I watched Kirsten’s face, and she was enthralled.
I didn’t know how old the betrothal ceremony was, or its origins, but I did know that the lower classes didn’t have such a ritual. Kirsten had fielded a couple of dozen serious proposals, and not one of them had been delivered in public. Of course, I couldn’t be sure where Marco’s and Lila’s original negotiation took place. It could have been in bed for all I knew, but I did know the final deal was sealed in either Uncle George’s or Frank Novak’s study. That’s how things were done.
At the end of the dance, Marco knelt down and held out a ring with a diamond the size of my thumbnail. She acted surprised, he put it on her finger, and then they kissed. Everyone cheered and toasted them, then the orchestra started again, and several dozen couples joined them on the dance floor.
As if by magik, Mychal appeared and asked Kirsten to dance. Jerri might classify him as a nerd, but he definitely had an appreciation of beauty and a sense of timing. Over his shoulder, I saw three other men pull up, disappointment evident, and turn away. Kirsten would have no trouble filling her dance card.
She shot me a panicked look.
“Go on. The men lead, just allow them to move you. You’ll enjoy it.”
I watched Mychal lead her out onto the floor and take her in his hands, talking to her the whole time, and soon I saw her relax as he whirled her about.
I, on the other hand, ate another hors d’oeuvre, sipped some more champagne, and waited to see who my grandmother had lined up as a sacrificial lamb.
“May I have the pleasure of this dance?” A pleasant baritone voice. I looked up and discovered a pair of dark-chocolate eyes, deep enough to get lost in. Dark hair, almost black, tanned skin, and he was taller than I was. I couldn’t place his accent, but I didn’t think he was a native English speaker. If my grandmother had sent him, her taste was improving.
I gave him a smile. “Of course.”
He was a good dancer, strong and fluid. An athlete or a warrior. It was easy to let him lead.
“Your name, sir?”
“Aleksandr Janik.” He smiled. “Call me Aleks. And you, I believe, are the fearsome James woman who everyone gossips about. Danica?”
“Guilty as charged.” He appeared to be around my age. I searched my memory. Janik, one of the Hundred, from somewhere in Eastern Europe. Tied to Novak.
“A friend of Mychal’s, I believe?” he asked.
“We work together.”
“He is quite smitten with your friend.”
“Most men are.”
“And I am quite smitten with you.”
I felt myself blush. “You have a thing for women who get in fights?”
“I have a thing for beautiful, strong women who aren’t afraid to be themselves.”
Blush? My face practically burst into flame. I found myself tongue-tied.
“I’ve embarrassed you,” Aleks said. He took a deep breath. “And I’ve made a mistake. You think I’m a player, a man who preys on women, because I’m being so forward.”
“You certainly know how to deliver a line.”
He chuckled, leaning closer and dropping his voice. “I practice in front of the mirror so I don’t stammer and make a fool of myself.”
I had to laugh. “And how many times have you used that well-practiced line?”
He twirled me around, catching me around the waist and pulling my back against his chest, then let me spin away at the end of his arm. All a part of the dance, but it took my breath away.
“I have to admit, that was a line I haven’t practiced. I never dreamed I’d meet a woman like you. Normally, I would comment on the deep blue of your eyes, your thick and luscious moonlight-streaked hair, your sensual, athletic body, or how inviting your lips are, but instead I just blurted out the first thing that popped into my head.”
By that time, I was laughing so hard it was difficult to maintain the rhythm of the dance.
“How much did my grandmother pay you?” I gasped.
He looked genuinely puzzled. “She will pay me to dance with you? I will admit, that is tempting, since I am enjoying doing it for free. Who is your grandmother? Perhaps we can still negotiate something.”
“As if you didn’t know. Olivia Findlay.”
He cast a panicked look to where she was speaking to Frank Novak and another man I didn’t know.
“You’re a Findlay?”
I nodded. “My father, Lucas James, was her only child.”
The music ended. As he walked me back to where I’d left my drink, I said, “Are you a friend of Mychal’s?”
“Yes, but he didn’t tell me about your Family. I asked who you were, and he just said, ‘That’s my friend Danica.’”
I wondered at the tone in his voice. I had plenty of experience with men’s reactions to my family. Those who were either afraid of me or disdainful because I was a James. Then there were those who were afraid of screwing with a Findlay girl, or those gold diggers who were attracted by my perceived wealth. And then there were those just looking for a good time, who decided getting involved with a scion of the Ten was a potential level of seriousness they weren’t ready for.
It was impossible to explain to Kirsten the different issues I had with men. To her, relations with men were very simple. There were times I wondered if changing my name and moving to Europe would make things simpler for me. And of course, Family didn’t even touch on the prejudice some people had for those with elven blood.
I expected Aleks to drop me off, thank me for the dance, and scoot away as fast as he could. Instead, he grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed me one.
“To getting to know each other better,” he said.
“I would like that.” I clinked my
