all. She had about concluded he was helping her out of pity when, on the last day before the ball, she discovered otherwise.
They were standing together, having just concluded a dance, when Penelope briefly left the room. Ordinarily they would have broken apart, but some strange force kept them close together, facing each other, as if they were part of a tableau. When she looked into his eyes, she found him gazing at her with such a burning hunger she was taken aback. She was about to pull away when he swept her into his arms and kissed her fiercely. Before she could even think how to respond, he had broken off the kiss, clasped her arms and firmly put her away from him. It was as if she were a forbidden pleasure, and he, after a momentary lapse, had regained his senses and did what honor decreed he do.
“Sorry,” he’d said, his breath coming fast. “Don’t tell me that shouldn’t have happened, I already know.”
Before she could even begin to answer, Penelope returned. If she noticed anything, she didn’t say, and the lesson went on as if nothing had occurred. At the end, Penelope glowed as she said, “I have taught you all I know, Evleen. You’ve done marvelously well. Just wait ‘til they see you at the ball tomorrow night. The dandies will be falling all over themselves, trying to get a dance with you.”
“That remains to be seen,” Evleen answered cautiously, aware there was still so much that could go wrong. “You have been the most wonderful teacher, Penelope, I can’t thank you enough.”
* * *
“Evleen, you look magnificent and just so beautiful,” exclaimed Amanda.
The night of Lord and Lady Trent’s ball had arrived. As Evleen regarded herself in her mirror, she knew she looked the best she had ever looked in her life. Magnificent and beautiful, Amanda had said. Well, she wasn’t sure about that. Still, she knew she looked her best in the white silk ball gown adorned with clusters of pink roses, a wreath of pink roses in her up-swept hair, and a diamond and ruby necklace, a present from Lord Trevlyn. At least she could hold her head high and not run and hide, as she’d felt like doing in Charlotte’s ugly dress.
And perhaps, with a bit of luck, she wouldn’t make a fool of herself this time.
When Evleen looked down from the landing and spied Lydia, Charlotte, and Bettina waiting in the front entryway, she could not resist a grand entrance. Sweeping down the stairs, head high, fan unfurled and held just so, she was secretly amused when an expression of astonishment crossed Lydia’s face, followed by chagrin, followed by a mostly unsuccessful attempt to force her lips into the semblance of a smile.
“Well, Evleen, I must say you look quite presentable this evening,” said Lydia. Almost choking, she managed to add, “I see the gown turned out tolerably well.”
“Tolerably well?” asked Amanda, who followed behind Evleen. “The gown is beautiful and so is Evleen.”
Lydia awarded her youngest daughter a thinly disguised look of warning before she addressed Evleen. “Bear in mind what I told you. Say as little as possible. Find a quiet corner if you can. I would hate to see you embarrass yourself again if someone should ask you to dance.”
Amanda, the only one who knew of Evleen’s dancing lessons, opened her mouth to protest, but Evleen gave her a quick nudge. “I shall heed your advice, Mrs. Trevlyn,” she replied with the meekness of a scullery maid.
“Good. See that you do.”
“And stay away from Montague,” Charlotte, looking beautiful all in white, admonished. “He’s close to proposing. I suspect tonight is the night.”
“Of course,” answered Evleen. No problem there. She didn’t care a fig for that wastrel, Montague. Despite herself, though, she’d begun to think a good deal about Thomas. She pictured their kiss of the day before and a warm flood of excitement coursed through her veins. The desperate way he’d grabbed her—the hunger in his eyes—oh, yes, he did care. And didn’t she? Had she not found his closeness so arousing she’d momentarily forgotten the waltz, Penelope, everything else except the exquisite joy of being in his arms?
Tonight, all she cared about was that Thomas would be there, that his eyes would light with admiration when he saw her, that they would dance every dance, spinning around the ballroom with eyes only for each other...
She caught herself and felt instant guilt. But you won’t feel guilty tonight,