Tia strolled away, shaking her head. Staring at all the people dancing, she briefly wondered why anyone wanted to be a part of this. The people were gossipy wasps who only seemed to want to sting each other. A part of her missed her quiet life on Middleton’s estate. The only time people gossiped was to let her know that they had heard someone might be ill and was not calling for her.
With a sigh, she took another sip of wine. Melancholy struck a chord deep inside her. She could return to the estate, but then she might never find Jonathon and try to help him. Then again, she’d been in London for over a month and hadn’t caught even a glimpse of the man. During all the upheaval of the past week, she’d almost forgotten her true mission.
“There you are,” Emily said with a smile and a short man behind her. “Lord Upton wanted to meet you.”
Of course he did. And what would Lord Upton think if he knew he was dancing with a nobody from the Midlands with no name, no fortune, and nothing to offer him? “Good evening, my lord.”
“We must hurry if we are to make the dance. The couples are lining up already.”
It wasn’t until she reached the dance floor that she realized he hadn’t even asked her, he’d just assumed she would be eternally grateful to dance with him because he was a lord. As they clasped hands to circle around each other, Tia thanked God the man wore gloves. Even through the cotton cloth, she could feel the sweat from his palms. If this was what all the ladies of the Beau Monde put up with, no wonder so many decided to stay spinsters.
She danced the steps of the contra dance with ease, since it was the first and therefore the most practiced of the dances Mr. Blackwell had taught her.
“You look quite fetching tonight, my dear,” Lord Upton commented.
“Thank you.”
“I believe I should call on Lady Eldridge tomorrow. I do hope you shall be at home.”
What was she supposed to say to that? Don’t bother? I have no interest? She had no idea. “I believe I shall be at home,” she said and then wanted to glue her lips shut for saying such an insipid thing. She should have been blunt with him.
“Excellent.”
Until he mentioned it, she hadn’t thought about the fact that men might attempt to call on her at Emily’s home. Some might even suggest a ride through the park. There had to be a way to stop this.
As she circled around him, she had the strangest sensation of being watched. She scanned the room as she twirled around. One set of blue eyes fixed on her. Even from this distance she knew his eyes were blue. Icy cold blue.
Her heart raced in her chest as the dance ended. Lord Upton escorted her back to Emily, chattering on about seeing her tomorrow. She could only nod as she attempted to find an escape route away from Middleton. Glancing back, she realized she’d lost his position.
“Emily, I must leave,” she said, trying to interrupt her friend from a conversation with another woman.
“Not now, Tia.”
“Yes, now.” Before it was too late. Unable to wait a second longer, she headed for the hall. If she could get out of the house before he noticed, she might make it. But make it where? If he’d seen her with Emily, then she couldn’t return to her friend’s home. Where would she go?
Only a few steps before the threshold, a strong hand clasped onto her arm. Without looking, she knew he’d caught her yet again.
“Going before we’ve even had a dance?”
Chapter 7
Braden turned Tia around to face him. Awareness shot through him with her close proximity. What the bloody hell was wrong with him that he could find his wise woman attractive? Scanning her, he noticed everything from her upswept red curls, down her long slender neck that begged for his lips, to the swell of her full breasts exposed from a pale blue silk gown, and further down her slender belly and curve of her hips. The real question was how had he not noticed her while at the estate.
“Well?”
“I—I was not feeling well and decided to leave,” she said in a shaky tone.
“Tsk-tsk, Miss Featherstone. A viscount wishes to dance with you and so we shall.”
Her mouth opened and closed slightly, as if getting ready to rebuke him, but no words managed to emanate forth. He had timed his appearance at her side perfectly as the musicians were to play a waltz next.
“I don’t know how to dance this dance,” she muttered as they walked through the crowd.
“Indeed, and what are the musicians about to play?”
The confused look on her face almost made him laugh. She didn’t have any idea of what was coming up next.
“I just haven’t learned that many dances, is all,” she said.