It was just an evening’s conversation, so she would not make too much of it.
Lord Fellstone was not the only gentleman she spoke to as they dined. In fact, she engaged in conversation with everyone at her end of the table and was now certain Fiona had planned this seating arrangement on purpose.
Lord Durham and Lady Margaret were seated immediately across from her. Cherish’s heart went out to Lady Margaret, because the conversation was a bit too intellectual at their end of the table and the girl appeared to be struggling to keep up. When the conversation reached a lull, Cherish commented on Lady Margaret’s necklace. “It is beautiful. Is it an opal?”
The girl cast her an appreciative smile. “Yes, a gift from my uncle. He is an admiral in the Royal Navy and was assigned to the South China Seas most recently. He brought this necklace back for me. I think it is quite beautiful, too. Prettier than diamonds or emeralds. And your cameo is lovely, Lady Cherish. I love those, too.”
The conversation then turned to her uncle’s travels and those of the gentlemen at the table. Lord Durham was surprisingly well traveled. “I spent quite some time in Italy and Greece, in addition to seeing much of the world. There is no denying their ancient sites, their food and culture, are all fascinating. But there is no place as beautiful as England. I am happy to be back home and in the company of my closest friends.”
Cherish had to admit she was enjoying herself despite her heartache. She tried very hard not to glance down the table to where the duke was seated, but curiosity finally got the better of her, and she looked.
To her surprise, he happened to be looking back at her.
She smiled at him.
Oh, she probably should have sniffed and tossed her chin into the air. Or ignored him and turned away. But her instincts were to be honest, even if she were ultimately humiliated by her feelings. He had gone on about how no one knew who he really was or cared to know anything about him beyond his title and wealth. He detested insincerity and dishonesty.
If she were to win him, she sensed it would only be done by remaining true to her natural self with all her faults, flaws, and foibles laid out in the open for him to view. But she had many good qualities for him to notice, as well.
A few minutes later, they exchanged glances again. Once again, she smiled at him because she sincerely liked him and it felt like the right thing to do.
He took a sip of his wine and then smiled back. Her heart lurched when he took another sip and then winked at her. She also blushed, the heat immediately coursing up her neck and into her cheeks.
Well, so much for coming across as sultry.
She looked down at the food on her plate, a crisped duck atop a bed of cauliflower and potatoes, and took a hasty bite. Delicious.
She tried not to look his way again.
“I understand we are to have dancing again tonight,” Lord Fellstone said.
Fiona nodded. “A full orchestra this evening so that Lady Cherish is not chained to the pianoforte while we are all having fun. You must claim two dances from her, Lord Fellstone, in order to make up for those nights she lost while helping us out.”
“It will be my pleasure,” he replied with a nod, then asked Cherish if she would allow him to claim a second.
She nodded. “I would like that very much.”
Fellstone was about Reggie’s age and quite nice looking. Fiona had already filled her in on most of his details. She knew he was the eldest son of a profligate earl. She also knew the old earl, having lived a life of excessive drinking and gambling, was no longer in the best of health and not expected to survive the year. This meant Fellstone would inherit an earldom that consisted of a rather run-down estate.
It was a shame, for Fellstone appeared to be a clever and kind fellow, not at all inclined to follow in his father’s wastrel footsteps. Given the choice, he was the sort who would have chosen a love match for himself. But he was soon to be saddled with a ruined earldom, and this would require him to find an heiress unless he wished to spend his life struggling to bring the estate back to profitability during his lifetime.
For this reason, Cherish doubted he was free to pursue her in earnest.
This also assumed he was genuinely interested in her and had not been bribed by Fiona or Reggie. Well, it did not matter. She resolved to have a good time and not dwell on anything serious tonight.
However, maintaining a light and jovial façade was not as easy as she’d hoped. Her heart was lost to the Duke of Bromleigh, and seeing him with his first love was quite hard to endure. Settling her feelings elsewhere was impossible while she still loved him.
Stilllovedhim?
What was wrong with her? She had known him only a few days. How could she love him at all upon so short an acquaintance?
And yet shewasin love with him. It was ridiculous, but how could she deny her feelings? He had claimed her heart, and she could not move on until all hope of his reciprocating that love was lost.
She stared into her lemon syllabub, taking small bites of the creamy dessert with her spoon, grateful Fiona’s cook had put very little white wine in it. That would have turned the dessert to liquid and made it more of a drink than a sweet treat to end their repast.
Wine had been poured liberally throughout their meal, and Cherish found herself a little giddy by the time the ladies rose to take their tea and sherry in the parlor while the men remained behind for their ports, brandies, and smokes.
She tried not to glance at the duke as she passed by his chair on her way out, but he was awfully hard to ignore as he stood along with the other men, looking magnificently sleek and powerful.
