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Jeremy watched the dancers for a second, observing what sort of dance it was: a quadrille, where they frequently exchanged partners. Jeremy hardly cared that the dance had already started and even if it was a little unorthodox to join it now. He felt he had to be on that dancefloor.
Near the dancers, he found a young lady he knew hovering beside it. Lady Hayes was humming the tune of the music to herself as she watched.
“Lady Hayes?”
“Your Grace!” She turned to him with a grand smile on her face. Jeremy was comfortable at once. He and Lady Hayes had spent a night together once, but it was a long time ago, and she had understood what it was. She knew it was fleeting and had never made the attempt to know him better.
“If you are not otherwise engaged, would you care to dance this number with me?” he asked, offering his hand to her. At once, she placed her hand in his, allowing him to lead her to the floor to join the others.
Once again, he let his eyes linger on Lady Elkins on the floor. As she parted from Sir Arnold’s arms to walk around him, as per the choreography of the routine, her eyes met Jeremy’s. He could have sworn her cheeks blushed further, before she snapped her gaze away.
It is as if that look burned her.
Jeremy found the very thought thrilled him.
He tried not to think of what he was doing as he and Lady Hayes took their place in the dance with the other couples. It was merely a dance after all, what did it matter if he was trying to get Lady Elkins’ attention?
Jeremy and Lady Hayes performed their first few figures, the dance so upbeat that Lady Hayes was lost in her enjoyment of it. When the time came to split from one another, and take a new partner in the dance, Jeremy was careful where he angled himself. He moved to his right and took up a place opposite Lady Elkins.
This time, when their eyes met, those dark eyes of hers widened.
He walked forward and offered his arms to her. As per the routine, she had to take his arms, so that they formed a circle, just the two of them, then they galloped sideways, up and down the floor with the other dancers.
“At last, we are dancing, Lady Elkins,” he whispered to her as they moved back and forth.
“Only by your trickery,” she said, with a narrowing of her eyes.
“I still feel as if I have won our little game.” He referred to the sheer number of times he had asked her to dance in the past over the years. After her first refusal, it had become this playful thing to him. He would keep asking until she said yes.
“You haven’t.” She lifted her chin with confidence and shot him a smile. That look had something stirring in his chest. “Because you are about to lose me.” She stepped out of his arms and returned to Sir Arnold.
Cursing under his breath, Jeremy returned to Lady Hayes. They danced together, back and forth, but Jeremy kept moving his eyes back to Lady Elkins.
She seemed bored with her partner now, for her eyes barely rested on Sir Arnold at all. On the contrary, she kept looking at Jeremy, then sharply looked away when he caught her staring.
When the time came to swap partners again, once more Jeremy found Lady Elkins and took her in his arms. The moment he touched her, he felt this burning sensation in his gut, as if this simple touch was not enough.
“Why are you dancing, Your Grace?” she asked as they galloped back and forth.
“I was struck by a merry mood.”
“Not out of a wish to dance with me then?”
“Well, maybe I thought you needed rescuing,” he said, teasing her.
“Rescuing?” She laughed at the idea, tipping her head back with the movement so that his eyes wandered down the curve of her neck to the top of her bosom, entranced. “I do not need rescuing by any man.”
“I thought you looked rather bored with your dance partner,” he whispered to her as they turned in a circle round one another, their only touch the press of their fingers together. “I thought it only right you should be offered some more exciting company.”
“How bold you are!” She laughed at him once again. “You think of yourself as exciting company, do you?”
“I can certainly try to be.” Before anymore could be said between them, they were forced to part and return to their dance partners.
Jeremy longed for the dance to not be over yet. He was not done with this conversation and wanted another chance to take Lady Elkins in his arms, yet the music was coming to an end. As he and Lady Hayes faced each other, bowing and curtsying, his eyes were already back on Lady Elkins.
What am I doing!? Am I pursuing her? No. Perhaps I am just distracting myself with her? Yes, that sounds about right.
His thoughts came fast in his confusion as he escorted Lady Hayes from the floor. After they had said goodbye to one another, he crossed the room, following where Sir Arnold had taken Lady Elkins.
