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He walked her into the center of the ballroom. Awareness of her hand on his arm and the gentle swish of her gown brushing against his leg displaced all other thoughts. Friendly greetings and smiles of acknowledgment followed them, but he barely noticed. His sole focus was on the beautiful woman at his side.
“Do your wrists pain you still?” he asked. Her gloves covered the area where the cloth had cut into her flesh.
“They are much improved,” she said. “Lucy thinks that Mrs. Wilson’s salve is magical. I am inclined to believe her.”
He smiled. That she could be so positive about so miserable an injury was remarkable.
“Thank you for the pasties. I did not write to tell you how much Henry, Oliver, and I appreciated them because I hoped to tell you so in person this evening.”
“Was I right? Did they replace a meal you should have taken earlier?”
He chuckled. “I fear you have come to know me far too well.”
“Not yet, my lord.” Her expressive eyes held his. “I believe there is still much for me to learn.”
The music started, and they began the allemande’s first step sequence. They moved together and apart, turning, promenading, and exchanging places with those around them. And all the while, the pleasant nods and smiles directed at Adam continued. When Phoebe was at his side once more, he broached the subject.
“At the risk of revisiting a topic that ended badly for us the last time we danced, do you know why my presence at Lady Bloxley’s ball is provoking such positive attention among those who blatantly ignored me only a fortnight ago?”
Her cheeks were suddenly the same color pink as her gown. “I believe I do.”
Almost afraid to ask, Adam raised his eyebrows. She stepped away to complete the next dance sequence, returned, and took his hand again.
“When my mother learned how you rescued me and then went to the aid of my father on the night of the fire, she made the determination that your valor should not go unnoticed.” Phoebe swallowed hard. “Please forgive her. She meant only good by it. But I believe she has used the very means that condemned you earlier to raise you onto a hero’s pedestal. A few well-placed, whispered words have spread through this ballroom faster than I would have believed possible.” She met his eyes again, but this time, they were troubled. “Once more, you are a victim of the powerful effect of Society gossip.”
The dance steps separated them, and Adam attempted to bring his scattered thoughts together without losing his place completely. He reclaimed Phoebe’s hand.
“You mean to tell me that all those people who thought me a blackhearted villain now consider me a valiant hero—simply because someone told them it was so.”
“Reputations are rarely so quickly altered, but in this instance, I think people wanted to believe something different of you, so they have embraced the report.” Her gaze softened. “You never truly fit the villainous role of the earlier rumors.”
Adam took a moment to contemplate what it might mean if the stigma previously attached to his name were removed—how it would alter things for Emily, his business transactions, hiring servants, and a future with Phoebe. His heart lifted, and he allowed an extra portion of hope to enter in.
The music ended. All around them, gentlemen bowed, ladies curtsied, and couples began to clear the floor. Adam did not release Phoebe’s hand.
“Would you care to take some air?” he asked. “If memory serves, there is a large terrace beyond the french windows.”
At Phoebe’s nod, he led her out of the ballroom.
Stars sparkled in the night sky. The air was cool. Another couple walked by, their footsteps echoing across the flagstones as they moved to the other side of the wide terrace. Adam guided Phoebe toward the far corner, where an ornamental tree offered a modicum of privacy. They stood side by side, looking down upon the vast lawn beyond the stairs.
“This new report circulating the ballroom is less damning but hardly more true than the first, Phoebe. You and I both know that I am no great champion. But neither am I the ruthless scoundrel many considered me to be. I am simply a man who is striving to better himself and his family’s situation.”
“Those things, in and of themselves, would be laudable, my lord, but you have done far more than that. Your unfailing efforts removed a heartless felon from the streets of England.”
He offered her a small smile. “I rather think we managed that together. If you had not recognized the man calling himself Edward Trevors or slowed Freddie Payne’s escape from Dunsbourne Manor, the fiend would still be free.”
“That is true.” Her eyes sparkled brighter than the stars. “Some might even say that we make a good team.”
Adam lifted his free hand to cup her face. She leaned her cheek into his palm, and he took an unsteady breath.
“Those people would be right. I cannot conceive of anyone I would rather have by my side than you.”
“Neither can I,” she whispered.
Releasing her hand, he slipped his arm around her and drew her close. “Then I should very much like to continue the conversation we began on the hillside.”
She leaned closer and tilted her head toward his. “I think . . . I think this might be the perfect time to do that.”
