She laughed at that and allowed him to lead her back onto the dance floor. Every inch of her longed to look at the Duke but she reined it in.
The Count gathered her close to him, his breath tickling her ear as he spoke. She couldn’t help thinking how much that would have rendered her silly if that had been the Duke. “So, Miss Isabel, how have you been?”
“I have been well, My Lord. There is nothing particularly exciting about the past few days for me to remark about.”
“Ah, is that so? It’s quite the contrary for me, Miss Isabel.”
Intrigued, Isabel looked up at him.
This is good. If he continues talking to me like this, it’ll be easier to keep from looking at the Duke.
“How so?" she asked.
“Only issues with my estates in France, Miss Isabel. On second thought, perhaps it isn’t as exciting as I thought it might be. I’ve only been a little busy, is all. I hope you haven’t missed me too much.”
“Missed you?” she asked, looking up at him with a single brow raised.
The mirth in his voice was difficult to miss. “Yes, Miss Isabel. Will you really tell me that you didn’t?”
“Forgive me, My Lord, I didn’t even notice that you weren’t around.”
“Oh! Straight to the heart with that one. Heavens, you are ruthless.”
The laughter erupted without warning and Isabel tightened her hands in his as she tried to rein most of it in.
“It doesn’t matter, Miss Isabel,” the Count went on. “I know that in time, I’ll win your heart.”
“I enjoy your confidence, My Lord.”
“I sincerely hope that you do.”
As the Count chuckled, he guided her around the room, weaving her around the other dancers. Isabel couldn’t help herself this time. She looked back at where the Duke stood and what she saw had her breath hitching in her throat.
His eyes were dark with an unnamed emotion. She kept looking at him, trying to decipher it, wondering if it was anger, though it couldn’t possibly be.
He’s jealous. He sees me laughing with the Count and he envies him.
The thought made her so pleased that she smiled a little brighter than she needed to at the Count when he began speaking again.
Chapter Twenty-One
David shouldn’t have come here. The moment he laid eyes on Miss Isabel from across the room, he realized just how bad an idea this was. He should have come up with an excuse for his absence—any would have sufficed—to keep himself from seeing her as lovely as she was now. Even lovelier than she had been on the day of her debut ball.
He had arrived a little later than he expected, dreading the moment he would see her though he longed for it. It was a good thing that she had decided to stay with the Pempertons to assist with the ball, since it meant he wouldn’t be subjected to escorting her. He only had to be here as her guardian, as customs dictated.
He didn’t want to admit to himself that he wouldn’t have been able to stay away no matter how much he knew he should. He wanted to see her and now that he had, he wished he hadn’t.
She was dancing with nearly every gentleman that approached her, Lady Pemperton by her side spurring her on. Each gentleman that took her hand to dance looked at her with acute admiration and delight, happy to have such a beautiful lady in his arms.
The sight filled him with jealousy.
He stayed in his corner, noticing that she hadn’t seen him though he spotted her the moment he arrived.
She’s too busy enjoying herself with these gentlemen. She doesn’t even care if I’m here or not.
He allowed the thought to fuel his jealousy because he knew he couldn’t dance with her himself. He had to remain content with the clear indication that others were interested in her, since the entire aim of the ball was to find her a suitable husband. He couldn’t complain that it seemed to be working in her favor.
No matter how badly he wanted to.
One by one, the gentlemen came and Miss Isabel made no indication that she planned to stop. She smiled at them all as if she was happy to see them, even though, when they began to dance, her eyes would sweep the room.
Is she looking for me?
David stood up a bit straighter in anticipation. He was well aware of how unapproachable he looked with the scowl on his face and he liked it that way. He didn’t want the pressures of dancing with anyone. He wanted to dance with Miss Isabel.
He looked away, trying to bring his thoughts back together. When he looked up, he could no longer see her. She was lost within the crowd of dancing couples and he swept his gaze throughout the room, hoping to spot the shimmer of her pink gown.
Finally, he found her again and this time, she was staring at him.
He couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Her face was blank, as if she was staring at a wall instead of a person. But she didn’t look away, even as the young gentleman she was dancing with twirled her around the room. Her gaze captured him and no matter how much he tried, he couldn’t look away, either.
This jealousy would kill him. David was sure of it. He could feel it rising within him, threatening to choke him as he watched her turn her back to him the moment the music had ended. The young gentleman led her back to Lady Pemperton, where Miss Isabel stood still and took a deep breath. David shifted his position so he could see her more clearly, not caring how inappropriate his staring might look. With this dangerous jealousy changing into unreasonable anger, he didn’t care about anything else.
And then, something odd happened.
Another gentleman approached her. David saw him coming toward Miss Isabel before she did and he narrowed his eyes at it, noting the familiar smile that graced the gentleman’s lips before he appeared at her side. Miss Isabel didn’t see him at all, her eyes searching through the crowd instead. But before she could spot whatever—or whoever—she was looking for, the gentleman spoke.
David’s anger shot upwards when he saw the bright smile that enveloped her face. Her eyes lit up in a way they hadn’t when she was with all the others and he instantly knew who this person was.
Lord d’Ylles. This is the man who has been calling on her when I wasn’t here.
He didn’t move. His breath was suddenly coming out in short pants and he struggled to bring himself under control.
This is outrageous. Why is the sight of Miss Isabel with someone else doing this to me?
He watched the Count lead Miss Isabel back onto the dance floor and take her in his arms, and didn’t think he could watch anymore. But, as if he was watching a disaster happen before his eyes, he couldn’t look away.
She was laughing and smiling, clearly more interested in him than she had been with any of the others. The Count held her closer than he needed to. Or maybe he held her just fine and David was merely overthinking everything. That was just as likely, since his mind was a muddled mess of angry thoughts right now.
He didn’t take his eyes off her, even when she glanced in his direction. Miss Isabel blinked, as if taken aback by what she saw when she looked at him. He could only imagine it. Rigid stance, dark, stormy eyes filled with jealous rage, tight fists. If she didn’t think that something was wrong with him before, she would most definitely think so now. But then she returned her attention to the Count with a broad smile that lanced David in the heart.
I refuse to watch this any longer.
Turning swiftly on his heels, David made his way to the nearest exit, letting the fresh night breeze wrap around him as he disappeared into the gardens. It was more peaceful out here but escaping the scene didn’t help him escape the turmoil he was under.
He was in love with her. There was no denying it now, no matter how much he wanted to. Seeing her with other gentlemen only made him more possessive of her and he wished he could go back to the days when his leg was broken. When they had spent hours in each other’s presence, laughing and talking.
All that time he had spent staring at her when she wasn’t looking, watching her exp
ression change slightly while she thought silently. Watching that beautiful blush go across her cheek every time she caught him looking. The emotions she wore on her sleeve were now tucked away like his were. Because of duty.
He began to pace back and forth. To those who might be walking around the gardens as well, he would look like a mad man, but he didn’t care. He needed to sort himself out. He needed to come to terms with both their roles in life.
Pushing the realization of his love for her aside, he tried his best to focus on what he knew. They were at a ball centered around finding her a suitable partner for life. The Count was clearly interested in her, a favorite of the Marquess and Marchioness, and Miss Isabel seemed fond of him herself. At this rate, she would soon be married and out of his life. As it should be.
I should ignore the jealousy. I should ignore my feelings for her. I should ignore everything that is going on inside me and focus on what is best for Miss Isabel.
He repeated it over and over in his head, hoping it would begin to sit well with him. When he decided to head back inside the ballroom, he knew that no matter how much he tried, seeing Miss Isabel fall for someone else was going to hurt badly.
* * *
The ball went on well into the night and now that it was the next day, David wondered how he had suffered through it all. At this point, he truly felt like a mad man for staying so long, tortured by the knowledge that Miss Isabel was somewhere in the room with gentlemen flocking to her side, yet staying nonetheless.
When he had returned to the ballroom, he took care not to watch her too much. Instead, he danced with a few ladies himself, ignoring the slight guilt he felt when they looked at him with interest. No doubt they would be hoping for him to call on them in the future, but David’s mind was on other, more important things.
For now, he had to get Miss Isabel married and away from him as quickly as he could before he truly drove himself insane.
That was why, when the butler came knocking on his door, announcing that Lady Pemperton would like to speak with him, David braced himself for what was to come.
Lady Pemperton swooped into his study with a bright and happy smile, one that made David instantly nervous. He leaned back in his chair and watched her make her way over, and tensed.
“Lady Pemperton,” he greeted. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“I only wanted to stop by to update you on last night’s ball, Your Grace,” she said, trying to hold back her smile. “I’m not sure if you noticed but in case you didn’t, it was quite successful. Miss Isabel was quite a hit and a lot of bachelors expressed their interest in her. But, do you remember the Count we spoke of last time?”
“Lord d’Ylles, yes, I recall.” He cleared his throat, hoping Lady Pemperton didn’t see how much he loathed to talk about him right now. “What about him?”
“He attended last night’s ball and he danced with Miss Isabel a few times.” Lady Pemperton sighed. “I must say, Your Grace, out of all the gentlemen I saw, he really stands out the most. And Miss Isabel clearly likes him as well.”
Ah, yes, twist the knife some more, why don’t you?
“I see, My Lady. Will you be coming to a point soon?”
Lady Pemperton’s brows raised slightly at that. She didn’t look as miffed as she should have following his rude quip. She merely cocked her head to the side, regarding him. “Is something the matter, Your Grace?”
“Nothing,” he said, feigning nonchalance. “I’m sorry if I seem a little short with you today. Why don’t you continue?”
She continued to regard him, as if trying to read between his words. Finally, she said, “Well, last night, the Count asked if he could visit her in the morning. There is no denying it now, Your Grace. He clearly has intentions to marry our young Miss Isabel.”
“The Season has only just started, My Lady. Don’t you think we are rushing things a little too quickly?”’
“Rushing things?” Lady Pemperton gasped. “On the contrary, Your Grace, everything is going as perfectly as it should be. So many other ladies out there would long to be in a position like Miss Isabel, where she has so many options to choose from. And the Count has both a good title and good wealth. Not to mention the fact that he treats her so well. I think they would make a lovely couple.”
David was silent, not knowing what to say. The only things that came to mind were protests, which weren’t reasonable. He knew he couldn’t possibly tell Lady Pemperton that he wished to have Miss Isabel for his own.
“Unless,” Lady Pemperton went on, her tone thoughtful, “you have something else in mind, Your Grace. Is there someone else you think would be more suitable for Miss Isabel?”
He nearly said it. He nearly told her that no one would be able to take care of her like he would. But he held his tongue and shook his head. “I value your opinion, My Lady. If you believe that Lord d’Ylles would make a good match for her, then I cannot in good faith say no.”
“Lovely!” With stifling exuberance, Lady Pemperton got to her feet. “Oh, this is all so exciting. I don’t think I’ve ever been this eager for something since my youngest daughter had her first Season. They all grew up so fast.”
David was done listening and when he saw Lady Pemperton make her way to the door, he was happy she was done talking as well. He wanted to be alone now, to think about the way everything was progressing.
It’s going exactly how it should. Miss Isabel is beautiful, kind, and very interesting to talk to. I would be stupid to think no one else would be as interested in her as I am.
But he was the only one in love with her. He was the only one who truly cared about her in a way that went far beyond how he should feel as her guardian. He wanted to hold her in his arms, feel her breath against his skin, kiss her tender lips, and have her say those three lovely words to him, as if they were the only two people in the world.
He looked down at the papers on his desk, seeing nothing. His mind was too focused on Miss Isabel. He pictured her with Lord d’Ylles, laughing and talking and smiling, and that familiar envy rose within him.
I can’t do this.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Isabel thought that after spending nearly all of last night trying to make the Duke jealous, he would do something. She didn’t know what she hoped he would do. She hadn’t allowed her imagination to go that far. She’d only longed for his jealousy to come out in his actions.
He could have asked me to dance, at the very least.
She sighed with disappointment. All her plans were ending in failure. The Duke might have been jealous last night, but the fact that he didn’t do anything about it showed that he no longer cared for her the way she thought he had. Or if he did, his responsibility outweighed it.
To make matters worse, she had caught sight of him dancing with a few ladies. After that, she was the one who had been consumed with jealousy. Just thinking about it now, remembering the way those ladies had gazed up at him as if he was the sun, made her terribly upset.
She had hoped coming to the gardens and enjoying the fresh breeze would have helped her calm down, but it only made her think even clearer on the things that were bothering her. At this rate, she might truly marry someone else. If the Duke didn’t care for her in that way, there was no use pining after him like a lovesick fool. No matter how much she felt like one on the inside.
The Count would be coming by. She should focus on him this time around. Last night, when they had danced a second and a third time, her thoughts had been centered solely on the Duke and what he might be thinking seeing them together so often. Next time, Isabel thought she should focus on being with the Count. She actually enjoyed his presence and if she tried to let go of those all-consuming thoughts of the Duke, she might enjoy it even more.
“Miss Isabel,” said someone before her, making her snap to attention.
Here I am thinking about focusing on someone else and then he appears. How cruel…how wonderful…
The Duke was standing at the
entrance of the gazebo, his gaze smoldering. Isabel didn’t know what to say for a moment, taken aback by the intensity of his stare. Then, she managed to find her voice.
“Your Grace,” she greeted, getting to her feet. “Is there something the matter?”
“Nothing’s the matter, Miss Isabel,” he said, his voice a low grumble. He took slow steps forward until he was standing right next to her.
There was an intense energy about him that put her on edge. She couldn’t help but frown. “Are you sure there isn’t something wrong? You seem to be bothered by something.”
The Duke only stared down at her. Isabel realized that she rarely got the opportunity to look up at him like this, with him so close. She always knew that he was tall but to stand so close to him the way they stood now made that even more obvious.
Daring Deeds 0f A Forbidden Duchess (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 14
