The Ugly Duckling Debutante (House of Renwick #1)(19)

She shook her head no, but the light in her eyes seemed to dissipate.

“I need you to…” He twirled her quickly and brought her back in, “…put on a brave smile, because the Duke of Kenmore is on his way over, and he needs an heir. An heir you can give him.” On cue, the Duke presented himself and gracefully took Sai out of Nicholas’s hands.

He felt naked.

The warmth from Sai’s back faded quickly from his hands, leaving them cold and clammy, and noticeably empty. He needed a drink, a very stiff drink.

“They will be perfect together,” Lady Fenton’s voice whispered next to him. “I inquired of his status earlier today. He needs an heir, and lucky for Kenmore, Sai is young enough to do the job.”

“He’s older than my father.” Nicholas snorted. “Do you really think a girl like Sai could stay with a man like that?” He gestured toward Kenmore.

Balding slightly, Kenmore had a bit of a pot belly, most likely from over-consumption of brandy. His smile seemed nice and proper, but it never reached his eyes. His skin was papery and wrinkly from the many years he had lived. All in all, he wasn’t the talk of the ton for a reason; he was, simply put, ugly. He was also quite rich, making him one of the most sought after bachelors, right up there next to Nicholas.

He watched in fascination when Sai smiled at the old Duke. It made his blood boil, and he wasn’t usually prone to physical violence.

“Need this?” Sir Belverd suddenly appeared at his right, an amused smile on his face.

Nicholas glared. “If you think I’m going to lose the bet, you’re sorely mistaken.” Lady Fenton sauntered off when she heard the word bet, which made Nicholas rest easy she had no inclination of the feelings Sai evoked in him.

Belverd took a long drink of brandy. “What would ever give you the idea my faith in you is wavering?” His eyes twinkled with laughter, making Nicholas all the more annoyed. He grabbed the brandy Belverd offered, tossing it back like milk. Forcefully, Nicholas handed the cup back to him and stalked outside to the gardens. Although still early, he’d seen enough for one night. Protector or no protector, he had no intention of standing idly by watching the Duke and Sai begin their courtship.



***



Sara knew the moment Nicholas left the room. Her body began relax in the Duke’s arms. She finally felt free to dance without being watched. She had been apologizing profusely for tripping over his feet, but he was kind enough to tell her a joke about his first ball. Apparently, he had grabbed a woman’s wig during a dance in order to break his own fall. Sara giggled with delight at the anecdote. He was an old man, older than her own father, but he seemed kind. She liked that about him. However, she couldn’t really see herself conjuring up romantic feelings for him. He was more like a grandfatherly teddy bear, and thinking about him made her want to hug him. Not…well, not do other things with him.

Nicholas had left a handprint on her back, unfortunately. The place where he held her burned, and every move she made, it felt like her body mourned the absence of his. Almost as if they’d been designed from the beginning of time to fit together. The thought made her uncomfortable, to say the least. He would never choose her, why would he? She tried to smile and focus on the duke, but felt her lips freeze when Aunt Tilda offered a rare approving nod from where she stood.

The dance ended, giving Sai the escape she needed. She excused herself from the duke politely, and made a swift exit for some fresh air, relieved when nobody seemed to notice her take her leave into the gardens. She glanced back to confirm no one had followed her, and then bumped into something hard.

That something uttered a word she could only assume was not fit for her ears and turned around.

“Nicholas?” she asked perplexed. When did he go outside? She knew he left the room but figured he had joined some of the gentlemen elsewhere; instead he was here. Outside. Alone. With her.

He looked equally shocked. His eyes narrowed toward her and then the door. “What are you doing out here?” He sounded angry. Why wasn’t that a surprise anymore? Although to tell the truth, he was as enticing angry as when he was calm. He had the most handsome face. His jawline was clenched and a muscle flared across it as if he was trying to bite his own tongue.

She pushed past him and walked off the beaten path to a tree. “I can’t dance.”

“Everyone can dance.” She could almost feel him rolling his eyes in annoyance.

“I can only waltz,” she said, echoing his irritated tone. “It’s the only dance I’ve been taught. I felt nervous, so I came outside for some fresh air. Is that all right? Or am I not allowed to do that, oh loyal protector?” She turned around in time to see his head snap up. His eyes smoldered with irrational anger

In two strides he was in front of her. “Do you think this is a game? Do you know how dangerous it is for you to be walking around outside by yourself? Any man could have his way with you out here.” He shut his eyes and pinched his nose. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Sara sighed and lowered herself onto the bench beneath the tree. “Did you know that no man has ever even tried to kiss me?” She corrected herself then uttered, “I mean a real kiss, not a pity kiss, or a kiss out of curiosity, or even a kiss from a family member. A real kiss. I guess I don’t even know what one would feel like.