Lord Dunn smiled, and bowed over Lady Crosby’s hand. “My dear Lady Crosby. It’s a great pleasure to see you. What bringsyou to London?”
“I’ve come with my granddaughter for the season. You know how I despise society, my lord, but the young must have their chance, mustn’t they? Come here, child.” Lady Crosby drew Emma forward. “May I present my granddaughter, Lady Emma Crosby? Emma, dear, this is theEarl of Dunn.”
“How do you do, Lady Emma?” Lord Dunn’s hazel eyes swept over Emma as he bowed over her hand, his lips grazing her glove. “I do believe we’ve found this season’s belle.”
Lady Crosby cackled with delight. “For shame, my lord, flirting so infamously after only a moment’sacquaintance.”
Lord Dunn laughed, his gaze on Emma’s face. “I beg your pardon, my lady, but I could hardly help myself.”
Emma peeked up at Lord Dunn from under her lashes. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a noble, aristocratic face, and the confident air of a man who knew his place in the world. She judged him to be in his mid-thirties, that is, young enough to catch a lady’s eye, but older than most of the callow youths crowdingthe ballroom.
Yes, he’d do nicely. Lady Crosby couldn’t havechosen better.
“How do you do, Lord Dunn?” Emma dipped into a shy curtsey, but she held his gaze for just a touch longer than a young lady should.
“A good deal better, now. Will you dance, Lady Emma?”
Emma hesitated long enough to give Lady Crosby a chance to wave a hand toward the couples assembling for a country dance. “Go on, dear, and enjoy yourself. I’ll wait here and have acozy sit down.”
“I wasn’t aware Lady Crosby had a granddaughter,” Lord Dunn said, as he swept Emma into the dance. “Is this your first visit to London?”
“Yes, my lord. My father prefers to keep me in Somerset with him.”
“Your father is a wise man, Lady Emma. If I had a daughter with such a face, I’d keep her safely hidden in the country, as well.” Lord Dunn gave her a devilish grin. “How did you coax himinto a season?”
“I’m staying with my grandmother while my father is engaged with business overseas. She insisted on giving me a season, and he could hardly refuse.” The words flowed easily from Emma’s tongue, because they were, in fact, the truth.
Or closeenough to it.
The only difference between her account and the truth was that the real Lady Emma Crosby had accompanied her father overseas. With her and Lord Crosby safely out of the way, plain Emma Downing had taken Lady Emma Crosby’s place. With a wave of Lady Clifford’s hand, she’d been transformed into an earl’s daughter.
It was merely a stroke of good luck the two of them happened to share a name. It made things much easier, yet the truth had a nasty habit of coming out, one way or another. Emma wasn’t naïve enough to imagine her ruse would be an exception. Lady Emma Crosby wasn’t out in society, but someone in London this season would surely have met her, and reveal Emma to be an imposter.
She could only pray the truth would stay hidden long enough for her to pry Lord Lovell’s secrets from his smiling lips, because if she failed, there would be no second chance. Not for Amy and Kitty, and not for Emma. By the time the season ended, half of London would recognize her face. Once she’d lost her anonymity, she’d be of little use to Lady Clifford, orto anyone else—
“Such a pretty flush in your cheeks, Lady Emma.” Lord Dunn gave her a shamelessly flirtatious smile. “Dancingflatters you.”
Emma forced an answering smile to her lips. “Thankyou, my lord.”
He continued to chat amiably as they moved through the figures, Emma’s skirts spinning around her ankles. As she had predicted, Lord Dunn kept her on the floor for a second dance, which was long enough for the company to notice her, and begin to speculate.
For her part, Emma kept her attention focused on Lord Dunn, or rather did such an excellent job of appearing to do so that no one would have suspected how aware she was of everything around her: the chatter of conversation, the curious glances as Lord Dunn twirled her around the floor, and most of all,of Lord Lovell.
His gaze wandered to her more than once. For a fleeting instant, she allowed her eyes to meet his, her lips curved in the barest hint of a smile.
With any luck, that would be the beginning of the end for Lord Lovell.
Now she’d caught his attention, there was a good chance she’d be able to hold it. Dozens of lovely young ladies graced the ballroom tonight, but Emma knew things they didn’t know—things no innocent virginshouldknow.
How to entice with a glance, and lure with a smile. How to expose the barest hint of ankle with an innocent flirt of her skirts, and draw a man’s attention to her lips. Emma wasn’t certain whether it was amusing or tragic that her wiles should prove so useful at Almack’s, but for good or ill, she could boast all the sinful, salacious tricks of a practiced courtesan.
That was how she knew not to spare Lord Lovell another glance for the rest of the dance. Even when she could feel his gaze on her, and imagined his dark eyes willing her to look his way, she never let her attention wander from Lord Dunn, who was in no hurry torelinquish her.
By the time he did return her to Lady Crosby, laughing and breathless, Lady Crosby’s various acquaintances had come to bid her a good evening, and she had quite a crowd gathered around her. Among them were Lord Lovell and his mother, and several others who’d joined her while Emma was dancingwith Lord Dunn.
Lady Crosby was just rising from her chair when Emma and Lord Dunn approached, her expression alight with pleasure as she held out her hand to a petite lady who’d just joined their party. “Lady Silvester? Edith, is that you?”
“My goodness, Henrietta?” Lady Silvester gushed, taking Lady Crosby’s hands. “But how wonderful! I didn’t realize you intended to spend the season in London.”
