AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The night is still young.” Isaac patted his friend on the back. “There are many more dances to be had yet.”
“Yes. Yes,” Robins muttered to himself. “True. True.”
Good gracious, was the man so head over heels already?
Robins stopped their progress through the room with a hand on Isaac’s arm.
“She even dances like an angel.”
Isaac turned to find that the dance had indeed brought the woman in question quite close to where he and Robins were walking. She moved their way, stepping in tempo with the music and circling around her partner. She was a tall woman, and somehow her height added to her captivating presence. She glanced at Robins first, a soft smile on her lips. Then her gaze jumped to Isaac.
Their eyes met and everything around him faded away. For as fair as her skin was, her eyes seemed to hold a depth to them that beckoned to him. They were green—the most stunning, rich green eyes he’d ever seen. Her lips ticked upward, and though her smile was subtle, it brought a warmth to her eyes.
Then she was gone. Once more spinning about with her dance partner. Isaac realized he hadn’t breathed since her gaze had landed on him, and he had to draw in a deep lung full. What had come over him? With one look, she’d all but paralyzed him. Isaac turned away from her, running a hand down his face.
Someone laughed, light and airy, and he instinctively knew it was her. Isaac glanced over his shoulder regardless. Sure enough, the woman’s soft smile had bloomed at something her partner had said. Her expression was alight with laughter, and Isaac found it hard to force his gaze away.
“Let’s go find your great-aunt,” Robins said.
“Good idea,” Isaac said with a nod.
They found her in the same seat where they’d left her at the beginning of the gathering, at her request, beside the table holding the mulled cider.
“There you both are,” Aunt Margarette said cheerfully. “I do hope you’ve been dancing lots and entertaining all the eligible ladies who are present tonight.”
“Actually,” Robins began before Isaac could say anything, “Mrs. Fudge—”
“Call me Aunt Margarette. I insist.”
“Aunt Margarette,” Robins began again, “we were wondering if you might perform an introduction for us.”
Her entire face seemed to light up. “I would be most delighted. Which lovely young woman has caught your eye?”
Robins spun around so that he was facing the gathering along with Aunt Margarette. “The angel dancing with Lord Gulliver, in the dashing green dress, and with the red hair.”
“Auburn,” Isaac interjected.
Both Robins and Aunt Margarette turned and stared at him for a moment. Isaac fought the urge to wriggle under their mutual scrutiny. He wasn’t sure why he’d said it—the word had come out before he’d realized he’d decided to speak up.
“Red is ordinary, garish.” Why did he feel the need to explain? “Hers is clearly more subdued than that.”Regalis what he’d wanted to call her particular shade, but there was no reason to keep his friend and great-aunt’s attention on him longer than necessary.
“Do you know her?” Robins asked Aunt Margarette, quickly returning to the matter at hand.
“I knowofher.”
Was it just Isaac, or did his great-aunt suddenly seem far less willing to provide an introduction? Was there something wrong with the lady?
“Well?” Robins pressed. “Who is she?”
“That is Lady Nightingale.” Her tone was flat, her words matter-of-fact. The name was not familiar to Isaac, but clearly whoever this lady was, Aunt Margarette did not approve.
“Oh.” Robins seemed to deflate at hearing the woman’s name. “Then she is married.”
It would sound that way—only a married woman would be called Lady and her title instead of Lady and her first name. Isaac turned toward his friend to offer condolences when Aunt Margarette spoke up once more.
“Widowed, actually.”
Robins’s smile grew to codfish proportions almost immediately.
