“Lady Victoria,” Lucien acknowledged, his expression easing a little.
Alexandra didn’t like that, or the way everyone was trying to bully her. “Vixen, go away,” she grumbled. “We’re starting to look like an armed encampment.”
“Don’t let that idiot Virgil send you running off again, Lex.”
“Again?” Kilcairn murmured.
Oh, no. “My lord, please don’t—”
“You’re staying, Miss Gallant.”
She knew instinctively that no one argued with that tone, but she had little choice. “If I stay, I’ll have to dance the next waltz with him.” With impeccable timing, the orchestra chose that moment to strike up the waltz. “I promised.”
Lucien took her hand. “You’re waltzing with me.”
The strength of his grip made any further argument impossible. She was glad for that; it saved her the disgrace of conceding. And she supposed it was disgraceful that she did want to dance with him. Despite Virgil, and despite the further opportunity for scandal, she wanted to dance in Lucien Balfour’s arms.
“No arguments?” he asked, sliding his hand around her waist and pulling her close.
“None. Except that six inches of light should show between us the entire time we’re waltzing.”
Unexpectedly he laughed, a wicked, merry sound that made her smile back at him.
“What’s so amusing, my lord?”
“Six inches isn’t nearly enough, Alexandra. Not where you and I are concerned.”
She met his gaze as they swayed into the dance, color rising in her cheeks. Even though she didn’t know precisely what he was referring to, she felt assured that it was scandalous—and from her experience kissing him the last time, she had a good idea that he was discussing something anatomical.
“Hm,” he murmured. “Still no arguments?”
“You’re only trying to distract me so I won’t remember that I was leaving even before Virgil appeared.”
Light gray eyes looked steadily back at her. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you, you know.”
“Don’t be nice.” Good lord, he was graceful. She’d never danced with anyone as self-assured and skilled as he was.
“You’re contradicting your own lessons now—wasn’t I supposed to work on being nice?”
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she snapped. “Just please don’t antagonize Virgil any further.”
For a moment they danced in silence, and for that time she could almost forget the hostile looks and her hostile relation in the shadows at the edges of the room. Here, with the Earl of Kilcairn Abbey, they didn’t dare approach, and didn’t dare say anything cutting or unkind. Alexandra looked up into his eyes again and found him watching her closely, as he always did. “Now, my lord. What did you say to Miss Beckett?”
“Did you know her at Miss Grenville’s Academy?”
“No. I knew she attended, but that would have been well after I left.”
“I told her she had foul breath and warts. And saggy breasts.”
Some of his distractions were definitely more effective than others. “Foul…Why in the world would you say such a thing?”
“If you won’t discuss Lord Virgil Retting and what kind of hold he has over you, then I have no intention of explaining Miss Beckett’s shortcomings.”
“You don’t need to know everything.”
“I need to know everything about you.”
Her pulse fluttered unsteadily. “Why?”
