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‘Olivia does exactly what her mother tells her,’ Adam said, with a suggestion of gritted teeth.
That did make sense, and could account for some of Adam’s apparent coolness on the subject of his marriage. From what Decima knew of Mrs Channing, she imagined she would not make an easy mama-in-law.
‘I would lay odds on you winning any future encounters with the lady,’ she remarked outrageously.
‘I have every intention of doing so. But until Olivia is removed from her orbit, nothing is gained by coming to cuffs with her, other than to make Olivia miserable.’
‘You are concerned how Olivia feels?’ It was the first time she had heard him say anything that showed any feeling for his fiancée.
‘You think me cold? I am very fond of Olivia and I want her to be happy.’ Adam looked down at her, his grey eyes dark as he regarded her with an expression at odds with the cheerful music. ‘She is shy of me—overt shows of affection would disconcert her.’
‘I beg your pardon.’ Decima bit her lip and forced herself to finish her apology. ‘That was inexcusable of me, I have no right to pry.’
He smiled at her then, making her ill-disciplined heart flip against her ribs. ‘As my friend, I expect you to lecture me on a regular basis. I am sure you scold Freshford.’
‘Henry rarely needs scolding,’ Decima rejoined, catching sight of the other couple as they turned. ‘Oh!’
‘Indeed
,’ Adam said drily. ‘What a very handsome pair they do make, to be sure.’
It was as though an artist had decided to paint the perfect couple. Olivia, tiny as she was, fitted perfectly against Henry’s modest height so they could have been made to measure for each other. Their hair shimmered under the lights: hers palest gilt, his a masculine gold. And both of them had the sort of perfectly moulded looks that seemed to come straight from a classical frieze.
‘Olivia has a beauty that would look good, whoever she was partnered with,’ Decima said quickly. If he wasn’t careful, Henry was going to find himself called out by an enraged fiancé. Adam might turn a blind eye to Olivia enjoying a little light flirtation while she was sitting at his side, but to have her circling the dance floor in another man’s arms while the two of them gazed deep into each other’s eyes was asking rather too much.
‘That is very true,’ Adam agreed equably. She shot him a suspicious glance, but he seemed to be quite calm about the situation, only pulling her a little closer into his hold as they danced.
It was a dangerous thing to be doing, dancing with Adam like this. Decima knew it, yet felt no more able to stop herself revelling in the sensation of being in his arms than if she were a small child who had found a bag of sugarplums and was gorging herself to the point of sickness.
She had forgotten quite how well matched their bodies seemed to be as they danced, how his height was quite perfect for her, how the hair on his temples grew and the way the skin at the corner of his eyes crinkled when he smiled, how her breath caught in her throat when he looked at her.
Decima dropped her eyes at the sudden panicky thought that he had seen her feelings in them. She had told herself that it was perfectly possible to love Adam and yet to live with that. She had been prepared to see him around in London and had expected to feel a pang, but that was all. In fact, she had been prepared to find that distance had lent enchantment and that meeting Adam again would be in some way a let-down. She had had no idea that love could be so all consuming, that it would feed on his nearness, would be rekindled by his kiss, that the fact that he was betrothed to another woman would not alter the way she felt one iota.
The music stopped and she swept a curtsy. She felt light-headed and reckless, yet one part of her mind was marvelling at the way she was dancing and having such pleasure doing so—one of her darkest, scariest bogeymen vanquished at a stroke. As if reading her thoughts, Adam whispered, ‘I can see two Patronesses staring at us. Were they ones who were beastly to you?’
Decima shot them a hunted look, suddenly a gawky eighteen-year-old again. ‘Mrs Drummond Burrell and Lady Castlereagh. I was terrified of them. They used to look right through me, but you could see what an effort they found it to ignore something as obvious as me, nevertheless.’
‘Right.’ Adam tucked her arm through his and headed for the two formidable ladies. Only the fact that over a hundred eyes were watching the dance floor stopped Decima gibbering with nerves and tugging her arm free.
Chapter Sixteen
‘Ladies.’ Adam stopped in front of them and bowed slightly, receiving gracious inclinations of their heads and smiles of welcome. Obviously Viscount Weston was approved of. ‘I am sure you know Miss Ross?’ Decima found herself the object of two critical examinations. It appeared the ladies did not know what to make of her, then her height must have touched their memories.
‘Decima Ross?’ enquired Mrs Drummond Burrell. ‘Carmichael’s half-sister?’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Good God,’ Lady Castlereagh murmured, then more loudly, ‘You have certainly…developed, Miss Ross.’
‘Miss Ross is a quite wonderful dancer,’ Adam confided, ignoring manfully the pinching pressure of Decima’s fingers on his arm. ‘And she tells me she owes it all to your influence over several Seasons.’
‘Our influence?’ Mrs Drummond Burrell was obviously looking back at her recollection of an unsatisfactory débutante. ‘I am sure we never gave Miss Ross any encouragement to dance.’
‘Exactly,’ Adam said sweetly. ‘Is it not remarkable how character building it is to overcome ignorant prejudice and discouragement?’ With another, perfectly correct, bow, he walked on, Decima quivering at his side.
‘That’s wiped the smug smiles off their old pussy faces.’ He looked down at her, his own smile vanishing as he saw her face. ‘Oh, Lord. Did that upset you? I thought you might enjoy it.’
Decima fought to keep her countenance and found herself pulled sideways through a curtain and out into the screened portico that overlooked the gardens, sheltered from the February weather by removable panes of glass. At the far end a couple were talking, their backs turned to them, otherwise they were alone in the dim and rather chilly interior. She buried her face in her hands and gave way to her feelings.
