“It’s hardly bright enough to read in here,” Tristan commented. “Really, more candles are needed, or perhaps…”
Madeline spun around, eyes blazing.
“How dare you ask another woman to dance for ourfirst dance? It is our wedding day! Do you mean to humiliate me?”
Tristan paused, tilting his head. “Why, you must be hearing things, my dear. Did you truly hear me ask that woman to dance?”
“Well, no,” Madeline faltered, “but you were going to.”
“Was I?”
She blinked, frowning. “I… she wanted to dance withyou.”
Tristan moved over to the armchair, sitting down and crossing one leg elegantly over the other.
“Indeed, she did,” he agreed. “She askedmeto dance, I think. And what did I say?”
Madeline shifted, some of the righteous anger fading from her face. “Well, I… nothing, I think.”
“Yes. You interrupted me. I would not have danced with Mrs. Whatever-Her-Name-Is. I was being charming and delightful, because Iamcharming and delightful, and grooms are meant to be in excellent spirits on their wedding day. I might be a flirtatious devil, but I am not so far gone as to dance with another woman on my wedding day. Not for the first dance, to be sure. And if I were to dance with another woman, it would be Isaac’s lovely wife, Charlotte, and perhaps his cousin, Sybella.Women who do not flirt with me, or who are already married. You ought to have a little more faith in me, my dear.”
Madeline stared back at him, a faint crease between her brows. Tristan waited patiently for her to say something, drumming his fingers on his knee. He guessed that she was torn between her outrage and her reasonableness. He had, after all, done nothing wrong.
He had not openly rebuffed Mrs. F-Something’s attentions, nor had he walked away. Still, when it came to avoiding uncomfortable conversations, society did not offer many options for escape.
“Perhaps I was hasty,” Madeline said at last, her voice low. “I simply assumed you’d accept her offer, and then I’d be a laughingstock.”
He gave a short laugh. “Alaughingstock? My dear, you have just married a duke. One of the richest men in England, in fact! Who on earth would be laughing at you?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Only, Charlotte said…” She trailed off, meeting his eye briefly and then averting her gaze. “Never mind.”
“Never mind, what? What did Charlotte say?” Tristan pressed, leaning forward. He tried to catch her eye, but she neatly averted her gaze again.
Something bubbled up inside him when she did that. She had done it at the altar, refusing to look at him or to accept his compliments. It was as if she were determined to dislike him, reining herself in, avoiding any other sensations or emotions beyond mild annoyance toward him.
Hewantedher to look at him. For God’s sake, he could make other women look at him! A nod and a smile sometimes was all it took to bring a lady clattering across the floor toward him, all bright-eyed and hopeful. Juliana had soughthimout. She had chasedhim.
He rose to his feet, taking a step toward her. Madeline abruptly turned her back, and Tristan was overcome with a desire to put his hands on her waist and spin her around to face him. She wouldhaveto look at him, and would have to fix those large green eyes on his face. Would she feel the same ripple of arousal when their eyes met that he did? Perhaps…
Enough.
The warning voice in Tristan’s head seemed to echo. He cleared his throat, leaning backward. He was not about to press his attentions on a tentative woman in a secluded place. Other women might come flocking to him, but it seemed that Madeline was determined to stay well away.
Unfortunately for them both, she was now his wife.
“If you want to dance,” Tristan said at last, hearing a faint hoarseness in his voice, “we had better go back out to theballroom. If we aren’t there, Isaac and Charlotte will open the ball, but our absence will be remarked on.”
Madeline hunched her shoulders. “I don’t care to dance.”
“I thought all young ladies loved to dance.”
She twisted around to face him, rolling her eyes.
“Ah, yes, I forgot about your flawless knowledge of what young ladies like.”
Tristan smiled despite himself. “Very funny.”
“If you must know, I get nervous when it’s time to dance. I am not a natural, and I find that with everybody’s eyes upon me, in proximity to a gentleman, I make mistakes. I miss steps, I try to promenade the wrong way, things like that. I made a colossal fool of myself at the last ball I danced at. It was a cotillion, and I caused a collision when it was time to change partners. And I stood on my partner’s feet. Twice,” she added miserably.
