Page 12 of Yule Be Mine

“You act as though that would be a bad thing, Yule.” She laughed again. “Now I will tell you someone who has caught my eye, who does have an air of mystery and perhaps a little danger as well—Julius’s brother, Mr. Price.”

“Francis?” Yule’s eyebrows shot up. “You must be joking. Francis is the more retiring of the two. He’s not even here, although I know he was invited.”

“And that’s what makes him rather mysterious, don’t you think?” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I mean, he’s got to find a wife the same as the rest of you. But he doesn’t even seem to be looking. I find that quite interesting.”

“The last thing I heard him say on the subject was that he’d actually found a lady he wanted to marry, but she wouldn’t agree.” Yule stared pointedly at Augusta. “That sounds awfully familiar, don’t you think? Of course, they are twins, after all. Why shouldn’t their troubles be similar as well.”

The lady looked perturbed, her dark brows dipping in a sharp V and her lips in a definite pout. “I have never given Julius any indication that I would accept his proposal. In fact, I’ve gone out of my way to make certain he knows I will not change my mind. I cannot help it if he will not take ‘no’ for an answer.”

“Nor can I say why he still pursues you, Augusta. Unless it’s that he’s truly in love with you.” Yule suspected that to be the truth at the bottom of Julius’s stubborn refusal to give up hope of Lady Augusta. “If that is so, and you will not change your mind, then I am truly sorry for him.”

Augusta’s face seemed to turn somber at his words, but after a moment, she shook it off and her smile returned. “Can you tell me who the young lady is who is staring at us with daggers in her gaze?”

A sinking feeling in his gut, Yule closed his eyes briefly. Heaven help him. With a sigh, he opened his eyes to find Augusta grinning at him. “Where?”

She nodded to a group gathered across the dance floor, where Penelope stood with her sister and his cousin, Tom. “The one with the titian-colored hair. Quite stunning, you know. Your latest conquest?”

“Hardly,” Yule growled. “I am not in the habit of seducing girls in the schoolroom.” Augusta had obviously seen them kissing at the Mistletoe Run to assume such a thing.

“But she’s not still in the schoolroom, is she? Else why would she be at a ball dressed so stylishly?”

Yule’s gaze strayed again to Penelope, who was indeed dressed extremely fashionably. Her gown was of a pale peach silk that shimmered in the candlelight, frothy with a pleated trim that covered her modest bodice and swooped around the gown’s skirt in dizzying loops. Her auburn hair, crimped and pulled up on top of her head with ribbons that matched her gown, blazed as though she wore a crown of fire. Yule caught his breath.

“You do know her, though?” August tilted her head, her eyes studying him intently.

“She’s an old family friend.” Sight of Penelope had caused havoc in his groin once more. Why did she affect him so every time he saw her?

“Indeed.” Augusta’s brows rose. “I would say she’s something more than that.”

“Just because you saw us kissing under the mistletoe this afternoon, there is no reason to think there is anything more going on.” He had to tear his gaze away from Penelope else he would surely embarrass himself here and now.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Yule.” She shook her head, her mouth pursed in annoyance. “I’ve never seen the young lady before tonight.” Her brow smoothed out, replaced by an eagerness. “So you were caught kissing under the mistletoe? Do tell!”

“We were playing Mistletoe Run and I caught her underneath the ball.” She’d caught him—there was absolutely no doubt about that. Augusta didn’t need to know that, however. “You didn’t see that? I could have sworn everyone did.”

“I didn’t venture out into the woods this morning as I suspected Julius would be going. No need to tempt fate.”

Yule shook his head. He truly hoped he could persuade his cousin to move on from Lady Augusta before she broke his heart for good.

“Now tell me about the kiss.” The lady sidled up to him, her eyes big and hungry.

“It was a mere kiss under the mistletoe, nothing more.” How fortunate he could lie through his teeth with a straight face. That kiss had been much more than a chaste peck under the kissing ball.

“Well, you’re no fun. I’d have thought when a handsome gentleman like you kissed an attractive lady like that, bells and whistles would have gone off.” Augusta stared straight into his face.

Years of playing cards now came to Yule’s rescue. He dropped any expression and assumed a blank countenance. “She’s really much too young for her to affect me that way, Augusta.” Perhaps turning the tables would get him off the hook. “Quite unlike kissing a more mature young lady might do.” He gazed back at her, slowly bringing a smile to his lips. “We could go find a sprig of mistletoe and see what happens.”

She laughed and lightly slapped his arm. “You’d never do that, Yule. Not while Julius is still interested in me. You aren’t the type to compete with his own cousin. Unlike some we know.” She nodded toward Penelope, who was now talking avidly with Tom. Nodding enthusiastically to him, she smiled, lighting up her whole face.

What the devil was Tom trying to do?

The obvious answer was ask Penelope for a dance, as he then offered his arm—which she took—and led her toward the dance floor.

Yule ground his teeth until his jaw creaked. From the sounds of the orchestra tuning up, the first dance would not be a waltz, so Penelope was within her rights to accept another partner, just as Yule was doing. Still, something about Tom’s exuberance as he led his partner to the ballroom floor stuck in his craw. The situation was getting out of hand too fast for Yule to comprehend what to do, save go out on the dance floor and keep an eye on his rakish cousin. “Are you ready for that dance, Augusta? The orchestra is tuning up.”

He turned to her to find her staring across the dance floor, not at Penelope and Tom, but at the couple standing next to them—Julius and Charlotte St. Claire. Yule stepped back, taking in the sight of Lady Augusta with undisguised jealousy on her face. Staring at the couple as though she wanted blazing arrows to shoot out of her eyes, Augusta clenched her jaw and fist at the exact same time. Yule would not have given Miss St. Claire very good odds of remaining alive had Augusta possessed a weapon. What the lady’s performance did do was give him a bit of optimism that Julius wasn’t quite past hope for his suit just yet. He’d have to pass that tidbit along to his cousin. “Augusta?”

She shook herself and turned a terribly vivacious smile on him. “Shall we dance, Yule? You never gave me an answer to my earlier request.”

“By all means, my lady.” He offered her his arm and they headed out onto the dance floor. Neither one of them wished to be there particularly, but Yule didn’t quite know where he wished to be, either. Did he want to dance with Penelope? She was a mere child. So, other than the dance she’d “won,” he should be worrying about finding other suitable partners.

The only problem Yule was having at the moment, however, was trying to keep his gaze off Penelope and Tom long enough to take his position with Lady Augusta, which was going to make dancing this reel even more challenging than it would usually be.