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The musicians played the opening bars of the next dance piece, and Rosalind lost her battle. A small laugh escaped, and she could not stop herself from teasing him further. “Then you will simply have to try exceptionally hard, Your Grace.”

His blue eyes sparkled, and he lifted his arm. She turned beneath it, and the allemande began.

As far as Rosalind could tell, His Grace completed the dance without counting out a single step. And he did it flawlessly. She had rarely moved across the floor so smoothly. His lead had been just strong enough to place her in the correct positions without being so demanding as to prevent her from enjoying the dance. Indeed, when the orchestra played the dance’s final notes, she experienced an unexpected stab of regret.

His Grace bowed politely and then raised an eyebrow. “Well? Was I passable?”

“I believe you have been practicing in secret, Your Grace.”

“I cannot be sure, but I think that might have been a compliment.” He offered her his arm.

She smiled and placed her hand on his sleeve. “You may think that if you will.”

At the sound of his chuckle, a small chip of the ice around Rosalind’s heart fell away. His Grace may not be whom she would have chosen to marry, but they had spent the last ten minutes very pleasantly. Perhaps there was reason for hope after all.

Chapter 5

The Duke of Kelbrook walked Rosalind across the room to return her to her friends. Margaret and Elinor watched their approach with undisguised interest. Mr. Sellers and Lord Eppingham were standing beside the ladies. Their eyes, and those of most of the matrons in the room, were also trained upon her and the duke.

“Do you always elicit this much attention?” Rosalind whispered.

“Unfortunately, it seems to be an occupational hazard when you are an eligible duke.”

Beneath her fingers, his arm was tense, and the teasing tone was gone from his voice. She glanced at him, noting the discomfort in his face. And like the first rays of sun in the morning, a glimmer of understanding came. Although she was comfortable in most large gatherings, she was not enjoying these curious stares at all. How much worse would it be for someone who, by nature, preferred to be in a private study, examining ledgers?

“You may have attracted people’s notice because you have not been seen for some time,” she said.

“Perhaps,” he conceded, but he did not sound fully convinced.

They had reached Elinor and Margaret.

Rosalind removed her hand from the duke’s arm. “Ladies,” she said, “may I present His Grace, the Duke of Kelbrook. Your Grace, this is Miss Elinor Spencer and Miss Margaret Fotheringham.”

The ladies curtsied, and the duke bowed.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he said.

“Your Grace.” Elinor managed a wobbly smile.

“Such an honor, Your Grace,” Margaret said. “I had very much hoped I would have occasion to meet you this Season.”

The duke smiled politely even as Rosalind squirmed at Margaret’s effusive greeting. Before her friend could say anything more, however, Mr. Sellers and Lord Eppingham joined the small group.

“I say, Kelbrook,” Lord Eppingham said. “Is it true that you saw that French flying contraption with your own eyes?”

“It is.”

Puzzled, Rosalind glanced at him. She had expected him to show the same enthusiasm he’d exhibited in Langton House when they’d talked about this very thing. Instead, he seemed guarded.

“Dash it all! There were any number of geniuses at Oxford when we were there—you included. It should have been an Englishman who first discovered a way to take to the air.”

“There are plenty of new inventions to be had, Eppingham,” the duke said. “Just because bright, hardworking men of other nationalities succeed does not lessen the accomplishments of Englishmen.”

“Constantly being beaten to the finish line is bad for the country’s morale.”

“Or motivation to try harder,” the duke countered.

“Forgive me, we have not yet been introduced,” Mr. Sellers began.