He wasn’t interested in any of them. He’d much rather be left alone to pursue her at a leisurely pace and as he so desired. His uncles would have none of that. They would have rather he married her yesterday.
“As promised, Pat, I will look into everyone’s allowances and see what I can do to increase them all, but right now, there are more important matters concerning the estates I must take care of.”
“I understand.” She held up a hand, seeming content that she’d received from him most of what she wanted. “A consideration is all I ask.”
They stopped in front of the two sets of double doorsthat had been swung wide to allow entrance into the ballroom. It had been a couple of years, or maybe more, since Zane had attended such a grand affair of the Season given by the elite members of the ton. Young ladies who had come of age in the past year were officially available for all eligible men to consider for marriage. And, it was the beginning of the husband hunt for the young ladies as well. For Society, the entire Season was more about that intricate dance of manners and settlements than the thrill of romance.
The Grand Hall was teeming with ladies dressed in colorful silk gowns, beautifully adorned with beads, bows, and lace. Their elaborate headpieces rivaled the latest fashions in Paris. Gentlemen wore their usual starched white shirts, neckcloths, waistcoats, and black evening coats with long tails.
The ballroom wasn’t without its share of glamour either. It was decorated to the hilt with vases and urns overflowing with colorful flowers. Lengths of shimmering silk streamed from the towering ceilings and cascading ribbons of satin fluttered around the fluted columns, chandeliers, and every gleaming sconce on the walls. Zane had never seen so many brightly burning candles. Servants roamed about holding trays filled with glasses of champagne for everyone to indulge in. On the far end of the ballroom, a well-tuned orchestra played one melodious score after another and would continue into the wee hours of the morning.
Zane had forgotten how lavish the parties were. And the hell of it was that his family thoughthelived a self-indulgent life.
He quickly scanned the ballroom for Mrs. Feld, but he didn’t see her among the gathering. His stomach tightened at the thought she might not be in attendance. The gossip about his wager was all over Town. Maybeshe wasn’t as strong as he’d thought. He scanned the room again with more care the second time. A leap in his breath caught solid in his chest. His pulse ticked up at the sight of her silvery-blond hair. She was standing with another lady next to a line of chairs that had been set up along the side wall near the dance floor for the widows, wallflowers, and spinsters.
Stifling feelings of wanting to rush over to her, he relaxed and smiled. He didn’t know how badly he’d wanted to see her until he was afraid he wouldn’t.
Time for the evening to begin.
Turning back to Patricia, he said, “I heard the call for dancers to line up.” Taking hold of his sister’s hand, he placed it in the crook of his arm. “Do you think Cranston will mind if I have my first dance of the evening with you?”
“Not at all,” she said sweetly, seemingly surprised and delighted that he’d asked her. “He would love it and so would I. And don’t forget your cousin Thelma is here tonight. Be sure to ask her for a dance too. She came out last year but didn’t make a match, the poor dear. Perhaps you can help her find a suitable husband.”
He cleared his throat. “I’ll be happy to dance with her, but I’ll leave the matchmaking to other members of the family.”
“Nonsense. It’s your place to do it now. The family expects it.”
Zane grimaced. The list of all the family required of him grew longer each day.
More than an hour later, Zane moved away from the crowd and leaned a shoulder against one of the columns in the ballroom. The only thing on his mind was having a dance with Mrs. Feld. As London’s newest peer, he hadn’t been idle since entering the ballroom. He’d indulged his uncles Syl and Hector by dancing with two ofthe young ladies making their debuts and had conversations with half a dozen others. They were all beautiful, intelligent, and inviting in different ways, but none of them controlled his interest in the way he desired a chat and dance with Mrs. Feld. It was impossible to consider anyone but her. She was the one he’d been waiting for. Seemingly patient, but not really, he felt twisted in a knot that only she could untie. And he was ready for that release. He wanted to know if she’d found it in her heart to forgive him, if only a little, for placing the wager.
He might have been busy with others in the room as the evening progressed, but so was she. He hadn’t failed to notice where she was at all times. And who she was with. She’d glanced his way a few times too. When two people were interested in each other, there was no easy way to hide it. Though she continued to try.
Her attire was modest compared to most of the ladies’, but her elegance was unsurpassed. Her gown was such a deep shade of blue, he’d first thought she wore black. When he detected the variance, he realized the subdued color enhanced the beauty of her hair and ivory complexion. There was a swath of cream-colored lace at the cuffs of her long sleeves but no garnish in her hair or hanging from her ears. A short, single strand of pearls adorned the neckline of her gown.
When she wasn’t talking to someone or dancing, as had happened three times since he’d been there, she seated herself alongside the wall with other ladies who watched the dancers and chatted happily among themselves. He kept thinking she didn’t belong there, among the women who, for whatever reason, had given up thought, hope, or desire of marrying.
It was up to him to let her know her destiny wasn’t there. No time like the present to do that.
He straightened and set off in her direction. As hedrew closer, he felt as if every pair of eyes in the room were focused on him. It was as if they all had been waiting for him to seek her out, so they could witness her response. It was his idea to go public with this pursuit. The chatter around him lowered as he passed. He didn’t mind. There was no reason for him to complain about the open display. It was of his own making.
Zane kept his gaze firmly on Mrs. Feld as he headed to the far wall where she was sitting. He didn’t allow anyone’s movements or talking to distract him until he stood in front of her.
When she looked up at him, his stomach tightened, and his senses stirred restlessly. Damnation, he had no doubts he’d made the right choice in choosing her. His gaze did a slow, detailed sweep of her beautiful face before centering on her bright blue eyes. For a moment, he thought he saw surprise in their depths. Surely, she knew he would approach her before the evening was over.
He bowed. “Mrs. Feld. It’s good to see you again.”
She glanced about cautiously, rose, and curtsied. “My lord.”
He reached for her gloved hand and the second his fingers closed around hers, he felt a deep, rousing hunger shudder through him. He knew then she heated his blood like no other woman ever had. In the candlelight her eyes were captivating. He gave her the accepted, formal kiss on the back of her palm and then moved between her and the row of ladies behind her to give them a degree of privacy.
“Would you join me for this next dance?” he asked.
She inhaled deeply before saying, “And further more gossip about us? No, my lord, I believe you’ve done quite enough without any help from me, and I don’t think it would be in my best interest to accept.”
Her response wasn’t completely unexpected, so hetook no offense. He relented with a smile. “All right. I suppose I deserved that rebuff after the wager.”
“Yes, and much more. After what I’ve been through the past three days, were I capable of calling you out, I probably would have.”
