“Our dance will be the next, Miss Williams!” Lord Govanhill beamed at Miss Williams as a needle of expectation slammed into George’s heart, making him wince. “I hope you are as eager for the quadrille as I!”
George, clasping his hands behind his back and fully aware that everyone present in the group would be waiting for him to ask for the ladies' dance cards, took in a deep breath. “I should ask for your dance cards also, of course.”
“Oh, how very kind of you, Lord Surrey. I should be very glad to dance.” With a delighted smile, Lady Norah took her dance card from her wrist and handed it to him. George bent his head to look at it, only to lift it again as Miss Williams spoke.
“Let us make our way a little closer to the dance floor, shall we?” She did not speak to George but to Lord Govanhill, whose instant smile spoke of his agreement. “I do very much enjoy dancing, Lord Govanhill, and can hardly wait to step out!”
As George watched, Miss Williams accepted Lord Govanhill’s arm and walked away from them all without so much as a backward glance. Shame stung in his eyes, and he looked down again at Lady Norah’s dance card, trying to focus on what dances she had remaining.
It is clear that Beatrice wants nothing more to do with me,he thought to himself, signing his name to the polka.And I cannot blame her for that.
“I think my sister did not hear you offer for her dance card, Lord Surrey.” Lord Warwickshire offered him a wry smile as George handed Lady Norah’s card back to her. “She was very much looking forward to dancing.”
“It is quite all right.”
Lord Warwickshire tilted his head. “If you wish, I can tell her which dance you would like to take once she returns? I would not want you to be in the least bit affronted.”
George forced a smile he did not feel, quite sure that if he were to do such a thing, Miss Williams would think all the more poorly of him. She had made it clear to him, without having used any words whatsoever, that she did not want to stand up with him this evening, and George was quite determined to honor that. “It is quite all right,” he said, in what he hoped was a jovial manner. “I am sure she will have her dance card quite full, and I would not like to cause any difficulty between myself and another gentleman! No, indeed, I will be quite contented to dance with her another evening.” With a bow, he smiled briefly at Lady Norah. “I look forward to our dance later this evening. Do excuse me.”
With relief filling his chest, George walked away from them all, his heart burning within him. He had not expected to see Miss Williams this evening, having convinced himself that, with all her beauty and warmth of character, she would have been wed the previous year. To discover that she was not only here in London but also still unattached had affected him deeply – but it could not be.
She does not want my company, and I, even if I admit to myself just how much I long to return to her, can never do so.Passing one hand over his eyes, George let out a low groan thatwas swallowed up by the noise of the other guests. The reason he could not pursue her, the very reason he had left so suddenly and without returning to her – that reason was pushing his steps forward along a path he did not want to walk. How desperately he wanted to turn around, to turnawayfrom the future laid out for him!
But he could not. His duty demanded it and thus, he had no other choice but to do precisely as his father had demanded of him.
4
“As much as my brother thinks Lord Surrey would suit me very well, I confess that I do not think so.”
Beatrice swallowed the knot in her throat at the mention of his name. “No?
Lady Norah shook her head as they walked along the path through Hyde Park. The fashionable hour would soon be upon them, but Beatrice was not certain she wanted to linger. Her thoughts were still too full of Lord Surrey and all that had taken place the previous evening.
“I think that, whilst he is handsome, there is a hint of melancholy about him that I cannot think well of.”
This made Beatrice frown. “Melancholy?”
Her new friend nodded. “Indeed. He spoke very little to me during our dance together, and then, what hedidsay spoke of a moroseness that I thought most unbecoming during a ball.”
Beatrice blinked, wondering if this meant that he had felt the very same as she upon their meeting. “Might I beveryrude and ask what it was he said?”
Coming to a stop, Lady Norah turned to look at Beatrice directly, curiosity in her eyes.
“The reason I ask such a thing,” Beatrice explained, quickly, “is because he – Lord Surrey, that is – left my company very suddenly and unexpectedly, back when we were first acquainted. I often wondered why he had done so.”
Lady Norah’s eyes rounded at the edges. “You mean to suggest that you two had a… awarmeracquaintance than might otherwise be expected?”
Beatrice waved a hand and shook her head, screwing up her face in the hope that this would dissuade Lady Norah from her question. “No, not in the least! I speak only of a pleasant acquaintance, that is all – my brother shared one also. That is why it felt so very unusual for him to depart without warning.”
“I see.” There was a tiny hint of disbelief in Lady Norah’s voice, but Beatrice did her best to ignore it, holding the lady’s gaze and waiting for her response. “In truth, Miss Williams, he apologized to me for his lack of conversation and general enthusiasm. When I asked him if he was struggling with some difficulty or other that was taking away his enjoyment of the evening, his smile became rueful, and he said that yes, there was a heaviness on his mind, but that his duty must be done. Thereafter, I did not dare to question him any more for what he had shared had been a little delicate already, I did not think it my place to do so.”
Beatrice frowned, looking away from Lady Norah. Duty? Whatever was he speaking about? And could it be that this duty, whatever it was, had taken him from her side all those months ago?
No,she thought to herself, as she and Lady Norah began to walk together again.It was much too long ago. His duty, no doubt, is that he must find a wife, just as my brother must do.Her eyebrows dropped lower over her eyes, her heart aching with a long-felt pain.What he said to me at the Christmas ball was just a way of securing my affections before he stole a kiss.No doubt he was concerned that, should he do so without those words, I would have turned from him.
“You are deep in thought, Miss Williams.” Lady Norah’s eyes were concerned, searching Beatrice’s face. “I do hope I have not upset you in some way.”
Beatrice shook her head quickly. “No, of course not. Now,” she continued, briskly, pushing away her thoughts about Lord Surrey, “you must tell me about theothergentlemen you danced with and whether you thought any better of them!” Much to her relief, this seemed to pull Lady Norah out of her concerns, for she immediately giggled and then began to talk about one Lord Yarmouth, whom she thought very handsome indeed. Although Beatrice listened as best she could, her thoughts quickly returned to what Lady Norah had revealed about Lord Surrey. She herself had not noticed anything melancholy about him, but evidently, there was a sorrow there that he held beneath his outward appearance.
