Charlotte wasn’t sure what to make of the young woman; she wasn’t rude at all, but there was something there that spoke of a hesitation and slight hostility towards Charlotte. She briefly wondered if Jameson’s sister didn’t want him to match with her friend.
“Thank you, Elizabeth; may I formerly introduce you to Lady Charlotte and her friend, Lady Isabella. And please do not forget to greet our hostess,” Jameson said stiffly, guiding his sister towards Lady Thornton.
“Of course,” Elizabeth bowed and made her introductions, awkwardly smiling at Charlotte with pursed lips.
“I’m sure that the lovely Lady Charlotte will be able to grace us with one dance at least.” Jameson’s mother came forward and introduced herself to the girls.
“I am sure we will be able to arrange something of the sort,” Lady Grace greeted Jameson’s mother and ushered her up the stairs with Elizabeth in tow.
Jameson seemed as if he were about to speak when Isabella suddenly held her breath, bringing a gloved hand up to her throat. Charlotte knew instinctively that she had spotted Michael Ashburton. Her cheeks flushed with colour as her lips parted slightly, giving her a more sensual look as she kept her eyes locked on his.
Charlotte and Jameson watched as Isabella gracefully made her way towards Michael and his sister, who was once again wearing a stunning black gown.
“It would seem as if our friends have taken a liking to one another,” Jameson said quietly by her side, brushing his arm against hers.
“It would seem as if they have,” she whispered back, feeling a rush of adrenaline at the proximity of his body. There was something about the woody masculine smell of tobacco that drew her in, making her lips part slightly just as Isabella’s had done.
“I must confess that I hope they hit it off, for my sake if not theirs,” he said, his voice dropping to an even huskier tone as he leaned in closer.
Glancing to the side, Charlotte looked into his eyes, feeling her heart beat at an uneven pace. “What do you mean?” She licked over her lips as he held her gaze, smiling wolfishly with a grin that tugged at her heart.
“If they hit it off, it may mean that I will be seeing you more often, and that is something that I look forward to immensely.” The passionate look in his eyes reminded her of their dance and the kiss she thought might have happened.
Swallowing hard, she watched as his gaze swept over her neck, dipping into the neckline of her dress that barely enclosed her bosoms. “I think there may be a very good chance of that happening,” she managed to whisper through bated breaths. The temperature suddenly seemed to rise despite the sun disappearing behind the hills in the distance.
“Jameson, Mother says you are to come and greet the other guests,” Elizabeth called irritably to him from atop the stairs.
Placing his hand on her elbow, Jameson gently caressed her skin, sending a wave of goosebumps over her arm. “Well, it would seem that I am being summoned, but I do hope that you will spare a few moments for me in the gardens if not on the dance floor. I really cannot wait to hear you play this evening,” he whispered in her ear, loud enough that only she could hear.
Looking up, Charlotte noticed the wolfish grin on his lips that made her pulse race. The sensuality in his voice could not have been in her imagination as he winked at her and turned to leave. She suddenly felt hot and flustered as she lifted a hand to the back of her neck, soothing the heat that had crept up her spine and spread to her cheeks.
Jameson was definitely a man who could take charge; his boyish appearance was deceptively misleading once she had got a glimpse of the passion he harboured. Her mind wandered to his lips and what it would feel like if he were to press them against hers. Her throat suddenly felt dry as she thought of his fingers caressing her elbow, making their way up her arm and over her shoulder.
The way his eyes had devoured her neckline and chest left her with a tense pulsing in the pit of her stomach.
“Charlotte, are you well? You look a little flustered,” Isabella interrupted her thoughts, coming forward with her hand placed on the arm of Lord Ashburton.
“It’s just a little hot.” She tried to recover before making her introductions to Michael and his sister, Rose.
“I think we should all go inside and have some refreshments before the night starts.” Isabella beamed, tightening her grip on the man’s arm. Whatever conversations had taken place at the carriage seemed to have fuelled things between the earl and her friend.
“I’m inclined to agree. I know that Jameson was saying he looks forward to sampling your mother’s legendary punch.” Michael smiled at Isabella before looking at Charlotte.
It seemed to her as if he were judging her reaction to his friend’s name before turning his attention back to Grace. His scrutinizing look did little to help the heat that had spread over her cheeks. Was it obvious to everyone around them that Jameson’s presence affected her in the way that it did? Did her face change in his presence like Isabella’s did when she spotted Michael in the distance?
Her nervousness suddenly intensified as she turned to follow the group up the stairs, lifting her skirts in her gloved hands. The windows of the mansion flittered in the fading light, boasting the many candles that had been lit for the evening’s soiree. Their luminous glow promised the excited atmosphere of the evening that already buzzed in the air like a much-anticipated thunderstorm.
Jameson’s words echoed in her heart as her pulse raced.
I do hope that you will spare a few moments for me, in the gardens if not on the dance floor …
What would happen if she were to be alone with him in the gardens again? Images of his hand on her lower back, gently caressing her skin through the fabric of her dress, made her lips part slightly as she recalled the intimate feeling of their dance.
Her heart raced with anticipation as Charlotte made her way into the brightly lit ballroom, taking a deep breath as her eyes wandered across the room, searching for the cause of her rapid and quickly escalating nerves.
Jameson’s eyes locked onto her from across the room.
Chapter 9
