Lady Emma’s eyes grew wide at her mother’s blatant words before she lowered her gaze to the floor.
Deciding to take pity on her, Martin extended his hand. “If that is the case, I would be a fool not to ask you to dance.”
She brought her gaze up, looking relieved. “Thank you, Lord Egleton.”
As he led her to the dance floor, he teased, “I must admit that I have high expectations for this dance.”
“I’m afraid my mother may have overexaggerated my dancing abilities,” Lady Emma remarked.
“Is that so?”
Lady Emma nodded. “My dancing master considered me to be completely incompetent at best.”
“Surely you can’t be that bad?”
“Those were his words, not mine,” Lady Emma replied with a playful smile.
Martin found himself returning her smile. “Well, you are in luck, because I happen to be a proficient dancer.”
“I do hope I don’t step on your toes.”
“If you do, it won’t be the first time it has happened, and I doubt it will be the last.”
“It might be best if you save your judgement until after our dance has concluded,” Lady Emma bantered back.
Martin led her to where she was to line up and dropped his arm. As he went to line up with the other gentlemen, he saw Hannah further down the line. She offered him a private smile before she turned her attention back towards Lord Charles.
The music started up and they began the quadrille. Every time he came together with Lady Emma, she had a look of deep concentration on her face and he noticed her lips moving. He worked hard to keep from grinning, since he didn’t want to draw any unwanted attention towards his dance partner.
As the music came to a close, Lady Emma looked at him, relief etched on her face. He approached her and offered his arm.
“Well done,” he praised as he led her off the dance floor.
Lady Emma let out a small laugh. “I’m relieved that I didn’t step on your toes.”
“I saw your lips moving during the dance,” he said. “May I ask what you were doing?”
“I was counting my steps.”
“You were?”
She offered him a sheepish smile. “You must think me terribly silly to do so.”
“Not at all,” he replied. “I found that I greatly enjoyed the dance.”
“I must admit that I am pleased my mother forced this dance upon you,” Lady Emma said.
“She did not force me to dance with you.”
Lady Emma arched an eyebrow. “There is no need to lie, my lord, especially since subtlety is not one of her virtues.”
“No, it is not,” he agreed.
He approached Lady Bideford and tipped his head. “Thank you for allowing me to dance with your lovely daughter.”
Lady Bideford smiled approvingly at him. “You are most welcome.”
He shifted his gaze back to Lady Emma. “If you are not opposed, I would like to call upon you tomorrow.”
A smile came to Lady Emma’s face. “I would greatly enjoy that.”
“Wonderful,” he said as he dropped his arm.
Martin bowed and offered his goodbyes. He turned around and walked back towards Kate and Edward.
Kate looked expectant, albeit slightly smug. “I take it the dance went well,” she prodded.
“It wasn’t terrible,” he replied.
Edward chuckled. “Shall we call off the search for a bride and post the banns?”
“Not yet,” he replied. “Although, I did ask to call upon her tomorrow.”
Kate clasped her hands together. “I knew you and Lady Emma would suit brilliantly.”
Martin glanced curiously at them. “Has Lord Charles not returned Hannah yet?”
“I gave them leave to step out onto the veranda together,” Edward informed him.
Martin’s brows shot up. “You allowed them to go outside, unescorted?” he asked in disbelief.
Edward looked amused as he pointed towards the open doors. Just on the other side, stood Hannah and Lord Charles, in clear view and a proper distance apart. Other couples were milling about, not giving them any heed.
“There is no reason to worry,” Kate assured him. “Hannah wouldn’t dare put her reputation at risk by being alone with a gentleman.”
“It is not Hannah I am worried about.”
Edward smirked. “It is evident that Lord Charles is smitten with Hannah,” he said. “He has had the same obnoxious grin on his face since they stepped outside.”
“Lovely,” Martin muttered.
“If you are so concerned about Hannah, you are more than welcome to go chaperone them,” Kate suggested.
He nodded. “I believe I shall.”
6
Hannah found Lord Charles to be quite agreeable. She had enjoyed her dance with him and was pleased when he asked her to step out onto the veranda with him. He was just the type of person she had considered fitting as a suitor. Not only was he courteous, but he had a reputation for being an honorable gentleman.
A boyish grin had been on his lips since they’d stepped outside, and she found it oddly charming. He was a handsome man with his straight-edged nose and wide jaw. His blond hair was slightly longer than fashionable, but she found that she preferred it on him.
The silence between them threatened to grow awkward, so she asked, “Will you tell me about yourself, Lord Charles?”
“I am the younger brother of the Marquess of Bideford, and I inherited an estate from my grandmother,” he said. “It produces an adequate income to provide for me,” he hesitated, “and, one day, for my wife, as well.”
“I see.”
Lord Charles put up his hand. “Not that I have selected a bride for myself,” he rushed to add. “It will be a decision that I take most seriously, but when I do, I can provide nicely for her. I assure you of that.”
“I am pleased to hear that.”
“Not that a woman would only be interested in marrying me because of my income or familial connections,” he rattled on.
“No?” she asked, amused.
“I have many qualities that ladies find enticing.”
“Such as?” Hannah attempted to keep the smile off her face. His ramblings were quite charming.
“I can box,” he declared, “and I am quite knowledgeable about a wide range of topics, including antiquities.”
“Antiquities?”
“I own a percentage of a company that
