“Thank you for being such an expert dancer. I can’t remember the last time my toes haven’t been casualties to a partner,” Charlotte breathed nervously.
The corners of his eyes crinkled into an amused smile as Jameson returned her bemusement.
“Charlotte, the men and woman are splitting.” It was Isabella who came up from behind, linking her arm to Charlotte’s.
“Of course.” Charlotte let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding, looking back to see Jameson being led across the room by the dark-haired man who had asked Charlotte to dance earlier in the evening.
Noticing how the crowd had already begun to depart, she wondered what it was about Jameson Sinclair’s presence that seemed to render time useless to her.
Chapter 6
The drawing room was packed with ladies in their fine dresses, giggling behind their fans as they discussed the ball and who had managed to procure a dance or two with the men of their dreams.
Charlotte found herself seated in the centre of the crowded room, patiently listening to Isabella gush over the mysterious Michael Ashburton, who had left quite an impression on her young heart. The elegant French décor and light floral prints of the couches reminded Charlotte of her own mother’s style and a time when things had been far simpler in her life.
She would have been at her side after the dance, asking her for all of the details and encouraging the match if she approved of the man. There wasn’t much of Jameson Sinclair that any mama could disapprove of.
“You should have seen the way he looked into my eyes. There’s something special about the earl; I just know it. The dreamy depths speak of mystery and passion,” Isabella gushed with a far-off, dreamy look in her eyes.
Charlotte’s attention was drawn back to the conversation as her friend reached over and eagerly took both of Charlotte’s hands in her own. The excitement that sparkled in her eyes gave her cherubically round face an innocent glow with pink-tinted cheeks.
“Do you think he was looking at me the whole time?” Isabella exuded enthusiasm as she waited for her friend to reply, practically bounding in her seat with excitement.
“I …” Charlotte felt stumped after being held captive by her own thoughts for the duration of the conversation. Isabella had been talking of nothing else since they had entered the drawing room, and she hadn’t been expecting Isabella to want an intelligible reply.
“Or do you think he was just humouring me before moving on to the next girl?” Isabella’s face suddenly fell with disappointment as she let go of her friend’s hands.
Realizing that she hadn’t been paying attention to her friend, Charlotte quickly attempted to repair the damage she had done. “No, no, I don’t think he was doing that. From what little I could see of the interaction from my side, I think the earl was quite taken with you. And while I will always advise a cautious approach, I do think it’s safe to assume that Michael Ashburton has taken a fancy to you.”
Isabella seemed to perk up considerably as her eyes began to sparkle again. “I just knew it; I really wish you could have seen the way he looked at me, Charlotte. And the way he seems to know exactly what I’m thinking leaves me breathless.” Isabella swooned and fell back onto the couch as a group of nearby women looked at her in shock.
“I’m sure he was the picture of perfection and manners,” Charlotte teased her friend, delighting in the fact that Isabella’s dreams of finding the perfect match were finally coming true.
Ever since they were little girls, it had been Isabella who longed for the prince to come and take her away. All Charlotte had ever wanted was for someone to understand her music, having shown musical prose at a very young age.
“And what about you? You seemed quite taken with the handsome Lord James. I must admit that I was quite shocked at his sudden approach. I thought you never saw him until this evening?” Isabella sat back up and straightened the neckline of her dress that had fallen a few inches, exposing her alabaster skin.
“It was the first time we spoke,” Charlotte added a little too quickly, eliciting a questioning look from her friend.
“Were you really alone in the gardens? You did say that you were speaking to someone when Mama and I found you,” Isabella leaned in and asked in hushed tones with one eyebrow raised.
“Of course, I was, don’t be silly, I was speaking to myself, rehearsing a piece of music I had written. I meant that it was the first time we talked when we danced. I was just as surprised as anyone else that he asked me to dance,” she said, recovering her composure quickly, not wanting anyone else to know about their chance meeting out in the garden.
“Well, first time or not, the two of you seemed to harbour quite a connection. What were you talking about while you danced?” Isabella asked eagerly, reaching for a glass of champagne.
The ladies in the room all seemed to settle down nicely as footmen circulated the trays of refreshments amongst the small groups. Charlotte’s mind wandered to his hand on the small of her back, the way his gaze made her stomach flutter with nerves, and the passionate look in his eyes.
Her breathing had deepened with her hand in his as if their souls had synchronized for that moment in time.
What did we talk about?
She tried to recall their conversation, if any; time seemed to have stood still during that moment, but all she could think of was the way he had teased her and smiled.
What were you saying about my muscular build?
His words echoed through her mind, causing a light blush to spread over her cheeks. The deep timbre in his voice made her skin tingle, even in her thoughts. The sound was deep and manly while still carrying a hint of tenderness that put her at ease and made her pulse race.
“You don’t have to tell me. All I’m saying is that I hope the two of you find yourselves in each other’s company much more often. There was definitely an attraction there from both sides,” Isabella said, drawing her attention back to the present and winking.
