A Dash of Scandal(21)

“I said nothing because I was sure you had touched me by mistake, and I didn’t want to alarm you.”

“It would take a great deal more than a brush of hands with a beautiful woman to alarm me, I assure you. How thoughtful of you to think of my feelings, but no, Miss Blair, I caressed your hand by design not mistake.”

He smiled that knowing smile as they took their places on the crowded dance floor and waited for the music to begin.

“You are no gentleman, sir.”

“Sometimes. I thought you would pretend forever that I hadn’t touched you. You surprise me, Miss Blair, and I like surprises.”

“You wear your title of rake well, my lord. Not only did you stroke my hand, but you deigned to blow me a kiss. It was most inappropriate for you to do so.”

“I thought it dashing.”

“Dashing? I believe mischievous is the word you meant to say, for surely it was.”

He laughed softly, attractively. Once again Millicent felt a strange fluttering sensation in her stomach. As much as she hated to admit it, there was something remarkably appealing about him. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make herself be truly angry with him. Oh, yes, knowing how she responded to his charm and his gentle touch, she believed he was a scoundrel of the highest order.

“You are not only a lady of great beauty, Miss Blair, you are a lady of delightfully quick wit. I haven’t been called impish in years. I’m impressed.”

“It’s not my desire to please you or to entertain you, my lord. I only want to be done with you.”

He laughed softly. “Tell me, would you believe me if I told you that most of whatever you may have heard about me is not true?”

“I think that would make your integrity as suspect as your flattery.”

The music started and the dance began. Millicent didn’t have time to think. She could only fall into his rhythm and step and let him lead her through the dance steps. When his hand touched hers, the tingles skittered up her back as if she weren’t wearing gloves at all.

He picked up the conversation where they had left off and said in a low seductive voice, “In that case, Miss Blair, I won’t bother to deny a single word you have heard about me, and you can assume it is all true. How’s that?”

“Perfect,” Millicent answered as she yielded to his expert leading in the dance.

“I can see I’ve made you happy.”

“I would have been happier had you not sought an introduction. Something tells me you somehow knew I would be free to accept your invitation of this dance.”

“How could I possibly know that? I would have to be a wizard.”

“Perhaps you are. I’ve heard you have great power over young ladies and that you can make them endanger their reputations and lose their heads over you.”

“The gossips give me more credit than I deserve, Miss Blair. I simply wanted to meet you and dance with you. I had no idea what dances you had free.”

Millicent felt her hand tighten in his, and she was certain he put emphasis on the word what. He couldn’t possibly know what she was doing, could he?

“I’ve not seen your card. You could have already promised this dance to another.”

“Yes, of course.”

If Millicent wasn’t careful, her guilty conscience was going to make her say the wrong thing and make him suspicious of her. She didn’t need anyone asking her too many questions.

“So you are only in London for the Season?” he asked after a moment of silence.

“Perhaps a little longer, I can’t be sure right now.”

“And where do you call home?” he asked as the tips of his fingers once again stroked inside her hand.

“Where my mother lives,” she answered and easily changed the subject to say, “I haven’t met either of your friends, Lord Chatwin and Lord Dugdale.”

“Does that mean you want to meet them?”

“Certainly not. I was merely making conversation.”

“Good. I would think you’d react to Fines and Andrew much the same way you have to me.”

“No doubt.”

“You have been filled in on the gossip about all three of us, I see.”

“It didn’t take much. I think the three of you must try to do things that make people want to talk about you and make the scandal sheets want to write about you.”

“Perhaps we have. What would you say if I told you that we were thinking of mending our ways?”