‘You find that comforting?’
He looked at her, shooting her a grin that lit up his face and made him look young and carefree. Beth felt something tighten inside her and she had to force herself to focus on his reply.
‘Strange I know, but I like the thought that I’m just one of millions of people. If I’m having a bad day there will be thousands having a worse time, and if I’m having a good day there are thousands sharing it with me.’
‘I’ve never thought of it like that. I like it, it’s philosophical.’
He gave a little self-deprecating shake of his head. ‘I had far too much time on my hands during the voyage from India. It seems to have resulted in me sharing the thoughts that should perhaps stay locked in my own head.’
Beth laughed. This wasn’t how she’d expected her conversation with Mr Ashburton to go. In public he was always so upright, so formal. She wasn’t sure if she had ever even seen him smile, but here he was laughing and relaxed and making a joke at his own expense. Beth almost enquired about his voyage from India, she hadn’t even been aware he’d been out of the country, but before she could ask he had posed his own question.
‘What did you need space from?’
‘My mother,’ she said before she could censor her words.
‘Ah.’
‘I know she means well,’ Beth said quietly, ‘but sometimes the weight of her expectations can be a little stifling.’
He regarded her for a few seconds as if weighing up something in his mind. ‘What you need is a distraction.’
She blinked, surprised as he stood abruptly and held out his hand. For a moment she just looked at it, not moving.
‘Dance with me. I promise you’ll find it distracting. I enjoy dancing as much as the next man, but I’d watch out for your toes if I were you.’
Hesitantly she placed her hand in his. It was madness, but it was as though he’d hypnotised her. Slowly she stood, checking over her shoulder, looking at the flickering lights on the terrace to check if anyone could see them.
‘We shouldn’t...’
He moved a little closer to her and she felt the warmth of his breath as he whispered into her ear. ‘Sometimes it’s good to do something forbidden.’ The words conjured up a host of illicit images and she felt fierce heat begin to creep through her body.
‘What if someone sees us?’
‘We’re hidden by the bushes.’
She allowed him to pull her gently into position and, as if he had signalled the musicians they were ready, the music began to swell in the ballroom. It was a waltz and it only took three steps for Beth to know Mr Ashburton had lied. He was an accomplished dancer, holding her in a way that made her feel as though she were floating just off the ground. She glanced up, taking a moment to study his features in the darkness. Even now there was a hint of a smile on his lips. He was an attractive man with a strong jaw and dark eyes that contained a sea of warmth. Perhaps this arranged marriage wouldn’t be so bad, if he had actually agreed to marry her.
Beth let herself get lost in the moment, pushing away all conscious thought to enjoy the pressure of his hand on the small of her back, the sway of their bodies in the darkness and the magical feeling in the air.
As the music faded she should have stepped away, but Mr Ashburton stayed where he was for a moment, holding her close and looking down into her eyes. She felt an irresistible pull, a need to know what his lips felt like on hers, and she could see the same attraction reflected back as he gently placed a finger under her chin and tilted it up just a fraction.
She’d never been touched like that by a man before, never felt the spark of excitement even a gentle caress could send through her body.
‘You dance well, Lady Elizabeth,’ he said quietly.
Beth barely heard his words, she was too distracted by the heat of his body so close to her own and the naked desire flaring up inside her.
‘Thank you.’
She was sure he was going to kiss her, she even rose up a little on the balls of her feet to narrow the gap between them. The moment seemed to stretch out for ever, the anticipation building second by second until she wanted to shout out, to beg him to pull her into his arms.
‘Joshua?’ The voice came from the darkness behind them, refined and clipped.
Beth stepped back so quickly she nearly tripped over the hem of her dress, only Mr Ashburton’s hands on her arms saving her from ending up in a tangle on the ground. She glanced behind her, stiffening as she saw Mr Ashburton emerge from the darkness.
‘How...?’ She looked from one man to the other. There were two of them. Both tall with dark hair and dark eyes, with the same strong jaw and straight noses. As she looked closer there were subtle differences in their looks and perhaps an inch difference in height, but there was no mistaking that they were closely related. Brothers perhaps, but surely she would know if Mr Ashburton had a brother.
‘Leo.’ The man in front of her, the Mr Ashburton she had almost kissed, took a quick step forward and embraced the other man.
Beth was still trying to catch up, her mind whirring as she realised why Mr Ashburton had seemed so different, so relaxed. The man she had been sitting with, Mr Joshua Ashburton,
