Am I to assume the Valerie I was introduced to earlier was the Valerie of our greenhouse notes?" He realized his mistake the instant her eyes clouded over and she glanced in the direction he'd looked.
"Yes."
"Shall I ask Willington to clear his ballroom so you have the requisite twenty paces? Naturally, I'll stand as your second."
Elizabeth drew a shaky breath, and a smile curved her lips. "Is she wearing a bow?"
Ian looked and shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
"Does she have an earring?"
He glanced again and frowned. "I think that's a wart."
Her smile finally reached her eyes. "It's not a large target, but I suppose-"
"Allow ," he gravely replied, and she laughed.
The last strains of their waltz were dying away, and as they left the dance floor Ian watched Mondevale making his way toward the Townsendes, who'd returned to the ballroom.
"Now that you're a marquess," Elizabeth asked, "will you live in Scotland or in England?"
"I only accepted the title, not the money or the lands," he replied absently, watching Mondevale. "I'll explain everything to you tomorrow morning at your house. Mondevale is going to ask you to dance as soon as we reach the Townsendes, so listen closely-I'm going to ask you to dance again later. Turn me down."
She sent him a puzzled look, but she nodded. "Is there anything else?" she asked when he was about to relinquish her to her friends.
"There's a great deal else, but it will have to wait until tomorrow."
Mystified, Elizabeth turned her attention to Viscount Mondevale.
Alex watched the byplay between Elizabeth and Ian but her mind was elsewhere. While the couple danced, Alex had told her husband exactly what she thought of Ian Thornton who'd first ruined Elizabeth's reputation and now deceived her into thinking he was still a man of very modest means. Instead of agreeing that Thornton was completely without principles, Jordan had calmly insisted that Ian intended to set matters aright in the morning, and then he'd made her, and his grandmother, promise not to tell Elizabeth anything until Ian had been given the opportunity to do so himself. Dragging her thoughts back to the ballroom, Alex hoped more than anything that Ian Thornton would do nothing more to hurt her good friend.
By the end of the evening a majority of the guests at the Willington ball had drawn several conclusions: first, that Ian Thornton was definitely the natural grandson of the Duke of Stanhope {which everyone claimed to have always believed}; second, that Elizabeth Cameron had very probably rebuffed his scandalous advances two years ago {which everyone claimed to have always believed}; third, that since she had rejected his second request for a dance tonight, she might actually prefer her former suitor Viscount Mondevale {which hardly anyone could believe}.
"Yes."
"Shall I ask Willington to clear his ballroom so you have the requisite twenty paces? Naturally, I'll stand as your second."
Elizabeth drew a shaky breath, and a smile curved her lips. "Is she wearing a bow?"
Ian looked and shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
"Does she have an earring?"
He glanced again and frowned. "I think that's a wart."
Her smile finally reached her eyes. "It's not a large target, but I suppose-"
"Allow ," he gravely replied, and she laughed.
The last strains of their waltz were dying away, and as they left the dance floor Ian watched Mondevale making his way toward the Townsendes, who'd returned to the ballroom.
"Now that you're a marquess," Elizabeth asked, "will you live in Scotland or in England?"
"I only accepted the title, not the money or the lands," he replied absently, watching Mondevale. "I'll explain everything to you tomorrow morning at your house. Mondevale is going to ask you to dance as soon as we reach the Townsendes, so listen closely-I'm going to ask you to dance again later. Turn me down."
She sent him a puzzled look, but she nodded. "Is there anything else?" she asked when he was about to relinquish her to her friends.
"There's a great deal else, but it will have to wait until tomorrow."
Mystified, Elizabeth turned her attention to Viscount Mondevale.
Alex watched the byplay between Elizabeth and Ian but her mind was elsewhere. While the couple danced, Alex had told her husband exactly what she thought of Ian Thornton who'd first ruined Elizabeth's reputation and now deceived her into thinking he was still a man of very modest means. Instead of agreeing that Thornton was completely without principles, Jordan had calmly insisted that Ian intended to set matters aright in the morning, and then he'd made her, and his grandmother, promise not to tell Elizabeth anything until Ian had been given the opportunity to do so himself. Dragging her thoughts back to the ballroom, Alex hoped more than anything that Ian Thornton would do nothing more to hurt her good friend.
By the end of the evening a majority of the guests at the Willington ball had drawn several conclusions: first, that Ian Thornton was definitely the natural grandson of the Duke of Stanhope {which everyone claimed to have always believed}; second, that Elizabeth Cameron had very probably rebuffed his scandalous advances two years ago {which everyone claimed to have always believed}; third, that since she had rejected his second request for a dance tonight, she might actually prefer her former suitor Viscount Mondevale {which hardly anyone could believe}.
( Judith McNaught )
[ Almost Heaven ]
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