Talk of the Ton (Free Fellows League 5)

“Not an easy escape this time, is it, love? Come on then, Kate,” he said, holding out his hand, palm up. “Come with me.”

She made a sound in her throat—a cry, a sob, he wasn’t certain—her eyes filled with tears, and she looked dangerously close to breaking apart.

“One dance,” he said quickly, feeling sorry for her. “Just one dance.” There was, he knew, no escape for her unless she wanted to create a scene by cutting him. Kate knew it, too, and she slowly, reluctantly, slipped her hand into his palm. Darien instantly closed his fingers tightly around hers and released a small sigh of relief.

“A waltz,” he said low. “Do you know the waltz?”

She nodded and allowed herself to be led onto the dance floor. Darien was aware of the many pairs of eyes on them, the sound of whispering as he led her out. He could almost feel the shock of surprise ripple through the crowd and supposed his asking the vicar’s widow to dance was akin to the parting of the Red Sea. It certainly wasn’t any less dramatic.

On the dance floor, he bowed, and Kate, her eyes downcast, curtsied. He put his hand on her waist and remembered, with achingly vivid clarity, the curve of that waist into her naked hip.

The waltz began, and he pulled her close to him and swept her into the stream of dancers. “Look up at me,” he commanded her. “You can’t avoid me now.”

She looked up. To his neckcloth.

“And now that I have your undivided attention, perhaps you might tell me why, after the most glorious afternoon of my life, that you would work so hard to avoid me?”

“How can you ask that?” she demanded on a strangled laugh. “I should think the answer to that is obvious, my lord!”

“My lord! What happened to Darien? What happened to us, Kate?”

She shook her head, pressed her lips together, and glanced over his shoulder.

“Obviously, you think I have wronged you somehow,” he said, feeling his heart slipping with the utterance, “but for the life of me, I don’t know what I’ve done.”

“You haven’t done anything,” she said morosely. “The blame lands squarely on my shoulders. I am nine and twenty—not a naive girl. I freely accompanied you, and I knew exactly to what end.” This she said with a sidelong glance at those around them.

“Then why?” he asked, gripping her hand in his.

She looked up at him then, her green eyes studying him, as if she tried to make sense of something only she could see. “Why? As if you don’t know why!” she said sharply, and her eyes were suddenly blazing. “Does it give you some sort of perverse pleasure to ask me this?”

Darien blinked. “You think I lied to you?”

Kate said nothing but continued to look at him with fire and hurt in her eyes. Anger swelled in his chest, and he twirled her roughly round the corner of the dance floor, catching sight of several guests standing off to the side as he did, watching them intently, and whispering to one another.

Darien suddenly realized that not only had Kate heard the rumors, she had believed the gossip that he would offer for Miss Forysthe. And therefore believed that he had used her. Silly, silly woman! Could she not see the way he looked at her? Could she not feel his longing?

He sighed wearily and shook his head. “How could you not believe me, Kate? Of course I never lied to you!”

For some reason, that made her smile sadly. “I know you didn’t lie, my lord . . . but perhaps you were very artful in the manner in which you spoke to me. Perhaps you chose your words carefully.”

Now the anger swelled like a rough sea in him. “You impugn my integrity, madam. I never lied to you, and furthermore, the truth will be revealed, here tonight, you silly little chit.”

She gasped with indignation. “Marvelous!” she said, tossing her head back and glaring up at him. “I thought as much, my lord! Miss Forsythe is a delightful girl. I am certain you will both be exceedingly happy. But you will not have me to warm your adulterous bed,” she whispered hotly.

Darien chuckled low and pulled her close. “Would you like to place a wager on that, Mrs. Becket?” he asked icily.

Her eyes narrowed. “You must be as free with your money as you are with your words.”

“I’m not free with either. I use them only when necessary and never frivolously. And before you say another unkind word, let me say that I shall look forward to the truth being revealed, and I will demand that you promise one thing.”

“Which is?”

“When you hear the truth revealed,” he said with a wicked smile, “you will acknowledge it as the truth, and do so graciously, like a lady ought.”

Her brows formed something of a furious vee above her glittering green eyes. “I vow to be as gracious as you are ever faithful, my lord.”

“Then you might do it with a smile. Grace is all the lovelier with a smile.”