The last people to enter the lobby were the company owner, Mr. Bamber, a lady who appeared to be his wife, and Miss Conolly. She smiled at the assembled crowd, lighting up her beautiful face as she did so.
“Welcome.” Mr. Bamber said to the waiting crowd, “Thank you for joining us this evening to celebrate the end of a successful season. It is thanks to patrons like yourselves that we are able to continue to make beautiful ballets. And now, I should like to introduce someone very special indeed: Miss Anna Conolly.”
Miss Conolly cast her eyes down, and curtsied gracefully as the assembled partygoers clapped for her. The light of the candles bounced off of her shiny red curls, and Nathaniel saw that her hair contained more shades than he could possibly have imagined.
“Miss Conolly was promoted to prima ballerina this season, and her debut has been an unparalleled success. She brings beauty, grace, and emotion to every role she plays, and our little company would be much poorer without her,” Mr. Bamber continued.
As Nathaniel watched her, he felt a sudden lightness overtaking his body, as though he were floating. Everything else dropped away, and he no longer noticed the people standing around him, or the chill in the air. He could perceive nothing but the beautiful woman curtseying at the front of the room.
Prior to tonight, Nathaniel had thought her beauty was other-worldly. Now, though he would not have thought it possible, he saw that in person she was even more beautiful than she appeared on stage. Her beauty was no longer a mystical force, but was firmly rooted in the natural world. Her hair was the color of a spectacular sunset, her skin the luminous white of freshly fallen snow.
She wore a gown of soft velvet, in a beautiful shade of moss green, with a low cut neckline that showed the tops of her breasts. Nathaniel noted that in spite of this, her gown was more modest than many of the others he had seen tonight. As intrigued as he was by her beauty, he found this modesty even more alluring than her revealing costumes from the evening’s performance.
As he gazed at her, he realized that her eyes were the same shade of green as her gown, and wondered if she had chosen the fabric for that reason. Whether it was a well-executed plan, or a fortunate coincidence, the effect was breathtaking. Nathaniel spared a brief moment to wonder if every other gentleman in the room was as captivated by her as he was, but soon lost his train of thought and returned to drinking in the beautiful sight before him.
Chapter 14
Anna had not failed to notice the look that Camilla gave her as Mr. Bamber introduced her to the guests at the party. She wished that she knew how to manage the situation more effectively, but she could think of no way of making her fellow dancers like her, so long as Mr. Bamber continued to favor her. And she could not reject Mr. Bamber’s kindness without offending him and risking her position in the company.
She knew that there was nothing to be done about it, all of her attempts to help the other dancers having been rejected. Still, she could not help but feel saddened when she saw Camilla looking at her like that, or whispering to her friend, Elen, behind her hand.
She had known all along that Mr. Bamber would be introducing her to the crowd. Given his well-known affinity for all things dramatic, she ought not have been surprised when he made quite a show of it. Still, she could not help feeling a bit embarrassed at his words.
It was one thing to dance on stage in front of a large audience, with the separation of stage and seats, and quite another to stand just a few feet away from the crowd. She could feel the eyes of all of these people taking her in as she curtsied, and she could imagine the looks on the faces of her fellow dancers as they tried to hide their resentments.
In fact, she could not even blame her cast-mates for resenting her in this moment. Mr. Bamber made it sound as though she were the only dancer who mattered, and that was simply not true. When he spoke of the beauty and grace that she brought to the stage, she thought of the beauty and grace of every other dancer in the company. Silently, she resolved to mention the many talents of her cast-mates at every opportunity tonight.
Finally, Mr. Bamber had stopped talking, and the dancers began to mingle with the guests. She saw her friend Bridget speaking to Mr. Harper from the dressmaker’s shop. He reached out to touch the lace at the collar of her gown, and Bridget laughed for a moment before shifting her body ever so slightly backwards and out of his reach.
Once again, Anna envied her friend’s easy way with people. She had communicated quite clearly that she did not wish to be touched by Mr. Harper, and he had dropped his hand immediately, but he was not offended, perhaps did not even realize what had actually happened.
At the other side of the room, Anna saw that Camilla was speaking with the Viscount of Essex. If Bridget was to be believed, and she was usually very reliable on such matters, then Camilla was the Viscount’s mistress, and was living in a house that he had rented for her. Anna wondered if the Viscount’s wife was present, and whether she knew about this arrangement.
Anna and Camilla had never been friends, and she did not believe that they ever would be, but she did not wish Camilla harm. She could not help but worry that Camilla was being terribly careless in spending so much time talking with the Viscount in front of all of these people. If she were to be involved in a scandal, it would not end well for her.
But surely, she must know that, and it is not for me to judge her choices.
Mr. Bamber’s wife, Lady Margaret, approached Anna and greeted her warmly. Although Mr. Bamber was not an aristocrat himself, his money and connections at the ballet had allowed him to marry the daughter of an Earl. In spite of their difference in station, Mr. and Mrs. Bamber seemed very happy in their marriage, and Anna like Lady Margaret very much.
“Miss Conolly, congratulations on another stunning performance tonight,” Lady Margaret said, clasping her hands in front of her as she spoke.
“You are too kind, My Lady,” Anna said, feeling humbled by this praise. “I think that the entire company did a marvelous job tonight.”
“Yes, they did,” Lady Margaret said. “You are very gracious to say so.”
“I am only being honest, but thank you.”
“Now,” Lady Margaret said, leaning in a bit closer as though she were about to share a secret. “My husband has gone to talk to some of the most generous benefactors of the company and left me to my own devices. Will you consent to keep me company for a while?”
Anna smiled at this, feeling relieved to have some company herself, “Of course, My Lady, I would be most pleased to keep you company.”
For the next quarter of an hour, Anna and Lady Margaret chatted to each other about nothing in particular, sipping champagne and enjoying one another’s company. A few times, Anna thought that she felt, rather than saw, someone staring at her, but each time she looked around, she saw only a sea of finely dressed people swirling around her.
It was not until she had finished her second glass of champagne that Mr. Bamber approached her, followed by a tall, handsome gentleman. As they walked toward her, Anna felt sure that this was the person who had been staring at her, though she had never caught him at it until now.
He had dark, wavy hair, and intense brown eyes, set in a pleasantly patrician face. His manner was unassuming, except for the eyes, which fixed her with such a piercing look that she could almost feel it upon her skin. Perhaps she ought to have been uncomfortable with that look, but instead she felt intrigued. His stare was intense, almost erotic. She felt as though she were standing naked before this stranger, in the middle of a crowded room. And yet, she did not want him to look away. In fact, she felt as though she might die if he did look away.
What is wrong with me?
Even as these thoughts were swirling through her mind, Anna could not stop herself staring at the stranger in front of her. He was tall and handsome, as she had noticed right away, but as he came closer she saw that he moved with an easy, loping sort of grace—quite different than that of a dancer, but no less beautiful.
Her heart raced, and her mouth went dry as he approached her. Suddenly, Anna was aware of her skin in a way that she never had been before, feeling every inch of it caressed by the fabric of her gown, or the air around her. She knew, without knowing how she knew, that this man wanted to touch her skin, and in spite of everything, she wanted to be touched by him.
“May I introduce His Grace, the Duke of Yanborough,” Mr. Bamber said, when he and the Duke had stopped in front of Anna and Lady Margaret. “He has only recently discovered the ballet, but has become quite an enthusiast in just a few weeks.”
“Your Grace,” he continued, gesturing to the ladies, “this is Lady Margaret Bamber, my wife.”
“How do you do, My Lady?” the Duke said, taking Lady Margaret’s fingers and kissing the back of her hand.
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Grace,” Lady Margaret replied, smiling at him and then looking at Anna with raised eyebrows. Anna felt her cheeks flush with shame.
Is it obvious to everyone else how he was looking at me? Worse yet, is it obvious how I was looking at him?
“And this,” Mr. Bamber said, gesturing to Anna, “is Miss Anna Conolly, our prima ballerina and the star of tonight’s performance.”
“Miss Conolly,” the Duke of Yanborough said, his voice sounding huskier now. “It is truly an honor to make your acquaintance.” Just as he had done with Lady Margaret, the Duke took her fingers in his hand, raised them up and kissed the back of her hand. His lips were soft and warm upon her skin. They lingered for only a second, and Anna regretted the loss of them as soon as he pulled away.
“The honor is mine, Your Grace,” Anna said, hearing a slight wavering in her voice, and hoping, desperately that it would not be audible to anyone else.
“Your Grace, I beg your pardon,” Mr. Bamber said in an apologetic tone. “Lady Margaret and I must go and greet some more of our guests. Please excuse us.”
“Of course, Mr. Bamber,” the Duke replied, not taking his eyes off of Anna.
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace,” Lady Margaret said, before walking off with her husband.
“Likewise, My Lady,” the Duke said as they parted company.
Turning his attention back to Anna, the Duke said, “Your performance tonight was breathtaking, Miss Conolly. Truly breathtaking.”
As if to demonstrate his point, Anna felt her own breath catch in her chest. Willing herself to remain calm, she took a deep breath before replying, “You are too kind, Your Grace. In truth, it is the whole company who deserves praise.”
The Duke of Yanborough smiled at these words and leaned closer to her as he continued to speak, “That is most gracious of you to say, and I do not doubt that it is true. But I must confess…” His words trailed off here, as though he were waiting for her to offer up a confession of her own.
“What must you confess, Your Grace?” Anna asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.
“I could not take my eyes off of you for the entire show. Please do not tell any of the other ballerinas this, as I would hate to hurt their feelings,” he whispered back, glancing around quickly, as though to make sure that he was not overheard, “but I did not see a single ballerina upon the stage but you.”
This was too absurd to be believed, and Anna looked around her to see what her friends would make of such a statement. Only then was she reminded that Mr. Bamber and Lady Margaret had just left. She was shocked that she could have forgotten this, as it had only happened a moment ago. Perhaps this was something like what the Duke had experienced while watching her performance tonight.
“I promise I shall not speak a word of it to anyone,” she whispered back, failing to stifle a nervous giggle.
Anna could hardly believe that she was behaving this way, whispering and giggling in the corner when she ought to be mingling with all of the guests. The pull of attraction that she felt to the Duke of Yanborough was too strong to be ignored, and she could not bring herself to focus on anything else.
“I am very pleased that you will keep my secret,” the Duke replied. “Discretion is a quality I greatly admire.”
“Well, that is quite intriguing, Your Grace,” Anna said, hardly believing her nerve as she smiled coyly at the Duke.
“Ah,” the Duke replied, returning her smile with one of his own. “I hope that I have not misled you, Miss Conolly. I must admit that my life is not nearly as intriguing as you seem to think.”
“I sincerely doubt that, Your Grace.”
“Well, it has certainly become more intriguing tonight,” he said, fixing her once again with his piercing stare.
“Is that so, Your Grace?” Anna asked. “And why should that be?”
“Because tonight, I have met the most beautiful and fascinating woman in the world.”
Anna breathed in deeply.
Could he possibly mean me?
Nothing else would make sense, but she could hardly believe that a Duke would find her so fascinating.
“It sounds as though this has been a very successful evening for you, Your Grace.”
“I do believe that it has,” the Duke of Yanborough replied, “but that depends largely on you.”
“On me?” Anna asked, wondering what exactly he might mean. She knew now that he was infatuated with her, for nothing else would explain the things he had said.
But what does he actually want from me? To be his mistress, like Camilla and the Viscount of Essex?
Before the Duke was able to elaborate on this, they were approached by a handsome, though rather severe-looking lady. Anna guessed that she was about fifty years old, and thought that she must be the Duke’s mother, for she had almost exactly the same eyes.
“Your Grace, please come with me,” she said, not looking at Anna as she spoke.
“Mother,” Nathaniel said, confirming Anna’s hunch, “May I introduce you to Miss Anna Conolly, the prima ballerina?”
There was a fixed quality to the Duke’s mother’s smile as she looked at Anna. Perhaps the Duke did not notice this, or perhaps he was highly skilled in hiding his reactions, but in either case he turned to Anna and said, “Miss Conolly, may I present my Mother, the Dowager Duchess of Yanborough,” as though this were perfectly ordinary.
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Grace,” Anna said, curtseying low to the Dowager Duchess, and keeping her eyes downturned.
“Likewise, I am sure,” the Dowager Duchess said.
“Mother was telling me during the interval at tonight’s performance that she thinks you have done a wonderful job as the prima ballerina this season,” Nathaniel said, shifting his gaze back to Anna as he spoke.
“That is very kind, Your Grace,” Anna said, hoping that her voice sounded humble rather than pleased.
“Mmm…” the Dowager Duchess made a noise that might have meant anything. “Well, as I was saying, it was lovely to meet you, but I must steal His Grace for a moment now. I’m sure you will understand.”
“Oh, yes, of course, Your Grace,” Anna said, trying to sound casual, “I do apologize for monopolizing his time.”
The Dowager Duchess turned to leave, her skirts twirling around her and brushing the hem of Anna’s own gown. The Duke of Yanborough looked irritated but did not object to his mother’s insistence that he come with her. He quickly bid Anna goodnight and followed his mother across the lobby.
When the Duke caught up to his mother, he leaned in close to say something to her as they walked side by side. Perhaps she was only imagining it, for they were too far away for her to hear what was said, but Anna thought that the Dowager Duchess loo
ked tense, as though she had been scolded by her son.
Chapter 15
Nathaniel could hardly believe that he had finally met Miss Conolly. For all of his fears about this meeting, it had been better than he could have possibly imagined. Not only was she even more lovely in person than on stage, but she was kind and charming as well.
If his mother had not interrupted them, Nathaniel felt certain that he could have spent the whole evening talking to Miss Conolly and never have grown tired of her company. He had even considered refusing to leave her side when his mother had summoned him.
The habit of propriety was too strong to ignore, and he had bid Miss Conolly goodnight and followed his mother across the room. He supposed this was for the best, as it would not do cause a stir by refusing her. Still, he was frustrated at being ordered around by her as though he were a child.
The Art 0f Pleasuring A Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 11
