Page 36 of If the Duke Demands

“Are you planning on dancing with her tonight, then?” she pressed, desperate to focus her thoughts on Lady Jane and away from the duke.

“Yes. The first waltz.” He glanced down at her, lifting his brow. “Are you going to try to talk me out of it?”

“Not at all,” she answered innocently with just a touch of pique that he would be so distrusting of her.

He tightened his lips at her denial, clearly not believing her for a moment.

“In fact, I think it’s wonderful that you were able to find a woman who agreed to dance with you.”

“More than one, actually,” he returned, allowing a touch of playful arrogance into his tone.

She stepped away from him as he returned her to his mother’s side, unable to resist giving one last parting shot in a low voice, “Then the madness is spreading.”

She heard him choke back a laugh. With a calmly composed façade, he gave his polite partings to his mother and Josie. “If you’ll excuse me, ladies.”

Then he bowed deeply and overly formally to Miranda, going so far as to refuse to release her hand until he’d raised it to his lips and kissed it, no matter how much she tugged to try to pull free or how red her cheeks grew from her hot blush of embarrassment. He was doing this just to annoy her, blast him. And right in front of his mother and sister, too.

His sparkling blue eyes danced with mischief. “I need to find my next partner.” He gave her a wink as he walked away. “Before they commit her to Bedlam.”

Her mouth fell open, incredulous at his audacity. Oh, the devil take the man!

CHAPTERSEVEN

An hour later, Sebastian had not only danced with several of the ladies on his list, he’d also mentally crossed off most of their names. Oh, they were certainly all lovely, all graceful, yet annoyingly each one lacked…something. Something indefinable that he couldn’t quite put his finger on but knew from its absence.

Worse, because he’d danced more tonight than he had at any ball since he’d inherited—in fact, quite possibly at any ball ever—rumors were flowing through the crush as fast as the Thames through London that the Duke of Trent was hunting a wife, which put all the marriage-minded mamas and their daughters into a heated frenzy. Which made him feel as if he were being hunted.

And speaking of prey…Miranda.

Even as he’d danced, he couldn’t help but notice all the attention being paid to her tonight by the gentlemen who flocked around her like sheep, vying for her attention. Or a dance. Or one of those delightful laughs that floated from her. Or a flirtatious flitter of her fan that irritated him each time he saw her give one to whatever gentleman had spoken to her.

It was damnably annoying. How was he supposed to concentrate on finding a wife when she was behaving so carelessly? So flirtatiously. So…happily. Didn’t she realize the attention she was drawing?

Except from Robert.

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed on his brother across the room. He had barely left Miss Morgan’s side all night, and even now they were engaged in a private conversation near the open French doors that led out to the dark terrace. Robert had barely noticed Miranda all evening. His attention had been only on the general’s stunning daughter. And presumably on an attempt to convince her to join him in the gardens for a few moments alone.

Knowing there was no point in interrupting Robert now to remind him of his duties to Miranda this evening, not unless he wanted the two of them to come to blows, Sebastian snatched a glass of punch from the tray of a passing footman and headed across the ballroom.

Miranda’s back was to him as he stalked toward her, and the semicircle of men gathered around her scattered as he approached.Smart men.He was in no mood tonight to deal with a bunch of self-avowed Corinthians preying on an innocent country girl like Miranda. He knew exactly what they wanted from her, and it wasn’t conversation about fishing.

Her back stiffened, as if she sensed his approach before she saw him. “Trent.”

“Miss Hodgkins.” Unable to prevent the slightly piqued tone to his voice, he drawled, “You’ve made several new friends tonight, I see.”

Somehow, she managed to face him, roll her eyes, and haughtily flit her fan all at the same time in a gesture of orchestrated impudence that half the ladies of thetonhad yet to master. At the sight of her, standing there in her fine gown, her green eyes shining in the light of the chandeliers and her freckle-dotted nose jutting just slightly into the air, he couldn’t help but smile. Which only made her expression grow even more irked.

Just to spite him, she lowered into a deep curtsy.

“Jealousy doesn’t become you, Your Grace,” she chastised with a dismissive sniff as she rose.

Jealousy?The woman was daft. “I’m not jealous.” He offered her the glass of punch and added pointedly, “I’m being careful.”

From the way she arched a brow at the punch without taking it, he half expected her to ask if he’d poisoned it. Instead, she accepted. “Thank you.”

“Are you enjoying yourself?” He honestly wanted to know.

A slow smile spread across her face, the same beaming smile he’d seen her give at least a dozen times in the past hour to the men seeking her attentions. But when she aimed that smile at him, he felt it pull all the way through him, right down to his curling toes in his Hessians. And he knew then exactly why so many of the men flocked around her tonight. For nothing more than the favor of one of her smiles.