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Women who were now likely wondering where the handsome, dark-haired gentleman had escaped to. “We ought to return to the ballroom before we are found alone and the worst conclusions are drawn.”
He nodded in agreement. “Will you find something to ease your burn? I can request an ointment from my godmother. I am certain she will have something in her kitchen to use.”
“That is unnecessary. I do not live far from here.” I pulled open the drawstring closure on my reticule and retrieved my gloves.
“I would ask you for a dance, but we have yet to be introduced.”
I paused in the motion of pulling my glove up to my elbow.
“And of course there is the barrier that you do not dance,” he added.
That pulled a small smile onto my lips.
He watched me straighten my glove. “Would you not make an exception to your rule for a new friend? I have it on good authority that you do know the steps.”
“If you’ll recall, it has nothing to do with my knowledge of the dances.”
“But perhaps you do not enjoy dancing because you’ve yet to acquire the correct partner.”
Impertinent. I focused my attention on the glove in my hand. Was this stranger implying that he could be the correct partner for me?
“Or perhaps,” I said, “I will never dance, regardless of who partners me.”
“Care to place a wager on it?”
I slid my fingers into my second glove and glanced up to find him watching my hands still. “What sort of wager?”
“If I prove that dancing can be enjoyable, you will allow us to be properly introduced and dance the next set with me.”
“How are you so certain we will find a mutual acquaintance?”
“I remind you that this is my godmother’s ball. I’m assuming you are familiar with the Huttons or you would not be here.”
He had me there. Miss Marianne Hutton and I possessed something of a friendship. It was her company I pretended to seek out in order to escape to the terrace, after all.
“And if I dislike it as much as I expect to?”
He rubbed a hand over his strong jaw. “Then I suppose I must pay a forfeit.”
“There is nothing I want from you, sir.”
“Nothing?” The way he looked down at me, his head cocked to the side, was endearing. The only thing I wanted was to be home, safe in my room, and away from the Hutton residence completely.
Ah, that was it. He could be my ticket out of the ball early this evening. Surely, I could force myself to move through the motions of one dance without issue? We were alone, lacking an audience. I had always done perfectly fine with my dancing master when we were alone. I would simply imagine this tall, handsome gentleman as a wrinkled man of sixty with awful breath.
“If I win, which I shall, then you must fetch my mother so I can convince her to leave the ball without having to reenter the ballroom. Mrs. Hutton will surely provide you with the introduction to make that possible.”
“Deal.”
This was far too easy.
He bowed to me, then held out a hand. “May I have this dance, Miss . . .”
“Certainly.” I ignored the question in his tone, for I would not supply my name to the stranger. But I had to swallow my moral high ground, since evidently my strong proprietary convictions did not extend to dancing with a stranger. I glanced over my shoulder at the French doors and felt his hand slide around mine.
“No one can see us in here. It is too dark.”
He was correct. The fire had slowly faded to a faint burn. I could hardly see him, and my eyes had gradually adjusted. “Which dance are we meant to be doing?”
