She smiled a pitiful smile as she wished he hadn’t bothered coming up to them. Nancy was thoroughly in love with Matthew and there was no way she would be giving it all up for Lord Trilby.
Her eyes met with his and she frowned once again. Was it her imagination or was he glancing at her and paying her more attention than he was Nancy?
“Trilby, I see you’ve met my wife and sisters,” Evan said, coming up to them.
“Ah, yes, I have. What a wonderful family you have,” he said with a smile.
“Thank you. I did not expect to see you here today, especially since you were absent at the last ball. I was told you were on a trip,” Evan said.
“I was. I had to cut it short and I have been back a while.”
Augusta frowned when his eyes moved in her direction once again. She hadn’t been imagining it after all. He truly had been paying her more attention. She strained her ears as he spoke in hushed tones with Evan who laughed and nodded before clapping him on the back.
“Would you care to dance, my lady?” he asked her, stretching his hands out to take hers in his.
Augusta stared at his outstretched hand in shock before looking back up at him. She had thought he would be asking Nancy to dance if he asked anyone.
Is he trying to win me over before he goes after her?
She looked at her sisters who were staring at her in shock and at Evan who watched her with a knowing smile. It was the first time she was getting attention from any man since she began her campaign to put an end to rakes. In the last few seasons, she hadn’t been asked to dance other than with Benedict.
No, I will not think of him now.
She shook her head and forced herself to get over her shock as she placed her fingers daintily in his. “It would be my pleasure.”
Augusta allowed him to lead her as the music began playing over again and a few other couples joined them.
“How are you enjoying the dinner?” he asked as he led her seamlessly across the floor. He was a very skilled dancer. She allowed herself to relax as she began to enjoy the dance.
“Well enough, I suppose. There’s only so much one can take before you tire of festivities such as this.” she bit her lips, looking up at him in shock. In the past few weeks, she’d been able to speak freely without worrying about what was said because she knew she wasn’t being judged.
She had gotten so used to that freedom that she forgot herself now. The Duke laughed, the sound soft and warm, as was every other part of him she had come to know in the past minutes.
“You’re right, of course. The pretense of it all does tend to wear on one the longer it lasts. I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t trying to find a wife.”
She glanced up at him, studying his gaze. Any woman would be lucky to have him if he only set his sights on ones who were still attainable and not on her sister who would soon be wed.
“I’m sorry but I-” she began at the same time as he did.
He laughed softly. “Perhaps you should go first.”
“No, you should,” she urged. He wouldn’t be happy with what she was about to tell him she was curious to know what he needed to apologize for.
“Forgive me for being too forward, Lady Augusta, but I have been watching you for some time now. I have always believed you to be unapproachable which is why I stayed away all this time, but now that I have seen you in the company of The Duke of Wenstall, perhaps I was wrong to think so. I realize now that I should’ve approached you sooner but I certainly hope it isn’t too late to do so now.”
Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, reminding her of the fish Evan had caught the time she convinced him to take her fishing. She struggled to recover from the silent shock his words had placed her in.
“Wh-what?” was her intelligible response after the long moment of silence.
“I have stunned you. I do apologize for my bluntness. I simply couldn’t keep it to myself any longer,” he mumbled lowly, his tone apologetic.
Why didn’t you say something sooner?
Augusta couldn’t say for certain that she would have been receptive to his confession and an invitation to court her but there was a small part of her that pondered:what if?
What if he’d approached her and she’d given him the chance to court her? Would she have been married or betrothed as opposed to her having her heart broken by a scoundrel?
Her heart clenched as brown eyes appeared in place of the blues of the man she currently danced with. She gasped and pulled away slightly.
