“So, there you have it. The full purpose of my proposal.” Lord Elington canted his head toward her. “What do you say?”
There was only one answer she could give.
“Yes.”
Chapter Four
“Isuppose we should return to the ball.” Lady Vivian bit her lip as her eyes drifted from Thomas to the door that led back into the ballroom. “Who knows what rumors are starting?”
Thomas noticed the tension in her shoulders, the way she clenched her fists. Her jaw tightened, causing the muscles in her neck to tense. She reminded him of someone bracing herself for a fight.
“You seem as though you are preparing for battle, not a dance.” He gestured to the ballroom.
“It feels like it,” Lady Vivian admitted. “I had not expected everything to be so chaotic.”
“You make it seem as though you have never been to a ball before.” He chuckled.
She looked at him, her eyes wide. “It is. At least, my first proper ball. My parents saw no reason for me to be properly out as I was already engaged.”
“And you chose this to make your debut?” His own eyes widened, and he shook his head. “A rather bold choice.”
“And it has paid off, would you not agree?” Lady Vivian arched an eyebrow at him, her mouth curling into a half smile.
“I suppose that is true.” Thomas found himself smiling in return. “Though if you do not wish to return to the ball proper, I can arrange it so that you can slip away without notice. These things are so chaotic that few people take their leave before departing. And you already have what you came for.”
“I will need to find my chaperone.” Lady Vivian bit her lip.
“Not a very mindful chaperone, given she appears to have made no efforts to find her charge.” Thomas kept his voice neutral, wondering at the kind of chaperone who would be so negligent in their duties.
Surely after what she has faced, her parents would want someone who could keep her safe.
He realized his shoulders had tightened as he considered the kinds of trouble an unchaperoned and unmarried young lady could face. He forced them to loosen.
“She was more interested in the drinks, it must be said. And of course, given my age… well, I suppose her behavior is understandable. Though I do not relish the thought of trying to find her in the chaos.” Lady Vivian swallowed, the movement shifting the necklace around her neck and drawing his attention to the slender slope of her skin.
Focus.Thomas clasped his hands behind his back. “I shall have someone find her for you. Give me a description, and I will see it done. If you take that path, it will lead you to the front of the house.”
Lady Vivian hesitated and then nodded. “Very well. Thank you.”
Thomas waved a servant over and instructed him to find the woman matching the chaperone’s description. He waited until the man had reappeared with the woman in tow and watched carefully as Lady Vivian and the chaperone disappeared into the distance.
“You know, there are easier ways of winning our bet than frightening women off in the middle of a dance.” Dominic’s voice said from behind him. “If I had realized your flirting had deteriorated to this extent, I might not have made the wager in the first place.”
Thomas turned to face his cousin, doing his best to keep his expression neutral, even as he felt a slight flush spread across his cheeks.
It made him think of the flush on Lady Vivian’s cheeks when he had called out her bluff, and he thought he smelled the faint scent of roses. He ran the pad of his thumb across his fingers unconsciously.
Thomas forced himself not to look in the direction that Lady Vivian had gone. “She was surprised, not scared.”
“And what did you say that surprised her so much?” Dominic folded his arms across his chest, leaning against a nearby wall.
Thomas arched an eyebrow at his cousin. “I offered to marry her.”
The look of surprise on his cousin’s face was almost worth the admission. Thomas held his amusement in check as he watched his cousin’s jaw drop.
“What?” Dominic blinked at him, shaking his head. “You offered to marry her? Are you mad? Do you even know her?”
Thomas gave his cousin a frank look. “Strong words coming from you, Dominic. How long had you known Charlotte before you roped her into pretending to be your betrothed?”
