The rest of the evening passed in a blur, leaving a myriad of impressions in her mind. Despite the fact that Lord Palmer found numerous opportunities to make her uncomfortable with his flirtatious remarks and frequent brushes against her, she had a wonderful evening and couldn’t wait to experience another like it.
That was until the strains of a waltz filled the air, and she turned to find a masked gentleman standing before her whose broad shoulders and fit form seemed strikingly familiar.
“May I have the honor of this dance?”
A rush of goose flesh prickled her skin, causing her to shiver. She had no doubt of the man’s identity—James. The question was, did he know who she was?
Chapter Two
James’ attention had been caught by the lovely lady in the green gown from the moment he and Edward had entered the gathering. The tilt of her head, her graceful moves as she danced, and the delicate flush of her face from the heat of the ballroom visible below her mask had him watching her closely. Not only was she attractive, but she also seemed familiar. When he’d drawn closer, he quickly realized why.
Lady Charlotte.
What the devil was she doing at a gathering like this? Her presence here was scandalous. If her brother found out—
He couldn’t complete the thought. Edward would be livid. He’d always been protective of his younger sister, and James didn’t think that had changed over the years.
He’d watched her closely, trying to determine who had accompanied her. The way Edward had spoken about her, as brief as it had been, she was still quiet and shy, much like James remembered. Yet he could hardly believe his eyes as she danced with one man after another. She and another young lady spoke frequently, so he assumed they were together along with a man he didn’t recognize who wore a rather gaudy mask.
Surely Edward would recognize her at any moment. However, a glance at his friend revealed him heavily involved in a conversation with the opera singer he’d mentioned. It had been Edward’s idea to attend the party since he’d heard a particular woman whom he admired was supposed to be in attendance.
James had found himself walking toward Lady Charlotte, telling himself he needed to warn her that her brother was here. But when she turned to face him, her glittering gold and green mask in place, he asked her to dance instead.
Her brief hesitation made him wonder if she recognized him as well, but the mask hid her reaction.
“Of course.” She took his offered arm, and they walked toward the dance floor. “Are you enjoying your evening?”
“Not as much as you, I believe.” Did he tell her who he was or did she already know?
“How do you mean?”
“You don’t seem to be lacking for dance partners.”
“An odd thing for you to mention when you’re one of them,” she was quick to point out.
He gave a single nod to acknowledge the truth of her statement. Why he was dancing with her when his intent had been to warn her of her brother’s presence was beyond him.
“One wonders why someone such as you is at a gathering like this.” He wanted to understand why she was there. What did she hope to find that she couldn’t at a normal ball?
“I could say the same of you.” The boldness of her statement along with the lift of her chin had him shifting his impression of her once again. The reserved girl from the past was nowhere in sight.
They reached the dance floor and James took her hand in his, placing his other on her slim waist, all while questioning what he was doing.
As they joined the other dancers to turn and glide over the floor, James was relieved he knew the steps well enough that he didn’t injure her toes. He’d attended a few parties at the end of the war while in France where the waltz was more widely accepted.
In London, not everyone appreciated the dance. Even he was familiar with Lord Byron’s poem from several years ago which suggested the waltz was promiscuous, partly because one didn’t change partners instead holding onto the other person the entire dance, and partly because it eliminated the tradition of arranging lines of dancers in the order of those with the highest social standing.
“If I’d known a lady like you might be in attendance, I would’ve made an effort to come to earlier gatherings.” He guided her into a turn before looking at her again, hoping her answer would reveal whether she made a habit of attending functions like this one.
“How flattering.”
When she said nothing more, he nearly smiled. She was clever as well as intelligent. It came as a surprise to realize how much he enjoyed the cat and mouse game they played, with neither admitting whether they knew the other.
Of course, he wouldn’t allow it to continue much longer. If she knew his identity, surely she knew her brother was nearby. James didn’t care to cause her trouble, but he couldn’t pretend like he hadn’t seen her.
From the few things Edward had shared, their father had become increasingly difficult. If Lord Wynn discovered what Charlotte was about, the consequences would be severe. The lord was ill-tempered on a good day and also suffered from gout. When the painful condition flared, he was even testier, making unreasonable demands on everyone around him, which made it even more important that Lady Charlotte wasn’t caught.
Though James’ allegiance was to Edward, he felt a certain protectiveness toward her. If this was a one-time occurrence, wouldn’t it be better if no one else knew about it? Perhaps he could simply warn her of the danger in coming to gatherings like this one.
Yet as he looked into the sparkling eyes just visible through her mask, he decided it could wait a few minutes more. She’d obviously come to enjoy herself, and he was
