Strangely, that reassurance had greatly helped.
But dealing with the gentlemen was still quite draining.
“I say, Your Grace, it is quite unfair of you to grace our ballrooms only after your marriage,” Lord Catterly said, giving Johanna a wistful look from the other side of the circle.He was a handsome man, with fair hair and kind hazel eyes, a bit of mischief dancing in them.“The rest of us did not even have a chance to enter the race for your fair hand.”
“Oh… well…” Johanna stammered over her words.
“I did not realize you were in the market for a wife this Season, Lord Catterly,” Lady Astrid said smoothly, tapping his shoulder with her gold-and-orange-lace fan, which went very nicely with her orange-and-black gown.Orange jewels shimmered against her skin and in her hair as she turned to face him.“I have some young ladies I should introduce you to.”
“Oh… well…” Lord Catterly repeated Johanna’s stammered words, much to her amusement, as Lady Astrid smiled widely at him.“That is very kind of you, Lady Astrid.”
“Yes, I am often described as very kind.”Lady Astrid fluttered her fan, smiling like a cat toying with a mouse.
Beside Johanna, Rose coughed.It was not a real cough, though.Johanna could tell Rose was covering for a laugh, and she could not blame her cousin.
Lady Astrid was shameless.
The sound of a violin tuning quavered through the air, and the energy within the circle changed as all the men perked up.Johanna’s eyes widened as she found herself, Rose, and Lady Astrid all pinned with eager looks from the gathered gentlemen.
“Your Grace, would you do me the honor of dancing with you?”Lord Boyd quickly said.He’d been standing beside her, rather quietly, for the entirety of the conversation.Now he’d turned to her, bowing, and holding out his hand for her to take.
“Oh…” She managed to keep from casting a frantic look at Rose; such a movement would be impossible to hide, and she did not know how he would take it.Johanna did not particularly want to dance, if she was being truthful.Having to make conversation alone on the dance floor, without Rose or Lady Astrid there to rely on if she floundered?“I?—”
“Apologies, Boyd, but this dance belongs to her husband.”
Matthew’s cool tones, which she had only heard once before in Hyde Park, made Johanna jump.She had not realized her husband was nearby, but she was not at all sad to find him suddenly beside her, winding her arm through his.
“Ah, well then, perhaps Miss Belle.”He might be quiet, but Lord Boyd clearly had more mettle than Johanna would have credited him with.Rose’s glare did nothing to deter him from continuing to hold his hand out to her.If anything, his smile widened and grew more sincere than it had been for Johanna.
Rose shot Johanna an exasperated look before nodding and taking his hand.
“Thank you, my lord,” she said, sounding anything but thankful.If that bothered Boyd, it did not show.He merely chuckled and turned, her gloved hand in his, and led her to the dance floor.
Matthew seemed to relax as Boyd turned away, though he kept Johanna close to him on their way to the dance floor.
She relaxed as she recognized the first notes of the music, and she and Matthew got into position.This was one of the dances she’d practiced and one that did not require the switching of dance partners.Though it did mean that she was faced with her husband.The guilt simmering in her stomach welled up as she looked into his handsome face.It was so difficult as she wanted to cling to him, yet felt horrible about keeping such a monumental secret from him.
“Are you enjoying yourself?”he asked.
Johanna hesitated because although she knew she should say yes, she did not want to lie to him any more than she already was.
“Being with Lady Astrid is very enlightening,” she responded after a long moment.“Are you enjoying yourself?”
He hesitated before answering as well.
“I am now.”
A smile curved her lips as she looked up at him.
“I was not certain we would dance together tonight.”
“It is not the done thing, normally,” he agreed.“But I wanted to.Sebastian encouraged me.”
It took Johanna a moment to realize what was odd about that statement.
“Sebastian encouraged you?You did not use your coin to decide?”
A shadow moved over his face, and he glanced away before returning his gaze to her.He was practiced enough in the steps that he did not stumble at all, which she envied because she was as focused on her feet and hands as she was on their conversation.
