have spoken to you,” Martin replied.
A blush came to Miss Hannah’s cheeks as she lowered her gaze and smoothed down her white gown with its pale blue net overlay.
Martin’s eyes lingered on Miss Hannah’s face for a moment before turning his attention towards Kitty. “How are you, Lady Kitty?”
To Edward’s surprise, Kitty not only met his friend’s gaze, but she replied in a firm tone, “I have no complaints.”
Martin’s brow lifted. “That is good to hear,” he said. “Would you care to save me a dance this evening?”
Kitty glanced over at Edward for approval. “I will, assuming my brother does not object.”
“I do not,” he replied.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Miss Blackmore step back into the ballroom on Mr. Dunn’s arm. He watched as they approached a group of ladies near the door. A bright smile was on Miss Blackmore’s face as it became evident that she was making the introductions.
Miss Amelia stepped up next to him and lowered her voice. “May I ask why you are staring at my sister?”
“I am not staring at her,” he responded gruffly.
She let out a disbelieving huff. “You are a horrible liar, Lord Berkshire. But Kate did warn me about that.”
“And why do you suppose that I am lying?” he asked with a side glance at her.
“Either you are staring at my sister, or you are staring at Mr. Dunn,” she replied, sounding amused. “And I highly suspect you are not interested in Mr. Dunn or his loosely tied cravat.”
“I hadn’t noticed his cravat.”
“No?” she asked. “If you were staring at Mr. Dunn, then you would have noticed that right away. It is pretty obvious.”
Edward glanced over and saw Martin was engaged in a conversation with Miss Hannah and Kitty. He turned his attention back towards Miss Amelia. “What exactly is it that you want from me?”
“Why do you assume that I want something?” she asked.
“Everyone wants something,” he replied.
She shook her head. “I don’t, at least not for myself.”
“No?”
Miss Amelia’s eyes landed on Miss Blackmore. “What I do want is for my sister to be happy,” she shared.
“As do I.”
“Then be patient with her,” she encouraged. “She is still fighting the pains of her past.”
“Aren’t we all?”
Miss Amelia was studying him intently, as if she was searching for something deep within him. “Has she mentioned Noah to you yet?”
“She has.”
“That’s promising,” Miss Amelia muttered, bobbing her head in approval.
“Why is that?”
Miss Amelia turned to face him. “She never talks about Noah, to anyone. That means that she trusts you.”
“Truly?”
“The waltz was just announced,” she said with a knowing smile, “and my sister is approaching. You may want to ask her to dance before someone else does.”
Edward turned his head and saw Miss Blackmore was now only a few feet away. He closed the distance between them and extended his hand.
“Would you care to dance the next set with me?” he asked.
Miss Blackmore glanced down at his proffered hand with the slightest frown on her face. “But it is the waltz.”
“I am well aware of that,” he responded, keeping his hand extended. “Do you not know how to dance the waltz?”
“I am quite familiar with the waltz, Lord Berkshire,” she replied dryly.
He wiggled his fingers. “Then, waltzing with me shouldn’t be a problem.”
“I guess not,” she answered as she hesitantly placed her gloved hand in his.
Edward led her towards the dance floor, and they lined up next to the other dancers. He took her left hand and held it up high. As he placed his other hand on her waist, he could hear Miss Blackmore’s slight intake of breath.
The music started, and he began to lead her around the chalked floor, despite the fact that she remained rigid in his arms. After a few moments, he commented, “You dance superbly.”
“Thank you,” she replied, not bothering to meet his gaze. “As do you.”
“May I ask what is wrong?”
Her gaze snapped up to his. “Why do you suppose something is wrong?”
“You just seem… out of sorts.”
She lowered her gaze to his lapels before sharing, “I was just thinking about the last time I danced the waltz with Noah.” A brief smile came to her face. “It was quite scandalous at the time.”
“I can only imagine.” He paused. “Will you tell me about him?”
She looked up at him with a baffled expression. “Why would you wish to know about Noah?”
“Because he was important to you.”
“That he was,” she replied, her voice growing wistful.
Edward remained quiet, hoping that Miss Blackmore would share some