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He pitied them for whatever case they’d made, though, as his attention had irrevocably been drawn to one lady and one lady only.
“Mother! Don’t you look radiant this evening?” he remarked as he finally reached her, watching the last of her company greet him politely and excuse themselves.
“Why, thank you, Son. And, yes, I know her. I don’t have to tell you how displeased your father and I would be if you continued to show interest in her,” his mother responded.
So I was right. She was watching after all.
“Well, tell me about her, Mother,” he said with a slight chuckle.
“All I can tell you is that you have no business with her. You are here to conduct yourself gracefully. Not to create another scandal by picking up interest in your main political rival’s daughter, of all the ladies at this party, Son.”
Her warning was clear and stern, which only encouraged his curiosity and heightened his interest further.
“Dear Mother,” he chuckled.
“The Duke of Witthinham’s daughter is here. We’ve exchanged pleasantries and she has asked of your wellbeing.”
“Oh, splendid,” he responded with sarcasm, a clear indication that he intended to dispel the topic of Lady Charlotte and get back to his new interest.
He had no intention of discussing the lady his mother wished he courted at the moment. She had never caught his fancy in any way, even though other gentlemen sought to woo her. The only time he’d tried to get close to her had proved to be a disaster. He didn’t fancy a lady who had nothing to offer in a conversation, aside from the fact that she was the daughter of a Duke.
In fact, he’d suspected that Lady Charlotte had only been drawn to him as a result of the fact that his father and hers held the same title ofDuke. A union between them would ensure that she didn’t marry beneath her station and as a result, wasn’t going to move down several slots in precedence.
Lady Charlotte was bad news and he had no intention of indulging her.
“Why don’t you go and ask her to dance?” his mother continued.
“I’m afraid I can’t as I have already made a commitment to another in advance,” he replied, trying to mask his disgust.
How Mother thinks she is the sweetest lady ever is beyond me.
“Really? Who?” his mother asked, barely managing to keep her excitement under check.
“I think I hear father calling for me,” he lied, a smile spreading across his lips.
“You better not—”
“Enjoy the rest of the ball, Mother,” he remarked with a mischievous grin on his face as he cut her off midsentence.
The look of disapproval on his mother’s face was instant. But before she could utter any more words, he had picked up her hand, bent, and kissed it.
It was a clear gesture that indicated he was done with the conversation. He also knew for a fact that his mother wasn’t going to utter another word in public to stop his retreat. In private though, it was going to be another matter entirely.
She’s going to be terribly upset and I will most certainly be told off later.
As he stood erect, he noticed his mother had regained her composure. Her eyes, however, had a scowl in them that he found humorous.
He retreated and noticed how the expectant crowd of ladies descended on her almost instantly. He definitely didn’t have to worry about leaving her alone and without company. She would be more than occupied with the ladies seeking her favor with regards to him.
As he walked through the crowd in a bid to get to his father, the glances and curtsies from the ladies continued. He returned them with polite greetings and nods as he made his way to the Duke.
For the second time tonight, as he approached the Duke and the company around him, he spied the Earl’s daughter and his breath caught in his chest. Of course, he’d seen her walk back toward her father and knew she was going to be by his side, but setting his eyes on her again, he couldn’t help but feel the excitement he’d felt initially.
He masked his excitement as he remembered her father’s glare and approached the company with as much grace as he could muster.
“Lord Walsrock!” the Earl exclaimed as he joined them.
“That was some beautiful dancing, Lord Walsrock,” one of the gentlemen standing in their company remarked further. Kenneth knew him and was well aware that he was of a lesser rank than the rest of the company. His patronizing comment wasn’t lost on Kenneth, nor was it uncommon.
