“It’s nothing,” Matilda said quickly. “Miss Charlton sees me as a country bumpkin playing dress-up as if I were a fine lady.”
“You are a fine young lady.”
“But mostly a country bumpkin,” Matilda said with a sigh. “My new wardrobe is a thin disguise. She said the only reason anyone takes pity and dances with me is to impress you. Not me.”
Gilbourne’s eyes darkened. “If you think any name on your dance card wouldn’t duel me at dawn for a chance to—”
“There you are!” Lord Thackery burst between them, panting. “I looked everywhere for you, Miss Dodd. This is our second set. It’s to be a waltz.”
“No.” Gilbourne brushed Lord Thackery away with the back of his arm, then forcefully linked arms with Matilda. “I’m certain you’ve misremembered. This is my set with my ward.”
Matilda and Lord Thackery both stared at him.
“But—I signed my name on her card right in front of you! If you’ll take a look, you’ll see—”
“I see that if you don’t get out of our way,” Gilbourne growled, “your knees will soon no longer be intact.”
Lord Thackery swallowed visibly and backed away, palms up. “Your waltz. Miss Dodd, I’ll take the first one tomorrow night. If your guardian so allows it.”
Gilbourne didn’t bother responding to him. He led Matilda to the crowded dance floor instead. A sea of whispers followed in their wake.
Before she could catch her breath, Bernice Charlton swooped in front of them, her face an angry mask.
“Do you think you’re better than me?” she hissed at Matilda.
“The dirt at the bottom of Miss Dodd’s boot is better than you,” Gilbourne said coolly. He waved his hand as if shooing away a pesky gnat.
Miss Charlton blanched. “But… I…”
“I don’t care about you, and neither does Miss Dodd. If you so much as think my ward’s name in the future, you will live to deeply regret it. Please remove yourself from our path, and stay gone.”
The crowd tittered at the unflinching rejection. Miss Charlton flushed with humiliation and fled the dance floor, her bewildered partner trailing close behind her.
“There,” Gilbourne said with satisfaction. “I daresay she won’t venture round again.”
“That was glorious,” Matilda said, breathless at witnessing such a brutal cut direct to the woman who had lorded her superiority over Matilda from the moment they first met. “Thank you.”
His eyes glittered. “Where were we?”
The music started and Gilbourne swung her into the first steps. He was as masterful a dancer here as he had been that afternoon in the library, when they’d waltzed without music.
“Miss Charlton deserved her set-down, but you were unnecessarily rude to that sweet Lord Thackery,” she informed him.
“Was I?” Gilbourne replied as if bored.
“You frightened him off.”
“Hopefully for good.” The earl’s eyes flashed with satisfaction.
“I thought you refused to dance in public,” Matilda insisted.
“I refuse to dance at all,” Gilbourne replied.
“What are we doing right now, then?”
“I’m asking myself that very question.” His eyes were hot on hers. “None of my rules seem to matter when it comes to you.”
Her throat dried. “Because we keep breaking rule number one: ‘no touching’?”
