“We will,” he answered.
“When?”
Was she pouting? It was not like Frances to do so.
Maybe she was simply bored given she usually spent her time at balls standing around and he had not exactly been offering scintillating conversation, which was truly unfair of him. He should not have warned the other gentlemen away, but he also could not stand the idea of her dancing with anyone else.
“When?” she asked again with a bit more force.
Seth grinned. “The supper waltz, of course.”
“Oh,” she said slowly. “Two waltzes will only cause speculation and gossip,” Frances warned.
“I hope that it does.” He grinned then stepped aside to retrieve two more glasses of wine, one he handed to Frances as they watched the couples on the dance floor.
The only difference between this ball and the others that she had attended since she arrived in London was that she was carrying on a conversation, somewhat, with Seth instead of another wallflower, and she had been asked to dance.
It had been a lovely waltz and pangs of guilt struck her conscience. Tomorrow Society would believe they were courting and likely anticipate a betrothal. Tomorrow night, Seth would leave Athena’s Salon hoping never to see her again. He might even hate her.
This was not the first time that she had entertained such thoughts and doubts as to her plan.
Frances reminded herself that he had wanted to keep her a secret before and then pretend like they did not know one another when she did come to London. Tonight, he practically made claim to her, which would cause tongues to wag.
Had he changed?
Was there truly hope for love?
Except, he was returning home, to a family she already knew, and had not asked her along when he had wanted her to travel north to a horse race. He courted her, but made no declaration of a possible future, and Frances became even more confident that Seth wanted her in his life, as she had been while waiting for him at the cottage, but nothing of a permanent nature. He may even try to make her his lover, a mistress, but not a wife, and the reason she must bring everything to an end.
She had loved him like this before and to her surprise had never stopped loving him, regardless of what he had done. He had been her dearest friend and he had crushed her soul, which was the very reason she was so afraid to allow herself to be in love with him.
Even if Seth got down on bended knee and asked her to be his wife at this very moment with a ballroom of witnesses watching on, Frances still was not certain she could fully trust that he would remain by her side in the future. He was a rogue and who was to say he would not tire of her? Or worse, be disappointed and send her to the country to wait for him as she had for ten years while she waited and hoped that he would visit.
Except, she would not allow him to do so. She had gained her freedom from an aunt and uncle and was not going to be ruled by anyone else. Not even a husband.
He also had no right to assume that she would so easily fall back into his arms. A simple “I am sorry, I was wrong” was not good enough, especially since he had five years to correct his mistake and was only with her tonight because they saw the other at the theatre and then at the masquerade. Had they not, she would likely be at home with Bethany and he would be at The Emerald Garter, or with a mistress, or whatever he had done with his evenings these past five years.
Seth had only changed his mind because he saw her. He did not seek her out and Frances still was not certain of his intentions other than he desired her.
Fueled with a reminder of her purpose, she allowed him to escort her onto the dance floor when the strains of the supper waltz began. Yes, she would enjoy this dance and being in his arms. She would acknowledge that her body craved his even if she wasn’t certain what the end result of passion was, nor would she ever learn. He did not deserve her and she also feared that her love would grow deeper if that were to occur.
When she glanced up, he was watching her with concern.
“Is all well, Franny?” he asked quietly.
She forced a smile. “Everything is perfect.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Seth stepped into Athena’s Salon and was immediately greeted by Tessa, welcoming him as she showed him into the drawing room then escorted him to the footman serving beverages. He requested a brandy but only because everyone else had a glass of ale, wine or brandy and it would look odd if he did not. However, he would not truly drink the beverage as he had no intention of becoming even slightly inebriated no matter how lively the company.
He needed to find Frances. More importantly, he needed to speak with her.
Something had changed in her demeanor last night. When they had first waltzed, she’d been relaxed and their bodies moved as one and he had imagined what it would be like when he was finally able to make love to her. However, the second time, she’d been stiff, tense, but she claimed that nothing was amiss. When he tried to kiss her in the carriage, she’d allowed him to do so, but the warmth he had usually experienced was lacking.
Somehow, he had offended her at the ball, but he had no idea what he had done or said, nor would she tell him and insisted that all was well.
“There will be foodstuffs later.” Tessa pointed to a long empty table.
