His cheeks reddened. He took her empty glass. “I shall return this for you.”
“James.”
“There is nothing to say.” He disappeared, leaving her near their mother, who was lost in a conversation with other women. Whatever the feelings between James and Kitty, there seemed to be no reason he should not admit to them.
He certainly should not shove them aside for the sake of a widow entering into her fifth decade. Mrs. Rupper was nearly as old as their mother, for heaven’s sake. Besides, Kitty was the only child of a wealthy man, and she seemed to care for James, too.
Caroline searched the ballroom again, telling herself she was not looking for a particular gentleman, when she noticed that very man walking her way. Tristan was here, and his eyes were on her.
A creeping chill marched up her spine, her breathgrowing shallow. The closer he grew, the more she expected his attention to waver, but it only grew. When he reached her, she was nearly shaking with tension.
“Good evening,” he said, sketching a bow.
“You seem as though you come with intent tonight, Mr. Shepherd. I wonder what it could be.”
“To dance with you.”
She smiled. “That would be nice, but surely that is not why you are here. We have…” Caroline faltered, but regained her equilibrium. “We have agreed we would not suit.”
“I don’t recall agreeing to that.”
“At Lady Tilbury’s dinner. You might remember we spoke of my change in situation.”
“Yes,thatI remember.”
“Then you will also call to mind how unsuitable we have become.”
“Unsuitable? No.” He rubbed lightly at his chin in thought. “I think the word you are looking for is impractical. It would be inconvenient, even, but not unsuitable. I think we suit one another very well.”
“Tristan, speak plainly.”
He was careful not to step closer, for they were being observed by London’s elite. She wanted to lean close enough to smell his cologne, and she felt he wished to move just as near, but they each held their ground.
“I have given this much thought over the last week, and I decided I am not quite ready to surrender,” he said.
Hope burst within her, but she was careful not to give it any lead.
“In fact, I am going to do everything in my power to ensure I am the most logical choice for you.”
“But my family needs funds or James will lose the estate,”she said quietly. Surely he was aware of this already—everyone was gossiping about it.
Tristan’s head tilted to the side, his eyes warmly surveying her. “As I said, I am doing everything in my power to make certain I am the most logical choice for you in all ways.”
“Tristan, you are going to lead both of us to heartbreak.”
“Not if I can help it.” He offered his arm. “Now, will you dance with me?”
“Yes,” she breathed, unable to find a reason not to.
She was wrong. He wouldn’t send them to heartbreak—evidently, they would do that together. It was a matter of moments before they were lined up on the dance floor, surrounded by fresh faces and bored men. Kitty stood a few paces down from them, facing a gentleman Caroline didn’t know.
James was nowhere to be seen.
“Have you noticed a certain attachment between my brother and any particular female?” she asked.
Tristan gave it some thought. “No I cannot say I have. Do you believe he already has an attachment to a woman?”
“I am uncertain. It is the first time I have noticed it, and I wondered if I created the attachment in my mind merely because I would like it to be so.”
