Catriona decided not to answer, saved by their arrival at the drawing room. They entered to find Frederic trying to bait Joseph into a discussion about politics. Joseph seemed to be indulging him, but when they entered, his attention immediately shifted.
Heat washed her the moment his eyes landed on her. Her feet stalled, her breath hitching in her throat. She knew she should move forward, that it seemed rather odd of her to hover in threshold, but he held her captive.
And she could almost believe, just for a foolish moment, that she did as well.
Joseph didn’t seem to be breathing either, watching her with rapt attention as the world fell away around them. He was as handsome as ever, unfairly so. And for a moment, she wondered if she’d made a mistake in agreeing to be his wife when she could never measure up to him.
But with the way he looked at her, maybe…
Frederic cleared his throat. Catriona immediately turned away, needing to hide the blush she knew was steadily spreading across her cheeks.
“You ladies look lovely,” her uncle said. “And you, Cat, will make quite the statement tonight.”
That wasn’t her intention, but she supposed she had to agree. “Thank you, Uncle Frederic,” she murmured. She moved to where Nina sat, needing to do something so that her embarrassment at being caught staring didn’t overwhelm her.
She bent to scratch behind Nina’s ears. Footsteps sounded behind her, and she knew without turning that it was Joseph.
“Catriona.”
The way she felt hearing him call her name felt wrong. It didn’t seem like something one should feel about their soon-to-be husband of convenience. She straightened all the same, gathering her courage to face him.
His blue eyes were akin to a stormy sky, smoldering with something she could not understand. “You look beautiful.”
Catriona took a moment to ground herself, to remind herself that there was no need to sway at such a generic compliment. “Thank you, Joseph. You look…” And then her gaze snagged on his cravat. “Don’t tell me…”
That ghostly smile returned. “Finally noticed, have you?”
She couldn’t find the right words. His cravat was made of the same tartan fabric she’d given him. “Was that why you took it from me?”
“I was inspired by someone I knew,” he said. Catriona met his eyes, not knowing if she should laugh or thank him. She didn’t know how to feel at all.
“Well, if you handsome couple would stop staring at each other as if there is no one else in existence,” her uncle chimed in, “you might recall that you have a ball to attend.”
Catriona welcomed the interruption. She turned to face her uncle though she was still far too aware of the fact that Joseph hadn’t cared to do the same. “Won’t you be coming with us?”
Frederic was already shaking his head. “I have no care to attend any of society’s events. I only did so because you ladies needed a chaperone, but His Grace has so graciously taken that task out of my hand.”
“Well, there is no need to sound so pleased about it,” Ava grumbled under her breath. Catriona would have to remind her later that she was yet to master the art of speaking in a low tone.
Frederic only laughed and shrugged. “I’ve been out of the public eye so much that it feels weird to suddenly rejoin society.”
“You wouldn’t have been able to tell,” Maisie said, “seeing how sociable you were Lady Henderson’s ball.”
“It’s a skill, my dear. You will learn how to utilize it yourself in time. Now.” He clapped his hands. “Off you all go. You’re cutting into my alone time.”
Joseph took that as his cue. Catriona felt like she could finally breathe when he turned away from her and said, “Let us depart then.”
She was happy to oblige, walking away from him as quickly as she could. But there would be no escaping him and the way he made her feel. Not tonight and soon enough, not for a long time.
CHAPTER 9
Again, he hated balls. Would avoid them if he could manage it. But this was not just any ball. While Lady Saxbury was no true friend to his family and had likely invited him for the prestige it would bring to have the Duke of Irvin in attendance, it was of the utmost importance that he attended. All because of the lady on his arm.
She was unused to attention. The moment they stepped into the ballroom, the moment nearly all eyes fell on them and whispers went up in their wake, she stiffened. It was subtle enough that Joseph would not have noticed it had he not seen how at ease she was around her family. Catriona was far from at ease right now. She held herself tightly, as if she was overthinking every step she took before she made them.
“Relax,” he bent at her ear to murmur which only made her stiffen further. “You look just about ready to bolt from the room.”
Catriona shot him a fiery look but made a visible effort to relax her shoulders. Joseph nearly smirked at the sight. Clearly, she couldn’t see that it was only causing the opposite effect.
