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In that moment, she knew she had dressed for him. When she’d smoothed her hair and touched pink to her lips, she had known he would come.
Lucy’s words snapped to a stop when he drew near.
“Mrs. Hamilton,” he murmured. “You look amazingly lovely.” His deep voice stroked over her as he offered a bow.
“Mr. York,” she said in answer, her chest so tight she had to look away from him. “Miss Cain, may I present Mr. Aidan York of . . .”
“London,” he filled in.
“Oh, sir!” Lucy trilled. “What an honest pleasure.”
He bowed over her hand. “I have cause to do business with your father on occasion, Miss Cain.”
“Are you a sailor, sir?”
“I am in shipping,” he answered, bringing a frown to Kate’s brow. She had been so eager to avoid examination that she hadn’t asked a single thing ab
out him. Shipping. What could that mean? When she’d known him, he’d been the second son of a modest baron, with nothing to recommend him as a husband. Nothing except his wit and smile and gentle hands. Nothing except his love.
Aidan’s warm laugh filled the space around her, and Kate blinked herself back to the present.
“Coffee,” he was saying. “I’ve provided Mrs. Hamilton a shipment once or twice.”
“Oh?” Lucy chirped. “I had no idea importers provided such immaculate service, sir. I am thoroughly impressed.”
Aidan’s answering smile was all charm and affection. “May I offer my service to you now by delivering punch? Or perhaps champagne?”
“Oh, champagne!” Lucy insisted. “Thank you, Mr. York.”
His smile touched on Kate for a bare moment, and she felt it like a charged arc between them.
“Kate,” Lucy hissed as he walked toward a servant.
“My goodness. That is him, isn’t it? The man the baker’s wife saw you walking with?”
“He . . . he’s an importer, as he said,” she stammered, her lie making her words skip like stones on a river.
Lucy wisely ignored her. “He is so very handsome! And the way he looks at you . . .”
“He hardly looked at me at all.”
“Exactly. He could not bear it, Kate!”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she whispered as Aidan walked back with two glasses. “I am a married woman!”
“Ladies.” His voice was all rumbly good humor. She actually shivered at the sound of it.
“Thank you, Mr. York,” Lucy said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I must greet some of our other guests. A buffet is being served in the ballroom. Perhaps you might escort Mrs. Hamilton to a table?”
Kate knocked her elbow hard against Lucy’s but the girl didn’t even wince before she walked away with an innocent smile.
Aidan offered his arm. “I have worried about the state of your stomach.”
She pressed a hand to her waist. “Pardon?”
“The war with your stove. I assume it is a drawn-out affair? The beast is clearly a hated and vicious adversary.”
“Oh.” She tried in vain to tighten her mouth against a smile. “You were not supposed to see that, and you’re horrid to bring it up.”
