by Brenda Hiatt
"I suppose we must abide by tradition," she said. Sending him a suggestive glance through her lowered lashes, she tilted her face up to his.
Thor flicked a panicked glance across the room and saw Dina watching him, her expression unreadable.
"Er, excuse me," he said to Miss Nesbit's expectant face. With a crisp bow, he turned on his heel and walked away, ignoring her outraged exclamation behind him.
He had just been inexcusably rude, but he didn't care. There was no way in hell he was going to encourage that hussy by so much as a kiss on the cheek— especially if there was the least chance that he might hurt Dina by doing so. On sudden inspiration, he detoured past the orchestra.
"Another waltz," he ordered, even as they were bringing their instruments up to play whatever tune they'd intended next. "Now."
The conductor hesitated only an instant, then turned to the others. "Right, then," he said. "A waltz." They all began shuffling through their sheets of music, and Thor continued on his way.
He reached Dina just as Horace Smallbone took her by the hand to lead her to the next set. "Excuse me," Thor said, "but I believe this dance is mine."
Both of them regarded him with surprise. "You must be mistaken," Mr. Smallbone protested. "When I first arrived tonight, Mrs. Turpin promised the Boulanger—" He broke off as the opening strains of a waltz were played. "Oh. Ah, my mistake." With a bow, he took himself off, casting one last, puzzled glance over his shoulder.
"Shall we?" Thor asked, as though it were the most natural thing in the world —as though his heart were not pounding furiously at the prospect of having Dina so close to him for a whole quarter of an hour.
Still looking confused and a bit embarrassed, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to place his other hand at her waist. "I thought—" she began.
"I know. But I felt a waltz was called for just now, and persuaded the orchestra to my opinion."
He swept her into the dance then, before she could question him further. To his surprise, their difference in height did not make waltzing awkward in the least, as he had assumed it must. She moved easily to the music, matching his steps without hesitation, seeming to float across the floor. Nymphlike, indeed. By comparison, waltzing with Missy Fiskerton had been like trundling a handcart about.
"You especially requested a waltz?" she asked, breaking the silence that had stretched between them. "Why?"
"I wished to speak with you, and this seemed the easiest way." That shimmery gown made her eyes seem even greener in the candlelight —almost impossibly green. He didn't realize he had lapsed into silence once more until she spoke again.
"What . . . what did you wish to say?" She seemed nervous, almost fearful. And delicate. He was able to span her waist with one hand, she was so delicate.
Pulled back from his musings, he frowned. "Your brother. What was he saying to you earlier?"
Dina stumbled but he caught her easily, supporting almost her entire weight —such as it was— until she caught the rhythm of the dance again. "I . . . I don't remember." Her heightened complexion belied her words.
"I rather doubt that, as it seemed to upset you. Did he threaten you in any way?" Perhaps Moore had tried to pressure Dina, as well, into annulling their marriage? She had been in favor of that from the first, Thor recalled with a pang.
She shook her head. "No, Silas did not threaten me. He was rather put out that you disapproved of his courtship of Violet, and even more put out when I told him that I agreed with you. I . . . I take it that is what you and he were talking about earlier, when you looked so angry?"
"Among other things," he replied, then wished he hadn't. There were some parts of that conversation he would not repeat to Dina for the world.
"What other things?" she asked, just as he'd known she would.
Instead of answering, he twirled her, marveling at how well she responded, how gracefully she danced. "You waltz extremely well," he said, anxious to change the subject. "Perhaps I should have engaged you for every one tonight after all."
She smiled at the compliment, though her eyes were still shadowed. "Each time I dance it, it becomes easier."
Though she surely didn't intend it as such, her words were another unwelcome reminder of all of the men she'd danced with while he had been away at Ivy Lodge. Her brother's comment about Thor being her third choice echoed unpleasantly in his ears.
"Then you have danced many waltzes in the past fortnight?" His voice came out more accusatory than he'd intended.
"Of course I did," she replied, her chin coming up defiantly. "If you did not wish me to waltz with others, you should have forbidden it before you disappeared to go foxhunting."
"I didn't realize —then— that it would be necessary," he shot back, her unexpected display of temper sparking his own— even as it inexplicably aroused him.
Her green eyes narrowed. "So, you do not trust me after all. What of your apology this morning?"
"That was before I learned that your behavior has given rise to rumors." As soon as the words were out, he regretted them.
All he had was Moore's word that any such rumors existed, and he certainly didn't consider the man a reliable source. What was it about Dina that made him blurt out whatever was in his head? That had never been a particular problem of his before.
But now the damage was done. She stared up at him with anger —and perhaps a hint of tears— sparkling in her eyes.
"Rumors? What rumors? I've done nothing to cause the least talk— unlike you, with your tall, buxom opera dancers."
Thor stared. "My what?"
She snatched her hand from his shoulder to cover her mouth. "I . . . I'm sorry. I should not have said that. I did promise before we married that if you had mistresses you could keep them. I have no right to berate you for them now."
Dumbly, Thor shook his head. Who would have told her about his past mistresses? And they were well past, as he'd not had one for more than a year. No one in his family knew, or would say anything if they did, nor would he have thought any of the local folk would—
"Did your brother tell you this?" he demanded.
She nodded silently, her face averted, her gaze apparently fixed on their feet, amazingly still performing every step of the waltz.
"Dina, look at me."
With obvious reluctance, she raised her eyes to his— tear-drenched eyes that tore at his heart.
"There are no opera dancers, and have not been for quite some time —nor are there like to be in the future. I've had no desire for any other woman since meeting you."
She raised one brow, skeptically, then smoothed her face into a mask of unconcern. "That is very kind of you," she said without expression.
"It's the truth."
He wanted to say more, to reassure her that he found her more alluring than any other woman he'd ever known, but he was afraid that if he gave voice to his feelings he might commit himself to a course that could end in his harming her— and that he would not do, particularly after his talk with her brother.
They finished the waltz in silence, giving him further opportunity to admire Dina's grace and skill at the dance. It seemed that every hour in her presence he found something new to admire about her. How could her own brother hold her in such low esteem? He clenched his teeth, anger surging through him anew at Silas Moore's insinuations.
The moment the dance ended, Violet accosted them. "Why, I've never seen a couple waltz so divinely," she exclaimed. "Everyone was commenting upon it. Is that what you two were doing this morning? Practicing together?"
Thor and Dina exchanged glances. "In a manner of speaking," he said, his body hardening unexpectedly at the memory of Dina exercising in the gymnasium.
"Then that explains your improvement, Dina, for I'll swear you did not waltz so well at the assemblies, on the one or two occasions when I convinced you to waltz at all."
"A good partner makes a big difference," Dina replied, though she was again avoiding Thor's eye.
"And a big partner makes a good difference," Violet joked. "Oh, here comes Sir Albert to dance with me again. A pity he has such a long nose —and that I've known him since we were children. That is the problem with dances here in Lincolnshire. No new faces. I cannot wait until we go to London!"
She turned to greet her partner with a brilliant smile that gave no hint of her feelings. A moment later, Horace Smallbone came forward to claim Dina.
"Now this, surely, is my dance?" he said, with a nervous glance at Thor.
He managed a pleasant nod. "It is. I will speak with you later, my sweet," he added to Dina, and saw her eyes widen with surprise at the endearment as he turned away.
Though he was tempted to escape the ballroom for a while, he knew his mother would ring a peal over him, so instead he solicited Miss Drinkpin, Miss Fiskerton's maiden aunt, for the set just forming. Though she must have been near forty, the lady was clearly delighted at the attention, making him glad he had made the effort.
At the conclusion of the dance he cast about for a likely partner for the next, though his mind was already on the supper dance— surely another waltz? —when he could again dance with Dina. Somehow he must make her understand just how desirable she was without breaking his promise to keep their marriage a platonic one. It was simply a matter of finding the right words.
So preoccupied was he that the music began for the next set before he had approached any of the ladies in need of partners. Shrugging, he moved to the edge of the floor, relieved to see Dina dancing with Rush this time. But then his attention sharpened as he noticed Violet paired with Silas Moore in the same set.
Frowning, he walked over to the buffet table, where Stormy was sampling the canapes. "I thought you were going to keep my sister away from Moore tonight?"
Stormy looked up from his plate in surprise. "Should I have brought a pistol to the ball? I can scarcely stand up with her for every dance, you know. As Rush pointed out to me, if I pay her too much attention, I could end up raising expectations toward myself. And, sorry old chap, but fetching as Miss Turpin has become, I'm not ready for that sort of commitment."
Thor nodded reluctantly. "I see your point. I suppose it wouldn't do to have you break her heart in the course of protecting her fortune. Just . . . keep an eye out, will you?"
"I have been." Stormy looked wounded. "And so has Rush. Rest assured, we won't let her do anything foolish like leave the room with him. I think your talking to him earlier had an effect, however, for I notice he has not so much as attempted a waltz."
"Ah. Well. Good." Thor nodded again and moved off. Moore was only biding his time, he suspected, waiting to see whether Thor would accede to his blackmail before pressing his suit with Violet any further. This dance was just to keep his oar in the water.
When the music ended again, he was startled to hear the supper dance announced. Where had the evening gone? There was some milling about, as gentlemen sought out their favorite ladies for this dance, as they would lead their partners in to supper at its conclusion.
"Well, Mr. Turpin, here we are again," exclaimed Rose Nesbit as he moved past her. "Dance with me, and I may forgive your rudeness earlier."
"My apologies, Miss Nesbit," he said with a scrupulously polite bow, "but I have already promised this dance to my wife."
To his surprise, she giggled. "Oh, you need not worry about her. My brother will be happy to take her in to supper."
Thor turned to see Jeremy Nesbit looming over Dina, a dozen feet away. She shook her head, but instead of moving off, Nesbit stepped even closer to her.
Without even bothering to excuse himself to Rose this time, Thor headed in their direction. If that whelp would not take a dismissal from Dina, he would most assuredly take one from himself. As Thor came up behind him, Mr. Nesbit glanced up at yet another of those ubiquitous kissing boughs and plucked a berry from the mistletoe.
"I presume you know what this means, Mrs. Turpin?" he said playfully, holding the berry aloft.
Thor plucked it from between his fingers. "It means someone must kiss her." Nesbit turned with a start, his face paling visibly as he looked up at the much larger man. "Fortunately, I am here to relieve you of any . . . obligation."
With a wild glance from Thor to Dina and back, Nesbit mumbled some sort of incoherent excuse and scurried off. Thor watched him for a moment, then turned back to Dina, who was frowning.
"Was it really necessary to frighten the poor lad out of his wits like that? I could have evaded any attempt he made to kiss me without your aid, I assure you."
"I don't doubt it." Thor gazed down at her, struck anew by the strength and spirit housed in her small but delectable frame.
"Nor do you need to feel any obligation to kiss me, simply because Mr. Nesbit unwisely picked a berry off of one of the decorations." She glanced away, but not before he saw the glitter of tears in her eyes.
He cursed himself for his choice of words to Nesbit. Instead of reassuring Dina that she was indeed desirable, he had done just the reverse.
"Dina," he said softly, and she turned her face bravely up to him, clearly refusing to give in to her threatening tears. Without giving himself time to think, to tell himself how very unwise this was, he bent down to touch her alluringly rosy lips with his own.
And was instantly lost. All of the emotions he had been struggling to hold in check all evening crashed through him, demanding that he take possession of this woman who had somehow become the very focus of his being.
Grasping her shoulders, he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss, oblivious to the guests around them. Dina responded without hesitation, her arms going about his neck, her head thrown back so that her curls cascaded seductively across his hands.
Yes, this was just what he'd been wanting, needing. He slid his hands down her arms, caressing, exploring— But then the opening strains of a waltz broke the silence and he abruptly remembered where they were. Lifting his head, he stared at her dazedly, dimly aware that all around them people were laughing and murmuring.
"Would you . . . care to dance?" he asked.
Chapter Sixteen
Dina blinked, clearing the warm, red haze from her vision. "Of . . . of course," she murmured. How could she have so completely forgotten where she was?
Before a sea of interested eyes, they converted their embrace into the far more proper stance that the waltz demanded. After that kiss, the loose clasp of hands and light touch at shoulder and waist seemed both too intimate and not intimate enough. Moving mechanically to the music, Dina had to exert every bit of her willpower to keep from flinging herself back into Thor's embrace.
As the dance progressed, her perspective slowly returned. She told herself that he had had no choice but to kiss her. It would have seemed odd if he had not, after chasing away young Jeremy Nesbit. He'd likely intended only a quick kiss, a fulfilling of tradition, but then she had turned it into something quite different.
Suddenly overcome by embarrassment, she kept her eyes averted from Thor's. What must he think of her, now that she had revealed her feelings so blatantly? Gazing off to the side, she encountered the stares of their fellow dancers, some amused, some curious. Rose Nesbit, waltzing with her brother, shot her a look of pure venom. Dina redirected her gaze to Thor's shirtfront.
His very broad shirtfront. What would the chest beneath it look like, feel like . . . taste like? No, she mustn't think of such things, or she would never make it through the evening without embarrassing herself even further.
"How late is the ball like to go?" she asked, simply for the sake of saying something.
Thor gave a slight shrug that made his muscles ripple under her hand on his shoulder. "There will be more dancing after supper. Knowing my mother, she will have the musicians play for as long as anyone is willing to stay."
His voice sounded odd, husky. Dina risked a quick peek up at him and found him watching her intently, no trace of censure in his expression. She managed a tentative smile. "I will try not to put you in suc
h an awkward situation again."
One corner of his mouth tilted up, charmingly, she thought. "I felt no awkwardness until it was over. And the fault was Nesbit's, not yours."
Did he mean to ignore her immodest response to his kiss, then? She breathed a sigh of relief before it occurred to her that perhaps he hadn't even noticed it— that the passion she'd felt crackling between them was purely on her side.
"Of . . . of course." Whether that was the case or not, she couldn't seem to bank the flames that had been ignited. Her whole body seemed scorched by his touch, his nearness, and there was no escape while this waltz lasted.
"I hope I have not spoiled your evening," he said.
Shocked, she wondered if he could read her thoughts. "Spoiled—? Of course not." Turned it into sweet torture, perhaps, but spoiled? No, certainly not that.
"I'm glad. Please believe that your happiness is exceedingly important to me."
Was it her imagination, or had his grip on her hand tightened as he said that? Glancing away again, she saw Lady Rumble waltzing nearby with her husband. She smiled and nodded encouragingly but Dina pretended not to see, as she could not bring herself to smile back. At least she was reassured to know that the baroness was not put out that their kiss had gone somewhat beyond the bounds of propriety.
"I did not have a chance before to apologize for what I said." His voice was still low, serious.
Startled, she looked up at him again. "What you said?"
"About those supposed rumors. Your brother mentioned them, but I should have known he was not telling the truth. I begin to realize that he is more skilled in deception than I'd given him credit for."
That forced a sour laugh from her. "Yes, Silas has never had much use for the truth, unless it suited his purposes."
Her brother had always been very quick to discover the fears and weaknesses of others and then play upon them, she recalled, which was doubtless why he had mentioned Thor's mistresses, even though he must have known none were current.
"I wish to apologize as well. Knowing my brother as I do, I had even less cause to believe him."