She shook her head. There was something different in her eyes this time. She wasn’t enticed or even interested in him. There seemed to be…fear in her eyes. That unnerved him and he took a step back. He never meant to make her feel uncomfortable. Well, not in that way. He was hoping to lead her toward seduction of a sort. A stolen moment and a few intimate kisses. Ezra did not hurt women. “Let me pass,” she demanded. Her voice wavered, but the command, the need to be free, was clear in her tone.
“Certainly,” he agreed and stepped to the side. “My apologies.” He felt like a complete and utter arse. “I didn’t intend…”
“Of course not,” she said. “Think nothing of it.” She waved her hand and started down the hall.
Ezra frowned and followed behind her at a slower pace. It wouldn’t do for them both to arrive in the ballroom at the same time, from the same location. His interest in her was piqued though. He would discern her name at the first opportunity and pay a call on her.
When he arrived back in the ballroom, she was nowhere to be found. Where could she have gone off to this time? The balcony? Hiding behind another plant? There were a lot of people in the bloody room and locating her would be almost impossible. He took another step forward and stopped. She didn’t seem like the type to be a social butterfly. The normal debutante wouldn’t have been hiding behind a plant to begin with. That meant he wouldn’t find her on the dance floor. He turned and scanned the edges until finally he noticed her.
It wasn’t a plant, but it might as well have been. Instead, she stood next to a pillar with a bust of one of the past Windley earls on top of it. He began to cross over to her, but his path was blocked by Lady Evelyn Andrews—Lady Windley’s daughter. “My lord,” she greeted. “How fortuitous. I had hoped we would have the opportunity to dance.” She held up her card. “Will you sign it, or perhaps we could dance the next set.”
He frowned. Ezra didn’t dance, and this little minx knew it. He only attended the ball for his sister. She had effectively cornered him, or so she believed. “I’m afraid I cannot,” he said in his most apologetic tone. “I’ve already promised another that I’d lead her on the floor for the waltz, and after that I must leave. Perhaps another time.”
“You’re going to dance with another?” Her mouth dropped open for a brief moment before she realized how unladylike it was and closed it. “Whom?” Her tone was quite demanding, and under other circumstances he would have ignored her and let her stew in her curiosity. He was tempted to ask her about his mysterious woman, but decided against it. Any conversation with her was far too long in his estimation, and he refused to engage her in any fashion. It might only serve to encourage her and that was the last thing he wished to do.
He nodded toward the lady he’d met earlier and still did not know her name. Ezra prayed she didn’t ask him what it was. “Her.”
She turned toward the direction he indicated. “You’re going to dance with Lady Theodora? Why? She’s a wallflower. No one ever dances with her.”
“Is that so?” He glared at her. “Well, the rest of the gentlemen here are bloody idiots then. If you’ll excuse me, I must retrieve my dance partner.” With those parting words, he crossed over to Lady Theodora and held out his hand. “I do believe you owe me this dance.”
He didn’t give her a chance to object. Ezra led her to the dance floor and waited for her shock to wear off. After it did, she’d turn into the spitfire he’d found intriguing in the hallway. At least he knew her name now. Lady Evelyn had been good for one thing, not that he’d ever tell her that…
Chapter 3
Why did he insist she dance with him? What game was he playing? For a brief moment, his closeness had unnerved her. When he’d stepped close and put his hand on the wall she’d had a flash of memory. To the man who’d attacked her, and might’ve hurt her even more if her father hadn’t stepped in. Teddy didn’t know why Lord Carrolton had reminded her of that time, but she hadn’t been able to control her reaction. It was probably because the low light in the corridor, and the fact no other gentleman had ever gotten quite that close to her before.
Truthfully, she wanted Lord Carrolton closer. He was the one man she desired. The viscount was gorgeous with bronze-colored hair streaked with gold, and dark brown eyes she longed to become lost in. He was her ideal man—at least in appearance. She wasn’t foolish enough to believe he desired her in return.
“Why are we dancing?” She couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. Teddy had to know what had driven him to seek her out again. “I thought we had concluded our conversation.”
“Hardly,” he drawled. “My dear, our interactions are about to commence farther. Would you like to tell me why you ran from me like a frightened rabbit?”
“I did no such thing?” She lifted her chin defiantly. “I run from no one.”
His lips twitched as if he were fighting a smile. “And yet you did scamper away from me. Why do you deny it?”
Why did she? Because she didn’t want to admit that he did scare her. Not in the way the man who assaulted her had, but because Lord Carrolton had the power to hurt her in other ways. She could easily lose her heart to him, and she’d vowed long ago to never love a man. They were, as a rule, not dependable. Teddy couldn’t trust him
