a natural glow that out-shimmered all the expensive jewelry glittering beneath the ballroom’s chandeliers. An effortless allure that did not require all the additional adornments worn by every other lady present. Who knew that a few ink stains held the power to draw the eye better than a diamond? Although he suspected that really did depend on who was sporting the stains.
Conscious that he was staring, Leo forced himself to focus on Mr. Marshall while he inwardly gave himself a stern talking-to. Allhis staring and the peculiar yearning that he had developed for his sisters’ chaperone was as improper as it was impertinent. She was his employee, for goodness’ sake.
Hisemployee!
And he was certainly not the sort of employer who would ever try to take advantage of someone who worked for him. He had always deplored those who did.
Leo had principles. Rigid principles that were set in stone. Principles that dictated that he always treated every member of his staff with the utmost respect.
As was only fair and proper.
Because he was a gentleman.
Perhaps if he said that often enough, he might stop thinking of her as an attractive and intriguing woman who appealed to him far too much.
He blamed the new change in their relationship. Their lack of the proper formalities, which they both seemed to have dropped since his accident, had made him stop thinking of her as an employee and more like a… well… friend of sorts. Just with some unrequited, ungentlemanly lust and longing thrown into the mix to further complicate things.
While Mr. Marshall droned on, a handsome gent sidled up beside Miss Kendall and began to flirt with her; the urge to go to her increased tenfold. But when the silver-tongued devil sat down Leo was compelled—viscerally propelled—to act upon it.
He excused himself politely and picked his way around the edge of the crowded dance floor. As soon as she spied him, Miss Kendall said something to her new companion that made him quickly stand and then, to Leo’s absolute disgust, the scoundrel kissed her hand before he beat a hasty retreat.
He covered the hot flash of jealousy with a smile. “You will be pleased to know that there is less than an hour of this torture left.”
“Thank goodness for that.” The relief on her lovely face waspalpable. “And thank you for saving me from that chancer.” She offered him a resigned half smile. “I presume you noticed that he was being a pest and that is why you hobbled all the way over here to save me?”
