“Oh my,” Phoebe stood straight. “Your Grace, you really must let me make amends for the suit now.”
“I will have none of it,” he said clearly, still with that smile that hung about his lips.
“What happened to the two of you?” Lady Dodge said, pointing between the stains on the clothes and noticing it for the first time.
“I bumped into –”
“It was my fault entirely,” Hayward said, clearing his throat to speak over Phoebe. “In my eagerness to have a drink, we collided, and Lady Ridlington lost her punch. On the bright side,” he made an appearance of sniffing his spoilt sleeve. “My suit smells better now. Rather like clementine.”
Phoebe nearly laughed. It was a long time since she had laughed freely, but the temptation had been there to do so. Instead, she clamped her lips together, feeling the smile take over.
“Well, now that is sorted, Francis, I must speak with you at once,” Lady Dodge said, taking his arm.
“What for? This suddenly sounds urgent,” he said, looking down at his sister with evident suspicion.
For the first time, Phoebe noticed his height. He was of average height, not dissimilar to her husband’s, though perhaps he was a little taller and more athletic in build. In contrast, she didn’t feel frightened at his heigh when standing next to Hayward, unlike when she stood beside Graham.
“It is urgent,” Lady Dodge said pointedly. “It concerns my friend here and is of the utmost importance.”
Phoebe realized Lady Dodge intended to tell her brother of their escape plan.
“No,” Phoebe said hurriedly, prompting the siblings to flick their heads back toward her. “I mean, Lady Dodge, now is surely not the time.”
“It is the time,” Lady Dodge said quickly. “Remember what I said about trusting me.”
Phoebe tried to hide her sigh as she fussed with the ruined gown another time. She glanced through the crowd, nervous of seeing her husband looking her way. If he had seen that she had ruined her gown, or even worse, how she had ruined the suit of a duke, he would not let her forget it.
“Your friend is upset, Diana,” Hayward’s solemn voice made Phoebe turn back to look at him. He was staring at her, his blue eyes unblinking. Abruptly she realized why his eyes had reminded her of Lady Dodge’s, they were similar indeed. “Now is not the time for conversation.”
“Believe me, you have no idea how much it is the right time,” Lady Dodge said, offering a knowing smile to Phoebe.
“I will talk with you on whatever this urgent matter is, of course, I will,” Hayward said, nodding at his sister, “but first there is another matter I must attend to.”
“What is that?” Lady Dodge asked.
“Putting a smile back on your friend’s face,” Hayward turned to Phoebe. She was so stunned by the words that she said nothing at first, she merely let her jaw drop in amazement. “Not quite the expression I’m hoping for, but we’ll get there.” She closed her lips, emitting a small smile. “Getting closer.”
He placed his punch glass down on the table before taking the glass out of Phoebe’s hand and placing that down too.
“Now, will you share the next dance with me, Lady Ridlington?” he asked.
“I am sorry?” she asked, uncertain she had heard him right.
“The next dance?” he asked again, gesturing to the floor. “I am far from the finest dancer in this world, but I have made a few ladies in the past smile in such a way. I would be glad to make you smile so now.”
“Your Grace,” Phoebe hurried to excuse herself as she gestured down at their clothes. “I am sure you do not wish to dance with me in this way. I would make quite the spectacle.”
“Nonsense,” he said with a laugh. “We’ll make quite the pairing, both covered in punch.” He offered his hand to her. Phoebe was struggling to think of any other reason to say no when she felt Lady Dodge’s elbow in her arm, urging her forward.
She took Hayward’s hand, startled by the warmth in his palm that was so much larger than hers before he led her through the people. Phoebe kept glancing up at his countenance, thinking not only on the man’s handsomeness, but his ease of manner and humor.
I have not met a man like this before.She was too busy with this thought that it was only as they reached the floor and took up their positions that she realized what a mistake she had likely made.
It was not improper for a married lady to dance with a gentleman, as long as it was no more than one gentleman, but her husband was likely to see a dance she had with anyone as something improper. He would probably accuse her of humiliating him once more.
As she took up her place opposite Hayward, waiting for the music to begin, she kept glancing around the floor, but she could not see Graham or her father anywhere. She reasoned they may have gone to the smoking room, and she prayed that they had, then her transgression would never be witnessed.
As the violins struck up, she hurried to curtsy and Hayward bowed too. Following the introduction of the music, Phoebe heard the notes to signify the dance was a cotillion and remembered the steps she hadn’t needed to dance since her days debuting in the ton.
