Within minutes the master of ceremonies announced a quadrille. Nick had been hoping for a waltz so he could hold Lady Pamela in his arms, but since she was here tonight, he would not make his escape after a half hour as he’d done other nights. In fact, he had no intention of leaving until she did. Maybe she would even allow him to escort her home.
He was beginning to sound pathetic even in his own mind.
He took her hand and they joined the dancers. Westbrooke and his wife, along with the Berkshires all joined the line. Thankful that as part of the making over of himself he’d done years ago, he’d learned all the things gentlemen had learned from the cradle, so dancing a quadrille was no problem. That would also give him time to stare at Lady Pamela and perhaps catch a word or two while they danced.
The dance began and Nick had a great time just watching Pamela. As she was not required to speak, she glowed with happiness. She moved with the music as if she were a forest fairy dancing to a tune in the moonlight. And he was mesmerized.
Although she’d rejected him twice, he had no intention of giving up. From her blushes and sideway glances at him it was apparent there was more than mild interest on her part. Nick had never met a problem he couldn’t solve with determination.
Once the dance ended the three couples gathered at the refreshment table for drinks. The men helped themselves to the punch bowl with spirits and the ladies each had lemonade.
It was quite apparent that Lady Pamela, Lady Berkshire and Mrs. Westbrooke were very close friends. They almost finished each other’s sentences. What caught Nick’s attention more than anything was the lack of stuttering on Lady Pamela’s part. The little bit of knowledge he was able to gain on stuttering was that anxiety made the condition worse.
Westbrooke and Berkshire carried on a conversation about politics and horses, and although Nick commented a time or two his real interest was with the ladies.
Fortunately, the next dance called by the master of ceremonies was a waltz. Before anyone else could wander up to Lady Pamela, Nick reached out his hand. “May I have this dance?”
Amidst all her blushing, and the smirking by her friends she took his hand and allowed him to lead her to the dance area. He swung her into his arms, and everything felt right for the first time in weeks.
She was warm, soft and fit in his arms perfectly. He had to use all his control to keep from running his hands over her feminine curves. The light scent of something flowery drifted from her hair. He leaned back and looked into her hazel eyes. “May I call on you tomorrow?” There was no point in delaying his request. She had granted him two dances and that made a statement.
Unfortunately, she shook her head. “I have a c-c-commitment at church t-t-tomorrow.”
“The next day?”
“T-t-two students.”
“The day after that?”
She sighed. “Mr. S-s-smith. Y-y-you won’t t-t-take no for an answer.”
“That is correct, my lady.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you. Very much. I find you interesting—”
She snorted.
“—witty and kind. I know you are troubled about your stutter, but I notice when you speak with your friends it is almost non-existent. I am not at all disturbed by your stutter and I hope if we become better acquainted you might relax a bit in my presence.”
He was shocked to see tears standing in her eyes. “I m-m-might become m-m-more relaxed w-w-with you, but I w-will always s-s-speak this way in p-p-public. I would embarrass y-you.”
Nick pulled her closer. “You would never embarrass me. And anyone who told you that in the past was despicable.”
Instead of answering, she shook her head and cast a glance over his shoulder and didn’t speak for the rest of the dance. As much as he would have liked to converse with her some more, he was content to hold her in his arms and enjoy the closeness.
Unfortunately, she declined his invitation to escort her home and left with the Berkshires. He followed right behind them and headed to his club.
Despite another rejection, Nick found just walking into his place raised his spirits. To think he did all this with only his head for numbers and a desire to raise himself up from where he started.
As he walked through the rooms, he thought about how the days of flourishing gambl
ing were over, but establishments with roulette and French hazard thrived. The stakes ran from a few pounds to hundreds of pounds.
The system Nick had set up to protect himself was for a gamer to be admitted to the club by pulling the outside bell alerting Nick’s man at the door. Once inside, the customer passed through another door and if he was a known customer or didn’t look like a spy for the authorities, that door opened and the man was directed to the stairs to the first floor.
The front room was for games. Decorous silk wallpaper covered the walls, with a rich deep carpet covering the floor, leaving no sound as the customer walked through the room. Several chandeliers and well-placed lamps provided enough light.