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She slowly looked away and resumed her conversation with her friend. The movement had Luke walking forward.
“What are you doing?” Adam said in a harried whisper, following at his side.
“Was it not your suggestion to greet the ladies?”
“I didn’t intend to follow through with it! I was only trying to make you uncomfortable.”
“Then let me return the favour.”
Before Adam could step away, Luke grabbed his arm and steered him forward so that they were both forced to walk toward the ladies. Miss Storey evidently saw them coming first, for she looked around her. Luke rather suspected she was trying to think of a way to extricate herself from the impending meeting without being rude, but she must have failed to think of a way to make it work, for she fell still and turned her chin toward him, prepared for their meeting.
“Miss Storey, Miss Gove, it is good to see you again.” He bowed to the two of them as they curtsied. “You remember my friend, Mr Barton.”
“Yes, good evening, Mr Barton,” Miss Gove spoke first, curtsying to him, though to Luke’s mind, she seemed to be doing her best to avoid his gaze. “Thank you for the gift.”
“Oh, yes, it was no trouble.” Adam sounded nervous, something that was usually foreign to Adam. Luke looked at him with curious eyes, and when Adam caught him staring, he renewed the conversation with vigour. “Perhaps we could continue our conversation from the other evening, Miss Gove….”
Luke was only too happy to turn his focus away from Adam and Miss Gove, shifting his attention to Miss Storey.
“It is truly a pleasure to see you again, Miss Storey.” He deepened his voice as he spoke to her, fully aware of what he was doing now.
“Your pleasure sounds too effusive,” she said with suspicion as she lifted her chin a little. “I was under the impression my conversation rather alarmed you the other day at the ball.”
“Startled, certainly, but alarmed? No, not that. I find your company too charming to ever be fearful of it.” At his flirtation, she narrowed her eyes once more.
“I thought I warned you off such attempts at charm.”
“I cannot resist,” he said, putting upon a rather dramatic wince. “I had not intended to even attempt to charm you to begin with but your rather insincere manner at being immune to such attempts has made me curious.”
“Curious?” she repeated, the corner of her lips turning up a little.
“Is that a smile you’re fighting?” he asked wryly.
“That would be a grimace.” Her words made him laugh heartily. “Do not tell me you wish to attempt to turn my head now simply because I told you that you could not.”
“Should I not tell you as much? Why?”
“Because you would simply make my opinion of you fall.”
“You mean fall lower than it already is, but why is that?”
“Because far from acting as a gentleman, you would be acting as a boy, merely wanting what he has been told he cannot have.” Her wit made him laugh once again. He was on the verge of asking her to dance, not wanting this conversation to end, when Adam and Miss Gove’s conversation abruptly ended.
“Annie, would you come with me?” Miss Gove said, taking her friend’s arm. “I have friends I wish to greet.”
“Yes, of course.” Miss Storey turned her head away from Luke, showing that their conversation was at an end. “Good evening, Lord Yeatman, Mr Barton.”
They all curtsied and bowed in parting, then Luke watched as she retreated. He half wondered at some point if she was tempted to glance back at him, for her head angled in his direction, but either he was mistaken, or she changed her mind, for she kept her eyes lowered and never met his gaze.
“Luke, come get a drink with me,” Adam said at his side, sounding much more insistent than usual.
“Why? I know you like a drink, but you are no great drinker.”
“I find myself in need of one in this moment.”
Luke was distracted from asking the reason for Adam’s dismay. He was too busy glancing across the room to where Miss Storey and Miss Gove were approaching a group of young ladies.
That conversation cannot be over yet. I have every intention of renewing it again.
