Page 8 of An Inconvenient Duke

As Marcus gave her a low bow, Dani sank into an answering curtsy. But suspicion sparked in her belly for why he would order a waltz, of all dances, when he now knew why she didn’t want to be close to him.

The music settled into sweeping strains, and he led her into the waltz, taking them expertly into their steps.

A pinch of uneasiness tightened in her chest as she glided along with him, her full satin skirts swooshing around his legs whenever they turned. Every pair of eyes in the crowd that watched them dance past only served to remind her that life was now so very different for both of them than it had been before the wars, and so very complicated.

Yet knowing that didn’t stop her from enjoying the waltz. How could she not, when he led her so skillfully around the room? A natural-born athlete, he made every move seem effortless. Dancing with him proved just as wonderful as she’d always suspected it would be during all those evenings as a young miss when she’d watched him partner with other women beneath the glittering chandeliers at so many otherwise forgotten parties. Although nervous suspicion still lingered inside her, so did pleasure, helped along by the hard muscles in his legs that she tried unsuccessfully not to notice every time they accidentally brushed against hers in the tight turns they were forced to make on the crowded dance floor. She couldn’t help but follow yieldingly in his arms, couldn’t help but ignore the rest of the world spinning around them.

When his lips curled faintly into a smile, a jolt of raw attraction sparked inside her. It struck so unexpectedly that it shocked the daylights out of her.

“You seem surprised,” he said, amusement coloring his voice. “You didn’t think I could waltz?”

He’d misunderstood her stunned bewilderment.Thank God, because she couldn’t have borne the humiliation if he realized how her body tingled in response to his.

“I thought you’d be rusty in your steps,” she dodged. “I didn’t think you’d have had much opportunity to practice during the past few years.”

“Not often, that’s true. And my horse made for a damnably clumsy partner.”

She laughed despite the fluttering butterflies in her belly. “Four left hooves?”

“The rascal kept wanting to lead.”

Another laugh bubbled from her as he twirled her into a turn in the far corner of the room, then started a promenade back across the floor. How had she not remembered him being so witty? Brilliant, of course. Cunning even, from the stories she’d read of his battle exploits. But such a dry sense of humor was a welcome discovery, one that was helping to cut through her unease.

The worst was over between them, apparently. Hoping they could be friends, she teased, “Perhaps I should be partnering with the cavalry at society balls.”

But he didn’t laugh at her joke, instead forcing a tight smile as if distracted. Apparently, more lingered on his mind than the reason she’d been avoiding Charlton Place.

Well, if they were going to find a way to be friends, then she might as well be bold about it. “General, is something wrong? You keep looking at me as if…” She shook her head, puzzled. “As if you don’t know what to make of me.”

“Because I don’t,” he answered honestly, his brow drawing down into a puzzled frown. His bluntness was jarring, as was the sound of betrayal in his voice. “Because I simply cannot fathom why you lied to me about Elise’s death.”

* * *

Danielle stumbled.

Marcus caught her in his arms to keep her from falling. He held her against him to steady her, but in that fleeting beat, the sensation of her yielding body against his solid front passed through him like a warm breeze.

When he’d glimpsed her across the gardens, he’d thought she was beautiful. But up close, she was downright stunning.

The awkward young miss he remembered had completely disappeared. In her place was a woman in full, with ample curves, elegant lines, and an inherent grace visible in every move she made. She’d been replaced by a woman exuding confidence. That was the contradiction he now saw in her, one he found surprisingly alluring—that so much strength lay beneath that elegant exterior.

But he also saw a flash of stunned bewilderment cross her face. She hadn’t expected him to accuse her of lying about Elise’s death.

He led her back into the waltz. Anyone watching would have assumed she’d simply missed her steps if not for the way she stared up at him, as if he were a stranger.

Perhaps he was. He was beginning to wonder if he knew her at all. Had circumstances been different, he would have requested this waltz for the express purpose of getting to know her again. Perhaps even to become better acquainted than they’d been before. Spending time with a beautiful and intelligent woman would be a welcome luxury after so long away at war.

But Elise had been killed. Danielle had lied about it. And he desperately needed to learn why.

So he said as calmly as possible, tamping down the distrust she stirred in his gut, “You hid the truth from me about how she died.”

“I told you everything I knew,” she defended herself.

His eyes locked with hers as he expertly turned her through a half circle to move them away from the other couples. Although they kept their voices low, he couldn’t risk being overheard. “What you wrote in your letter wasn’t true. You said that she’d been found in the park, that she’d gone for a morning ride and been thrown from her horse.”

“Yes.” An emphatic nod. She was regaining her balance, both in the waltz and in the conversation. “She was found that morning in the park by one of the Horse Guards who had been out exercising his mount. The guards didn’t know who she was. They came to me because they’d found my name on a note she had in her pocket. They asked me to identify—”

Choking on the words, she looked away, but not before he saw a stricken expression cross her face.