“Let us enjoy the dance,” Guy said, concerned they might be overheard. “If I talk when I dance I get short of breath.”
“Ho! You cannot fool me, Lord Fortescue. I am the right girl for you. If only you would admit it.”
“Shouldn’t you like to be a Duchess? The duke is one of your admirers, is he not?”
“He’s too young.”
“Nonsense. He cannot be far off thirty.”
“He’s not…sophisticated.”
“That is in his favor. You don’t want to marry a rake. That way leads to heartache. Broadstairs could prove to be an excellent husband. You should consider it.”
“You’re not a rake.”
“This is not about me.” Guy raised an eyebrow. “You should talk to the duke. You might find you like him.”
“I have. And I shall talk to him when we dance again.”
“You may not get the chance. He seems charmed by the pretty young woman he’s dancing with.”
“Is he?” Georgina turned her head. She shrugged her slender shoulders. “Oh, that’s just Amabel Gilliam.”
“Amabel is amusing him. See how he laughs?”
Georgina raised her eyebrows. “So?”
He noticed her take another peek when they turned. “Could you make him laugh?”
“Of course, I can.”
“Are you sure he will invite you to dance again?”
“As a matter of fact, he has requested the next waltz,” she said airily.
“Then I shall watch and see if you make him laugh.”
“I’ll accept the bet. If I win it, what will you give me?”
“My compliments.”
“Pooh!”
An hour later, Guy stood and watched Georgina dance with the Duke of Broadstairs. She flirted shamelessly. The poor man appeared to be lost. Guy hoped that if they married, Broadstairs would stand up to her. Georgina respected her brother for that reason.
The duke gave a loud guffaw, and Georgina’s triumphant gaze sought Guy’s. He nodded, then went to find John. Unable to locate him, he strolled out onto the terrace.
The Taylors’ mansion was some miles from Mayfair. The estates were more generous, and this one had a large park bordered by a high brick wall. A fresh spring breeze ruffled the trees, and a full moon hung, a golden penny suspended in a cloudless sky. What a perfect night to share with Hetty. If he hadn’t lost his papers, they might have been wed by now and living at Rosecroft Hall. He wandered down the steps and strolled beyond the flaming torches into the shadows. At the sound of rustling in the bushes behind him, he spun around expecting some night animal to emerge.
Something struck him hard on the side of the head. He saw flashes of bright light, heard a laugh, and sank into darkness.
*
“It is notlike Guy to be late,” Hetty said for the fifth time.
“No,” her aunt repeated.
Hetty walked to the window and back, her skirts swirling around her legs.
