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The thought crystallized.
Somehow, against all logic and despite her vowing not to let it happen, she’d begun to love him. The thought frightened her to no end.
The morning of Herrington’s ball, Mélisande sent a message to David and Reggie telling them Charlotte was indisposed and that she and Alessandro would meet them at the ball instead of traveling together as a group.
Upon seeing Charlotte that evening, Mélisande almost changed her mind about her plan.
The aqua silk mantua she’d had commissioned for Charlotte last month had been quite significantly altered. The lace at the neckline had been removed and the amount of décolletage now exposed was shocking. It would have been so on a married lady, Mélisande mused.
If Charlotte thought David would come running after her the minute he laid eyes on her, she was probably right. He would—to give her a stern talking to and then to lend her his kerchief to cover herself. That is, of course, if her brother did not see her first and take her over his knee. She hoped neither of them spotted the girl before her plan could come to fruition, but if she had to choose, she’d rather it be David. With him at least, there was a chance that Charlotte’s embarrassment over his reaction might deter further pursuit.
“You look lovely, Charlotte,” she said, keeping such thoughts to herself. “You’ll certainly captivate the young men tonight. I just hope it’s for the right reason,” she added, unable to help herself.
“Regardless of the reason, captivating them is the whole purpose of my going to these balls, is it not?” said Charlotte. “I’m to catch a husband, and that’s what I intend to do—by hook or crook.” Her eyes shone with determination as she turned toward Alessandro. “What think you, my lord? Shall I bewitch my admirers?”
“You look enchanting, Miss Stanton,” said Alessandro. He looked to Mélisande as the girl turned away, his expression worried.
Shaking her head slightly, she signaled him to remain silent. Her stomach tightened unpleasantly. Ironic that she, who’d spent the past several years courting scandal, would now be unsettled by the sight of her young friend’s risqué gown. Though certainly no prude, perhaps she was a bit more conservative than she’d thought. “Come. The carriage awaits, and we don’t want to be at the end of the line.”
By the time they arrived, Mélisande had managed to settle her nerves. T
heir host’s greeting was on the chilly side, which suited her just fine. Herrington’s obvious annoyance at having not only her but her infamous fiancé at his ball further lightened her mood. If he didn’t want her there, he should not have invited her.
She raised a brow. “I thank you for your kind invitation, Your Grace. I cannot imagine a more pleasurable means of entertainment on such a lovely evening.”
Herrington’s blush left little doubt that he’d immediately conjured several images of the “pleasurable entertainments” implied by her tone.
Tearing his gaze away from her to greet Charlotte, he blushed deeper, all the way to the roots of his hair.
Mélisande almost wished he would say something to Charlotte. In her present mood, she’d probably tell him to go straight to the devil—loudly. The thought made her smile.
When he saw her amusement, Herrington’s expression shifted back to one of thinly veiled hostility.
With a smirk, Mélisande turned to leave with Alessandro. She could feel Herrington’s gaze burning into her back. She hoped he enjoyed the view, because from this point on, that was all he would see of her.
Charlotte went with the now engaged Winifred, leaving the couple to their own devices. Mélisande didn’t particularly care for Winifred’s influence of late, but she felt it was the lesser of two evils. Better to allow Charlotte her companionship than to have her mooning about at David’s elbow.
Together, she and Alessandro circulated throughout the room. When they failed to find David among the general assembly, they went to the gaming room, where they discovered him playing primero. He nodded a cordial greeting and continued to play.
“Elizabeth!” Mélisande exclaimed happily, seeing Mrs. Montagu sitting by the fire. “It’s been far too long since we last saw each other. May I join you?” Surely Charlotte couldn’t possibly get herself into trouble this early in the evening.
“Of course! Come. Sit. Both of you,” Elizabeth replied, signaling a footman to bring another chair.
Mélisande was conscious of the fact that eyebrows rose over her invitation including Alessandro. They rose higher still when Elizabeth asked him to attend an exclusive reading by Henry Fielding of his new novel at her salon the week following. While part of her was pleased that he was being accepted, another part felt it would only make things more difficult in the end.
They bantered in friendly fashion until David excused himself. A few moments after he left, Alessandro did the same, leaving the two women to continue their game.
Elizabeth’s eyes followed him. “And just what are our handsome friends up to, I wonder?”
For once, Mélisande sincerely hoped David was up to no good. She decided to tell Elizabeth about her plan.
“What say we keep an eye on them?” suggested Elizabeth, her eyes twinkling.
Mélisande agreed, and the two of them went in search of the men. She looked for Charlotte as well, but she was nowhere in sight. They found David deep in discussion with a group of gentlemen. Alessandro was there too. At her questioning look, he shrugged and shook his head. Eventually, he gave up and rejoined them.
She and Alessandro paired for both the first and second dances—scandalous, even for an engaged couple. She didn’t care. Fervently hoping Herrington would cluck at her over it, she made her movements as provocative as possible.
Alessandro’s cinnamon eyes darkened as they danced, his smile growing sensuous. Her pulse hammered wildly and her skin began to tingle in anticipation. That he still looked at her that way after nearly three months amazed her.
