“Yes, and I can handle you, as well.”
“Handle me, Susannah. Tell me I’m the worst kind of beast and I treated you appallingly and you never want to speak to me again.”
Race smiled so genuinely at her that her heart melted into a watery pool.
“You are an impossible man at times. Everything you said was true and more. You are a horrible man.”
“I agree. But for the moment, back to Lord Martin. If you can manage him, why did he grab your arm and not let go when you tried to walk away from him?”
Susannah shook her head and kept walking but didn’t look over at Race. “He is a harmless oaf. I do not want to discuss Lord Martin or anyone else with you. You are much more a threat to me than he has been, is, or ever will be.” She stopped at the edge of the dance floor. “Furthermore, I do not want to dance with you.”
He stared down at her with such an engaging smile, Susannah wanted to let all her hurt from his accusations wash out of her, but she couldn’t. She was still too raw from his thinking her capable of stealing from him. That had cut her too deeply.
“You owe me a dance,” he said, his voice hushed.
For some reason the words excited her as much as his note had, but she had to deny those wonderful feelings.
She jerked her head toward him. “I beg your pardon. I don’t owe you anything. You accused me of theft.”
His gaze fluttered down her face to her lips. “I might have acted hastily.”
She gasped. “You might have?”
“No, you’re right, I did. I’m not a perfect man, Susannah.” He looked into her eyes and softly said, “We never had our dance.”
His heated body on hers as they moved together as one flashed through her mind. She gave him a quizzical look. “Didn’t we?”
His passionate gaze held on hers, and she saw in his expression that no matter what he might have thought her capable of, he wanted her.
“You’re right,” he said, “we did, but not on the dance floor.”
The music started. He reached down and picked up her hand. “You do know how to waltz, don’t you?”
“Of course,” she said as he led her to the center of the floor.
They took their positions, and she gave him a stiff frame. She felt strength and warmth in his touch. On the correct note she stepped back, and the marquis stepped forward. At first she felt rigid in his arms, like she didn’t belong, but within seconds she was floating along effortlessly with him.
“I believe I told you yesterday morning that I never wanted to see you again, and now you have accosted me for the second time since then.”
“No, you told me never to come to your house again, that I wasn’t welcome there.”
“Most gentlemen would recognize that means a lady doesn’t want to see the man anywhere, anytime, any place, and she certainly doesn’t want to dance with him in front of a hundred people.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”
“Pray God there won’t be a next time,” she mumbled as she allowed him to glide her across the floor, never once bumping into any of the other couples crowding the small space.
“You might be interested to know that I received a letter from my solicitor today,” Race said.
“Why should that interest me?”
“He wants to discuss with me some documents that a Mr. Rexford has made him aware of and he would like for us to meet concerning that.”
Susannah’s eyes brightened for a moment, but then she looked away from him and focused on one of the other dancers. “It hardly matters anymore, does it, my lord? You no longer have the pearls.”
“Susannah, look at me.”
She hesitated for a moment but relented and returned her gaze to his. Sincerity was etched in every feature of his face. “I will get them back. And when I do, I will look at your documents.”
