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As her eyes skimmed through the crowd, she suddenly spotted her brother. And Lord Leech. They were headed in her direction. If she wanted to dance with Saunton tonight, she could not refuse a dance from Lord Leech, because she would be required to sit out every subsequent dance if she turned him down. Desperate, she stepped behind Aunt Christiana to pencil Lord Saunton on to her dance card. Then, before she had second thoughts, she penciled him in for the next dance after that. Now she just needed to find him before Leech found her.
“Aunt?”
Lady Moreland turned to her. Sophia gave a quick nod of her head, and Lady Moreland looked in the direction she gestured and hissed. “Leech is headed toward us! Go to the necessary.” Sophia looked at her in surprise. “Now, go now! They have nearly reached us.”
Sophia briskly walked away to find the necessary. She would stay in there all night if she needed to, but then she would miss Lord Saunton. Perhaps she should just keep walking the room until she found him? Mind made up, she started a circuit of the room, glancing back to ensure she knew where Cecil and Leech were. She was startled to find them right behind her. Panicked, she attempted to dart forward, but her brother stepped out in front of her, his bloated face red from his exertions to catch up with her and his reddish-blond hair lank with perspiration. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to dab at his damp forehead.
“There you are, Sophia dear! Lord Leech is quite adamant that he must have a dance with you.”
Sophia paled but kept her face composed as she glanced over to Leech. She curtsied, noticing that Leech’s yellow eyes were as sinister in real life as they appeared to her in her dreams. He gave a cursory bow. “Miss Hayward, I have not stopped thinking of you since we met. May we take a turn around the room while we await the next dance?”
“I would love to, but I need to refresh myself and then my next dance is already promised, my lord.”
Leech looked skeptical. He reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could prevent him. Looking down at her dance card, he looked up at her and sneered.Sneered!
“Lord Saunton? I do not believe he is even here tonight, and you are certainly not his sort. Are you sure you did not write in his name yourself?”
“Quite sure, Leech.” Saunton’s deep velvet voice interrupted. Sophia nearly wept with relief when his handsome face appeared beyond Leech’s shoulder. Brushing past the bristling gentleman, he came to stand by her side and bowed.
“Are you ready, Miss Hayward?”
She gave a nod. More ready than she had ever been.
Leech was not so easily dissuaded. “I will see you for the next dance, Miss Hayward.”
Saunton flicked his eyes over Leech in a disparaging fashion. “I don’t think so, old chap. The next dance is mine, too. Miss Hayward is quite captivating, and I have concluded that I am … well, captivated, I suppose. And then it will be time for supper, I believe.”
Leech gasped and Sophia’s heart quickened at the news that Saunton intended to dance with her twice. It confirmed he was serious in his pursuit of her, practically announcing to the world that he had found the young woman he might wed. A third dance would be, for all intents and purposes, announcing the nuptials. Inhaling deeply, Sophia took the arm Lord Saunton offered her and accompanied him farther into the ballroom.
“You said the chit had no earnest suitors, Hayward!” Leech’s low hiss made it to her ears, causing Sophia to smile widely as Saunton took hold of her hand and placed his gloved fingers on her waist. She had never been so happy to see any man before.
As the waltz began, Saunton looked down in her face. “If Leech is attempting to court you, there must be a sizable dowry involved?”
Sophia bit her lip, unsure of what to say.
“You wrote my name in? Was it because you promised me or to avoid Leech?”
“Both. I have been waiting for you, but you never appeared.”
Saunton’s eyes flickered away. “I … was getting up my nerve. I was trying to think how to persuade you to allow me to call on you tomorrow. Now we are engaged for two dances, which will cause society tongues to wag in speculation.”
“I already decided to accept your request if you made it again.”
He looked incredulous, but pleased. “You did?”
“I want to learn more about this crusade to redeem yourself. Does it include drink?”
“You mean spirits?”
Sophia nodded.
“I only drink spirits occasionally. When my betrothed married the Duke of Halmesbury, I enjoyed a last hurrah and then mostly lost interest. I was never that fond of the consequences of drinking, and I find I like to keep my mind clear.”
“Truly?”
“Truly. Does that make me a more desirable suitor?”
“It does.”
