His gaze swept up her face, quickly down her body, and back up to her eyes. “You are very lovely tonight. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“Well, I—I am all dressed for the ball tonight,” she said, thinking she must have looked absolutely wretched the few times he’d seen her at the Mayfair town house. “If you’d had the decency to let me know that you were going to call on me, you wouldn’t have caught me in such a state of dishabille while playing with my sisters.”
He smiled and—heaven help her—her legs turned to water.
“You looked quite fetching after playing with your sisters, your long sunset-colored tresses dancing across your shoulders, and your cheeks flushed from the exertion. I meant I didn’t recognize you without yourfoursisters standing watch behind you.”
“Oh, well, of course, you know they are too young to— Thank you,” she finally said, wanting to hide her sudden inability to get a sentence out correctly. If she weren’t so busy remembering his kisses and embrace, she wouldn’t be so tongue-tied.
“How are Miss Sybil, Miss Lillian, and Miss Bonnie?” he asked.
“Doing very well,” she answered getting control of her runaway feelings. “They are as loud and noisy as usual, running about the house.”
“Just what I would expect from happy girls.” He smiled again, this time cunningly. “And how is Saint?”
“The same.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“I hope you haven’t missed him too much.”
“I haven’t missed him at all.”
Louisa lifted her chin, and her eyes narrowed a little. “I don’t believe you.”
“It’s true.” The duke smiled for a third time. “How could I miss him when I know he is getting all that attention from your sisters?”
“They are happy to have him. Thank you again for giving him to them.”
“No more thank-yous needed. Is Miss Gwen enjoying herself tonight?”
“I think she was a little nervous when we first arrived, but once she started meeting people and saw how eager they were to meet her, she relaxed and found her charm.”
“And what of you? Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Of course.”
“Then why don’t you look like you are?”
He could raise the fine hairs on the back of her neck faster than anyone. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m having a wonderful time. And if I don’t show it right now, it’s only because I am talking to you and not some other gentleman who is not only nicer but more handsome, too.”
He seemed to be weighing the sincerity of her words. “You look as if you’re wondering if I’m going to kiss you again.”
“I do not, Your Grace,” she said indignantly.
“Am I interrupting anything?”
At the sound of the voice behind her, Louisa turned to see that a tall, regal woman with light brown hair piled high on her head had joined them. Her dark golden gown was lovely, though it was lacking trim, lace, or beads of any kind. After having spent the better part of three weeks looking at fabrics in Mrs. Rivoire’s boutique, Louisa knew the dowager duchess’s gown had real gold thread woven in it and needed no other adornment. And while her gown and headpiece were plain, her jewelry was expensive and exquisite. The scooped neck of her gown was covered by a spiderweb of intricately woven emeralds and diamonds set in delicate gold filigree. The same pattern was in earrings that dropped almost to the tops of her shoulders.
When Louisa’s gaze met the woman’s, she thought she could have been looking into the duke’s eyes. Her face was much like her son’s, unreadable.
Louisa wasn’t sure she’d even listened to the introductions so intent was she on the woman herself. The duchess appeared to be a little older than Mrs. Colthrust, perhaps only a few years past the age of fifty.
“Miss Prim,” Her Grace said, “I’ve heard about you for over two years now. I’m glad to finally meet you.”
Louisa cast her eyes around to the duke, thinking she could just imagine what the two must have said about her.
“Oh, no need to look at my son,” she said with a rather sly smile, and cut her own gaze over to him. “He has never mentioned you to me.”
