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“I forgot what a wonderful dancer you were, Lord Simon,” Lady Genevieve said, raising her voice a little so he could hear her over the din. He smiled and took her hand, twirling in the middle of the line. The couples alternated this step and then went back to their respective lines. He moved down the line and clapped as a couple travelled down the aisle of dancers together.
It was his and Lady Genevieve’s turn to promenade down the aisle next, and he offered her his arm. When they came to the end of the line, he saw Ellen watching them and felt a pinprick of guilt. She wore a hurt expression on her face, and he wondered if he had just made a grave mistake by agreeing to dance with Lady Genevieve.
He got back in line and watched her carefully for a few moments. She caught his eye and smiled, all signs of tension gone—for the moment. He turned his attention back to Lady Genevieve, but some of the lustre was gone from his dancing as they finished out the set.
He bowed to Lady Genevieve when the dance came to an end, and he took her arm to lead her off the dance floor. However, he did not rejoin Everett but went straight to Ellen’s side. He could only hope he had not just undone all the progress they had made together over the last few weeks.
Chapter 23
Ellen could not disguise the jealousy that came bubbling to the surface when she spotted Simon dancing with Lady Genevieve. The rumours she had heard of the pair when he had first returned from university came rushing back to her mind. Golda had said that everyone thought Simon would propose to Lady Genevieve before his father practically ordered him home to marry Ellen instead.
When the dance ended, Simon headed straight for her, and she did her best to wipe the jealousy off her features. She greeted Lady Genevieve with a polite smile and was pleased when Simon let go of her hand and came to her side, taking her hand in his. She let out a contented sigh. Simon did not seem like the straying kind. She did not want to be like other women, who were constantly fighting bouts of jealous rage and nagging at their husbands.
“Well, that was lovely. Thank you, Lord Simon,” Lady Genevieve said, sounding out of breath from the lively dance. “Thank you, Lady Ellen, for allowing me to steal him for a bit.”
Ellen bristled at her tone, dripping with honey. All the while, she sensed that Lady Genevieve would like nothing more than to get rid of her. She gave her a sweet smile in return. “I think I can part withmy husbandfor one dance, Lady Genevieve. I am glad you enjoyed yourselves.”
Lady Genevieve’s face fell for a split second, but she quickly put her cloying smile back in place. Ellen was not about to give ground and was satisfied when her none-too-subtle reminder that Simon was her husband, not Genevieve’s, hit the mark.
Thankfully, Lord Carlisle joined them an instant later, and the conversation turned to safer waters. “Well, is everyone enjoying themselves? Not getting too tired, I hope? Lord and Lady Grant always do throw the most luscious parties, and no one ever wants to go home until the sun begins to rise.”
Ellen smiled at him. Lord Carlisle was a most affable man. “I remember watching from my bedroom window when I was a girl, seeing that the windows were still alight during the winter months until the sun had risen. And a great many carriages leaving after breakfast was served.”
“You did?” asked Simon. “I did not know that.”
“The Grants have always been famous for their parties all over the county. You did not know?” Ellen teased.
“And you were never invited to one of these soirees?” Everett asked. “I am ashamed of you, Simon,” he said in a mockingly serious tone of voice.
“I was not yet out,” Ellen said. In truth, she would not have borne being forced to attend one of the Grant’s parties until now. She had allowed her prejudice against Simon to steal the joy of accepting an invitation from his parents before. Never again would she allow such hatefulness to rob her of community.
“Ahh, well, I can see the wisdom in that. You might have been snatched up by someone else, and I would not have wanted that for Simon. The pain would have been too great,” Everett went on. Ellen felt a blush creeping up her cheeks. “You know, my friend never talked of any girl the way he talked about you when we were at Eton. It was embarrassing at times, but you know, he has always been wholly devoted to you—”
“That is enough of that, Everett,” Simon chimed in. He looked embarrassed, but Ellen turned to him anyway.
“You talked about me at university?” she asked.
“Oh, he could never sing your praises enough, I assure you.” Lord Carlisle’s eyes flashed with mischief. Simon turned his eyes to the floor, shifting from one foot to the other. Ellen waited for him to deny it, but he did not.
“Lord Simon was always so charming. Do you remember the summer you stayed in London with us? There were a flock of women around Lord Simon at every ball we attended.” Lady Genevieve chimed in.
“Yes, well, that was a long time ago,” Simon said, looking nervous. Lady Genevieve did not seem to notice his discomfort.
“It was not so long ago. Two years? Everyone thought you were the most eligible bachelor in all of England!”
Ellen stepped forward slightly, keeping a firm grasp on Simon’s arm. “I can attest that the rumours are true,” she replied.
Lady Genevieve narrowed her eyes at her but said nothing more. Lord Carlisle shot his cousin a warning glance, and she changed the subject.
“Do you remember the tea at Lady Godfrey’s last Season?” Lady Genevieve laughed, holding a hand to her chest. “I have never seen the ladies move so quickly.”
Ellen was at a loss until Simon stopped laughing long enough to explain to her. “We were playing pall mall at Lady Godfrey’s garden party. Well, the gentlemen and I had no idea they had decided to go on a walk about the green. I had hit my ball out into a wooded area, and when I found it, I gave it the hardest hit I could, to make sure it got clear of the brush. The next thing I heard was the ladies screaming, trying to get out of the way as the ball went careening toward them—”
“And then Her Grace’s face when she nearly fell…” Lady Genevieve went on without actually finishing the story. The three of them were in stitches, trying not to laugh too loudly and cause a scene. “Well, you would have had to have been there,” she finally finished.
Ellen looked between the three of them, who were obviously close. She had not realised how close until that evening. She again had to push down her jealousy. “Would that I had been there,” she said softly.
Lady Genevieve continued to steer the conversation and almost deliberately pushed Ellen to the sidelines, sharing stories that only the three would know. She bore the slight as graciously as she could, interjecting when the opportunity arose. However, the opportunities were few and far between.
