Page 23 of Winning Her Duke

He nodded. “Family is complicated.”

Graham agreed with a grunt. Each of them had their own familial issues they only spoke of when the whisky was flowing.

Fortunately, Hale was granted escape when the bloody orchestra finally managed to begin the first strains of actual music.

“If you’ll excuse me.” He glared at his snickering friends and left to find his dance partner.

His irritation faded away when he saw her smile at him. He held out his hand in invitation and she slipped her fingers across his palm.

Had he not known better, he’d have thought her a skilled seductress with such a movement. But they both wore gloves so it shouldn’t have struck him that way.

He only registered the murmurs around them when they distracted Gia enough that she looked away from him. As they took their places, he was disturbed by the snippets of conversation going on around them.

“Of course, she would have attracted the attentions of a rake such as the Duke of Roxburghe.”

“If she thinks he’s of a mind to marry…”

“The two of them make quite a pair. Shameful.”

“Scottish brute and the Italian harlot.”

Hale placed his hand at her back and moved to start the dance. They were silent for a few turns and he realized they rarely shared a moment of silence during the hours they spent together. Speaking with her was as easy as breathing.

But now things were different. The world had intruded on their little bubble, and she would learn of his reputation.

Had he not wanted to embarrass her, he would have left the ball immediately. But he’d never do such a thing to Gia.

In the short time he’d come to know her, he realized he could never do anything to hurt her.

He cared for her too much.

Chapter Seven

Gia hated the silence between them even more than dancing. She wasn’t certain of the proper way to handle the situation. She glanced over at Lydia who was too far away to help from where she stood smiling with an older gentleman.

Obviously, the venom being spewed about had not hit the countess on that corner of the dance floor. Gia was on her own.

The large ballroom suddenly felt too close. The light from the many chandeliers too bright. Everyone seemed to be looking at them. But worse than that was the silence that lingered between the duke and her.

She took a breath and went with her instincts. She had to do something. She couldn’t stand for Hale to be upset because of her. Whether it was her fault or not.

Yet, if what was being said was correct, it didn’t sound like he was completely innocent either.

“I’m not sure which one of us is destroying the others’ pristine reputation,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t walk off the dance floor and leave her there to face everything alone. She didn’t think he would. He had been nothing but kind to her, thus far.

Besides, he needed her to help him ready Godspell for the race. Certainly, that would be reason enough for him to stay. But they couldn’t pretend people weren’t speaking of them.

Hale stumbled a step but recovered quickly. Her boldness must have caught him by surprise.

He laughed and suddenly she realized she no longer cared at all about what the people around them were discussing, so long as this man laughed and smiled because of her.

“It is quite the conundrum,” he said, appearing almost as relieved as she that the tense silence was over. “But I’m certain it is me who is at fault. I am known to be a rake. And, of course, just being a large Scot in this world of English dandies is a crime worthy of hanging. If you wish to end the dance, I will not push the matter. I should have warned you and considered how standing up with me would look.”

“I will not allow a bunch of gossips to send us off the dance floor. Perhaps on its own, your reputation wouldn’t have been noticed. You are a duke, after all, and a young one at that. You are above censure. However, when paired with the belief I was born a wanton seductress because of my mother, the old crones must be expecting us to copulate in the middle of the dance floor.”

Lydia would fall over if she’d heard Gia say so many improper words. And all in the same sentence.

“I assure you, if you really were a wanton seductress, we wouldn’t waste time dancing. I would already have you out in the gardens.”