Page 96 of Waiting for Love

“It is not that! I assure you.” She had no excuse to make. None.

“Come, let us get off the platform. We are in everyone’s way.” He brought her back to the table.

“What happened?” Jasper demanded.

Everyone had been watching.

“I’m afraid I don’t waltz as well as I thought.” She wouldn’t draw attention to the boots.

“It is nothing,” the duke said. “A minor misstep. But I am going home now to soak my bunions.” He smiled as if he’d made a joke, then bowed to Olivia.

After he was out of earshot, Jasper said, “What really happened?”

“He was rude about Vanessa, so I stomped him.” She didn’t mention that he was rude about Benjamin too, or remind them he had made incriminating insinuations about Hazard.

“The devil, Olivia.” Jasper rubbed his face with his palm. “In that case, you tell me and let me deal with it. You cannot go about stomping dukes.”

“I disagree,” Alice said. “Perhaps they should be stomped more often.”

Chapter Thirty

Benjamin spent the morning with Hannah, giving her his undivided attention for an hour before doing what he was determined to do.

The guest nursery was cozy and safe. Warmed by the fire from the sitting room beside it, there was no need for another. The walls were papered white with green vines. There were two big comfortable armchairs and two identical miniature ones.

He sat cross-legged beside Hannah on the carpet while she played. Miss Jamison had located a few toys for her: a box of blocks and a wooden horse. Hannah built fences and lifted the horse back and forth over them. Her hair was coming loose from its braids again. And she had taken off her shoes.

“Horses jump,” she explained very solemnly.

“Yes. Some horses do.” He wondered where she had seen this. Miss Jamison must have taken her to one of the parks.

“With ladies.”

He chuckled. “Yes. Some ladies let their horses jump.” He thought of Olivia. Of course, he was always thinking of her. “But not little girls.”

“I’m a big girl!”

“You will be a big girl. But for now, you are a little girl.” An ache formed in his heart.

“Lady says Hannah big girl.”

“Does she? Well, I suppose it is a matter of perspective.”

Hannah ignored that. As well she might. She built her fence higher and then crashed her horse into it.

“Oh, no!” She dropped the horse onto its side.

“Good heavens!” Benjamin said. “Is your horse hurt?”

“No.” She laughed and picked it up, then crashed it again.

He had no idea what went on in her head sometimes. And that would only get worse.

Miss Jamison entered the room. “Mr. Carroll? The dowager asked if I would bring Hannah by this morning.”

“Did she?”

“Yes, well, Mr. and Mrs. Taverston are taking Millie shopping for gifts for her brothers and sisters. The dowager will be watching Arthur, and we thought we’d have a visit.”