“We can’t see him,” she hissed. “People are getting the wrong idea.”
Ada sniffed. “If you ask me, they’re getting the right idea.”
Minnie pulled her arm from her sister’s grasp. “What idea is that?”
“What is wrong with you? You’ve asked more questions in the last five minutes than you did the whole of last year.” Ada waved her hand toward Minnie’s head. “It’s as though someone has taken your mind.”
“No one has taken my mind.” She reached for her sister’s arm and started pulling. “I’m worried about Emily and Jack and…”
“Liar,” Ada whispered. “Tonight isn’t about them. It’s about you and that duke. You’re…” Ada drew in a deep breath. “You’re in love with him.”
“Love?” she asked and then realized she had asked another question. “Don’t be ridiculous. I hardly know him and what I do understand about him I don’t like.”
“Well, cousin Mary says that he convinced you to come tonight against her recommendation.” Her sister notched her chin as though that explained everything.
They were making their way across the room, Minnie attempting to move through the crowd. She hadn’t seen Tag but she searched the spot where he’d been. He wasn’t there any longer. Drat. Disappointment squeezed her chest. “He’s here to speak with our hostess and…” She needed a reason why she’d come. “And I thought he might learn more about Emily. That’s all.”
Ada lightly grasped her shoulder. “Look. I know I’m pushing tonight. You know me, this isn’t my strong suit. But you’ve been spending a great deal of time with Darlington. If he’s the man you want, we should make a plan.”
Minnie stopped. Was Darlington the man she wanted? Thank goodness she hasn’t said that out loud. She caught her lower lip with her teeth. She came at his request. And despite everything, he made her heart beat wildly every time he was near.
She thought back to Charleston. He’d been so easy to spend time with, but in retrospect, there had been no spark. Nothing like the breathless excitement she felt whenever Tag Daring was near. His nickname made her warm inside.
“Where are you going?” Tag was suddenly next to her.
She looked up at him as her pulse began thrumming through her veins. “I was coming to speak with you.”
He gave a curt nod. “I haven’t been able to speak with our hostess yet, so I’ve nothing to report.”
Ada still held her arm. “I’ve something to report,” Minnie said, standing straighter. Her heart began to hammer in her chest.
“What?” He leaned closer, his brow drawing together. “Did you speak to her?”
She shook her head, her stomach atwitter with butterflies. “No, I haven’t. What I need to talk about is you and me.”
One of his eyebrows arched. “You and me?”
She gave a stiff nod. The truth was, she had no idea what to say. She wanted to reach out and hold his arm for support. Strange, even when nervous about him, she also drew comfort from Tag’s presence. “I—”
“Minnie loves you,” Ada blurted, tapping on her arm.
“Ada,” Minnie pushed out, turning back to her sister as heat filled her cheeks. How could her sister be such a ninny? “I never said such nonsense.”
“Ada,” Tag repeated. “Let’s get you back to your family.”
Minnie suddenly wanted to hide from him as more heat travelled from her face down the exposed column of her throat. “I should also get back to my—”
“We’re taking a turn about the room,” he said as she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. Normally, she’d argue when he began being his bossy duke self. But this time, she flushed with satisfaction. Her sister had said the word love and he wasn’t running away.
She stole a glance at his profile. Did she love him? Ada said Minnie had been asking a great deal of questions and she was right. But this was the one question that had been muddling her thoughts all night. How did she feel about her duke?
Tag made his way back to Minnie’s family, making a formal request for Minnie’s attention. While it was assumed they stay in the public ballroom, he had no intention of remaining in the public eye. A private conversation was required after Ada’s outburst. Was it true? Did Minnie love him?
His entire body jolted with energy at the very idea. His teeth clenched. He could not get so wrapped up in emotion that he made a poor decision. He’d made that mistake already with Lady Abernath. He would not allow himself to do so again.
As they reached the corner of the room, he spotted an open door out to the garden. It was away from the large main doors and he moved toward it, Minnie following his lead without complaint.
Which was honestly odd. But as he slipped out the door, he guided her into the shadow beyond the lit room. A hundred questions crowded into his thoughts. Did he love her? Did she love him? Should he do as Jack said and marry Minnie? What if she was just manipulating him as every other woman in his life had done?