Page 9 of To Woo a Wicked Widow

“You are kind, Lady John. To be remembered by you is to gain immortality.”

Jane chuckled.

The false tinkle told Charlotte her partner was in for it indeed.

“You have a silver tongue, Mr. Garrett. I trust you will not allow it to tarnish my cousin?”

“Lady Charlotte is in no danger from me, my lady.” He patted Charlotte’s hand. “Although the reverse may certainly prove true. She could well prove my downfall.”

Charlotte cut her eyes toward Jane. What in the world did the man mean by that?

Jane gave her head a slight shake, then fingered her necklace of perfectly matched pearls. “Charlotte, allow me to present a dear friend of mine, Mr. George Abernathy. Mr. Abernathy was friends with Stephen once upon a time. He is also, quite suddenly, the heir to Lord Romney.”

Jane’s gaze took the man in from head to toe, slowly and sensually, all but undressing him as she spoke.

“Jane!” Charlotte whispered, scandalized at her cousin’s behavior. She’d never have thought she would do such a thing in public.

“Mr. Abernathy, this is my cousin, Lady Cavendish, and Mr. Alan Garrett, with whom I think you are already acquainted?”

George smiled at her, a rather lopsided though charming sight. “My lady. I am so pleased to meet you at last.” He then turned and inclined his head almost imperceptibly. “Garrett.” The single word did not disguise the animosity in his tone.

“Abernathy. It has been too long.” Mr. Garrett seemed amused at the other man’s enmity. Charlotte glanced from one to the other, wondering what lay between them.

The music changed, signaling the dancing would commence soon. Mr. Garrett took her arm. “If you will excuse us, Lady John?”

They turned to go to the floor. By all means, let them get this dance over with.

“Charlotte.”

Good Lord. They would never make this dance. “Yes?”

Jane glanced from Charlotte’s face to Mr. Garrett’s, settling on the latter with a determined stare. “Please return Lady Cavendish to me directly after the dance, Mr. Garrett. Lord Wrotham would like to have her for the second set, if I’m not mistaken.” And with a sharp look at Charlotte, “You know he had particularly asked for that introduction, my dear.”

Memory of the man’s intense eyes, dark and fathomless, coupled with his blatantly sensual mouth caused Charlotte to swallow hard. She recalled vividly being pressed close against him, breathing a clean citrusy scent when her face lay against his jacket front. A riot of butterflies stirred in her stomach. And his voice. There had been something in his voice when he had argued with Mr. Garrett. Something familiar.

Charlotte surreptitiously scanned the area, but no tall, dark man of his description appeared. She hoped he would return at the end of the first dance and ask her for the second.

“It will be as you wish, Lady John; however, we must go now or miss the set.” Mr. Garrett peered inquiringly at her. She nodded, and he finally led her onto the ballroom floor. All eyes seemed to fasten on them, though she tried to ignore them and smile.

He grasped her hand as they assumed their places in line. Heat baked her palm and she almost snatched her hand back. This would be the most agonizing set she had ever danced in her life.

“Shall we see if we can be scandalous enough to be banned from the ballroom?” Mr. Garrett spoke lightly, with a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as the music began.

Good Lord. Was the man mad? Did all rakes act like this? Well, she’d have to brazen it out until the end of the dance. Likely he was all bluster anyway.

“I am certain much more scandalous behavior has occurred within these halls than we could display in this one dance, Mr. Garrett.”

He hissed as he tugged her into the correct position for a Scottish reel. “So you wish to play the game with me, Lady Cavendish?”

“And what game would that be, sir?”

“Bait the tiger, my lady. Shall I see just how much scandal it would take for the ball and fete committee to demand our removal?” He drew himself up, his spine even straighter than before, his eyes glittering and hard.

He wasn’t bluffing. He would destroy both their reputations in the face of such a challenge and think it a great lark. Charlotte’s pulse quickened. For the briefest of seconds she imagined herself looking him in the eye and saying, “Do your worst.” Then sanity returned. Rash behavior on her part could jeopardize more than just her own reputation merely in the name of exercising her freedom. Besides, she’d already made enough of a spectacle of herself tonight.

“As I have just emerged from a different form of exclusion, perhaps it is best we not undertake that particular experiment.” She grasped his hand and stole a glance at him as they marched down an aisle formed by the other dancers.

A knowing smile played about his lips. “As you wish, my lady. However, if you ever care to pursue that particular avenue, please let me know.”