“I daresay one as lovely as you will dance every set,” Dot continued.
“My sister is always a highly sought-after dancing partner,” Lord Appleton said. “She is never seated. But don’t fear, Miss Pankhurst. I’ll not forsake you. I’ll sit with you.”
“Oh, my lord, you are too kind.” How fortunate she’d been to have met this wonderful man. He just could not be a profligate. He was unquestionably the most admirable man she’d ever met.
And to think, she never would have met him had it not been for Fur Blossom’s naughtiness. Could she possibly end up owing her happiness to Fur Blossom?
“Ah, we’re here,” his lordship said.
* * *
Appleton didn’t see any of his friends when they arrived. He hadn’t really expected to. George, Lord Sedgewick, was not in Bath at present, and he doubted Melvin would be here. The fellow despised dancing. Perhaps later he’d see Blanks. Glee Blankenship and her sister, Felicity Moreland, enjoyed the assemblies, so their husbands might come. Appleton had made sure to arrive early enough to claim chairs in a good location, given that Miss Pankhurst would be spending most of the night watching the dancers rather than participating.
Elvin, Appleton knew, would not miss being here because he knew this was when Penguin would meet Annie. Since his distrust of Wolf was as strong as Appleton’s, Sir Elvin would definitely be here to support his friend and his friend’s sister.
Elvin didn’t know yet that his friend had been successful in his first attempts at wooing the heiress Miss Pankhurst. Appleton smiled to himself when he thought of how surprised Elvin would be when he met her and learned that she was not some skinny, boy-chested dimwit with a basket of cats on her lap.
Appleton led the ladies to the scarlet seats, where he saved an additional one for Elvin.
“This is even larger than the Pump Room,” Miss Pankhurst exclaimed. “It’s like I imagine Westminster Abbey.”
He chuckled and covered her hand with his. “It’s much smaller than Westminster Abbey.”
Her already large chocolate eyes widened even more. “You’ve been there?”
“Many times.”
“Yes, I suppose you have often been to London.”
The poor woman—for she was no longer a girl—knew no more of the world than a child.
More and more people kept filling the chamber, and it was more difficult to be heard over the drone of voices.
He watched with amusement as Miss Pankhurst’s head tilted and she looked far above at the ceiling and its five enormous crystal chandeliers sparkling with hundreds of candles illuminating the room as if it were daytime.
Like a child, she could not disguise her excitement. Her eyes shimmered, and the smile on her face looked as permanent as her aquiline nose.
Members of the orchestra took their seats and began to tune their instruments. The first set would begin in a matter of minutes. He’d decided that he should give Miss Pankhurst the opportunity to observe at least one set before he asked her to stand up with him.
From a distance, he saw that Thomas Moreland and his brother-in-law Blanks moved toward the card room. Their pretty wives were now in the ballroom, walking toward them.
He rose and greeted them.
Glee Blankenship’s mouth dropped open as she gawked at Miss Pankhurst. “I declare! Can this be Miss Pankhurst? Oh, my dear lady, you are most decidedly lovely tonight.”
Leave it to the outspoken Pixie to blurt out her opinions so bluntly.
Miss Pankhurst’s lashes lowered. “You’re so kind, Mrs. Blankenship. Thank you very much.”
“But I thought you hadn’t procured your new wardrobe yet,” Pixie, er, Glee Blankenship said.
“Oh, I haven’t.” Miss Pankhurst eyed Annie. “Miss Appleton did me the goodness of allowing me to borrow one of her gowns.”
“It looks as if it were made just for you.” Glee’s gaze darted to him. “How fortunate you are, Lord Appleton, to be able to escort so lovely a lady here tonight.”
He set a hand to Miss Pankhurst’s waist. “I am well aware of my good fortune.”
Mrs. Moreland, another great beauty but more reserved than her sister, looked at the chairs in front of theirs. “Is anyone sitting here?”
“We were hoping you ladies would join us,” Annie answered.
Once the five of them were seated, he was relieved to see Sir Elvin enter the chamber.
His friend cordially greeted Annie and their friend George’s sisters, Felicity Moreland and Glee Blankenship. Then he looked to Appleton for an introduction to the unfamiliar lady.
“Sir Elvin, might I present to you Miss Dorothea Pankhurst, who is recently in Bath from Lincolnshire.”
A jolt of recognition at her name was quickly followed by a sly glance at Appleton, and then Elvin bowed and addressed Miss Pankhurst with the greatest civility. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Pankhurst. I do hope you will honor me with a set tonight.”
Appleton stiffened. “Miss Pankhurst chooses to mostly observe this evening. She’s never before been to an assembly and does not wish to do anything that would invite ridicule—not that I believe she ever could.”
“Oh, no. Certainly not.”
Miss Pankhurst curtsied. “I am delighted to meet a friend of Lord Appleton’s. Thank you for your supportive words, Sir Elvin.”
How would a newcomer like Elvin gauge the lady, Appleton wondered. He would vow that someone meeting her for the first time tonight would be favorably impressed. Even though Annie should take all the credit for the transformation of the country miss, Appleton himself swelled with pride. After all, even when she had been making a spectacle of herself with that damned cat and dressing practically in rags, he had allowed all of Bath to see him escort her around the Pump Room. And act the fool, chasing that maddening feline of hers all over the Pump Room. He’d been as courteous to her as he would have been were she the offspring of a duke.
Elvin glanced at the lone empty seat. “I say, are you perchance saving that
