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Arabella wanted nothing less than to dance that evening and even less than that to dance with the Duke. However, he was already looking at her.
“My Lady, will you do me the pleasure?” he asked.
“Of course,” she replied, turning to her mother who was a remarkably good player of the pianoforte. “Mother, could we perhaps prevail upon you to play for us?”
“I’d be delighted,” the Duchess replied, standing up and making her way over. In all, there were five couples who stood up to dance. Arabella was struck by the curiousness of it. How were they out, when two of their friends had recently been killed? How were they dancing and making merry, when so much bad had happened?
I wish Charles were here. He would have listened to me.
Her mother began with a simple dance—a country song. Arabella looked up into the Duke of Longmire’s face. She felt nothing. Neither love nor distaste. He smiled, however.
“Isn’t this pleasant, My Lady?” he asked, even as they did the sort of hopping steps.
“As dancing goes,” she murmured as he pulled her close.
“Indeed,” he said, lowering his hand, the merest hint. She raised her eyebrow, shooting him a disapproving glare as they danced about the room in fast circles.
“Open your heart to me,” he murmured softly, slowing his movements so that they were both out of step with the music. “Can you not see how perfectly suited we are?”
“No, Your Grace,” she replied. “I don’t see that we are.”
“I can give you everything that you’ve always wanted,” he said, as the song ended. He bowed, and she curtsied.
“It depends,” she replied as he drew her out of the group of dancers, over to the side of the room, where they could speak. “Would you stop trying to force me into riding side-saddle?” She didn’t think he would.
“There would be no one to see at Longmire. We could have it so that we are the only members of the ton for miles.” He smiled. “You’d like it,” he insisted. “I breed Thoroughbreds. There’s a particularly spirited mare that I would give you for your own use.”
“You cannot tempt me with pretty things,” she replied. They were standing by the far wall. When she glanced back at the room, she saw that her father was watching them. His face remained blank. “My affection cannot be bought.”
“Let me prove to you,” His Grace said, drawing her attention back in his direction. “The depth of my sincerity. The two of us would be perfect together.”
“So you keep insisting,” she replied. “I have yet to see it, Your Grace. If you’ll excuse me. I must attend to my mother.” She curtsied, then walked away from him, going to stand behind her mother, who had been turning her own music. Arabella turned the pages for her.
“Thank you, my darling,” her mother said. “I couldn’t help but notice that the Duke of Longmire wanted to speak with you.”
“It was nothing, Mother.”
“I think it was something,” her mother replied. When Arabella glanced at her, she was smiling happily. Arabella loved her mother. The Duchess was a simple lady, for all of her noble pedigree. She really just wanted Arabella settled, married to a member of the ton.
* * *
Charles visited Lady Violet Fanning the next day at the townhome where she lived with her parents in Mayfair. Charles was shown into the cozy, cream-colored parlor by the butler.
“Mr. Conolly, My Lady,” the butler said, standing just beside the door his hands clasped in front of him.
Lady Violet was dressed in all black. She had her handkerchief out on her lap. A lady’s maid sat in an armchair nearby.
“Oh, Mr. Conolly,” Lady Violet said. “So good of you to come and visit. I’m not—Lord Drysdale’s widow, but I certainly feel like it. Please, sit down.”
“I wish I could say that I was here for happier circumstances,” Charles said, bowing to her then taking the chair that she indicated for him to sit in.
“That makes two of us,” she replied. “I presume it has to do with the will. I mean, why else would his barrister come to see me?”
“I wanted to prepare you for what comes next,” Charles said. “I…I think you should know that you are a beneficiary on his will. You’ll be required to come to the official reading of the will.”
“He wanted to make sure that I was taken care of,” she said, nodding. “He…he was very adamant that it be done before the wedding.”
“Did you notice that he was worried at all, before he passed?” Charles asked, noting that Lord Drysdale had been so adamant to get it done early. That, in itself, was one of the reasons why he’d come.
