The Unexpected Duchess (Playful Brides #1)(41)

“My own cousin is getting married here this week,” he said.

Married. The word caused Lucy to remember how she’d told her own friends not to begin planning her wedding quite yet, but she couldn’t help but think what sort of a life she would lead were she and Lord Berkeley to be a match.

“Ah, best wishes to your cousin, then. Are you enjoying Bath?”

“Yes. Quite,” he replied, giving her a dazzling smile.

Lucy smiled back. The viscount was tall and handsome and quite a good dancer. But she mustn’t seem too eager. Besides, the more time she spent in his company, the greater chance she might say something outlandishly rude. She must watch her tongue. “Thank you for a lovely dance, Lord Berkeley.”

“You’re quite welcome, my lady.”

Lucy opened her mouth to continue their conversation, but another guest came up to pay his respects to Lord Berkeley. The viscount was forced to excuse himself. Lucy sighed and said good night.

Twenty minutes later, she and her friends were sitting in a small cluster of chairs along the sidelines of the dancing drinking ratafia and laughing. “I swear I don’t know how in the world I’ve gone this long without Garrett introducing me to some of his handsome, dashing friends,” Lucy said.

“Or more specifically Lord Berkeley,” Jane added. “The man seems perfect to me.”

“Why, if Lord Berkeley had been around the year of your come-out things might have been quite different for you, Lucy,” Cass added.

Lucy had to smile at that. “You mean I might not be an on-the-shelf rapidly devolving into a spinster?” But even as she had the thought she wondered if it was really true. Would she have appreciated Lord Berkeley’s good looks and good manners five years ago? She couldn’t be certain. But tonight. Tonight she’d enjoyed them indeed. Lord Berkeley was exactly the sort of man she should be interested in. Impeccable manners and impeccable breeding. Quite different from a certain someone who knew little about the ways of the ton and Society even if he did happen to be a duke. Yes. Lord Berkeley was a perfect match. Though she couldn’t help but glance over at Derek from time to time to see if he’d noticed her new companion.

Blast it. Why did she even care? Interestingly enough, Derek had kept his distance from Cass tonight. Was it because of the Julian connection? Had that caused him to rethink his pursuit despite his comments to the contrary the other night? Or was it because Lucy was otherwise occupied and not paying a whit of attention to Cass and him this evening? Now, that was an interesting question. Was the duke only interested in Cass when Lucy was hovering around like a mama hen ready to pounce and peck him the first chance she got?

No. No. No. It didn’t matter. The duke was not who she should be thinking about. Lord Berkeley was. She refused to look back in Derek’s direction.





CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE


“Dance with me?” The request sent a hot wave down Lucy’s spine. The warm breath of the requestor made gooseflesh rise on her neck.

She turned her head but she already knew who it was. Derek. He was standing there in his black formal evening attire, one hand in his pocket, his other stretched in offer to her. And blast it all, he looked positively smashing.

Lucy wanted to say no. She wanted to refuse him. She glanced about. Lord Berkeley had gone off in search of more refreshments, and Derek had obviously used this opportunity to come looking for her.

She opened her mouth to deny him, but somehow the words wouldn’t come out. And of course “No, thank you” was out of the question.

She turned to face him, arched a brow, and without saying a word, laid her hand on his outstretched one.

He led her to the dance floor, took her in his arms, and spun her around. “Berkeley, eh?”

She concentrated on keeping her face completely blank. “What do you mean by that?”

His face remained blank, too. She couldn’t read a single thought. “Nothing.”

“Then why did you ask?” she countered.

Derek spun her again. “I merely hadn’t noticed you paying so much attention to him before tonight.”

She inclined her head a bit. “That’s because I just met him tonight.”

“I see.”

“And what about you? I’ve never seen you pay so little attention to Cass,” Lucy countered.

“Been watching me, have you?”

Lucy gave him a narrow-eyed glare.

“I could say the same about you,” he continued. “You haven’t been paying much attention to Lady Cassandra, either.”

“I’ve decided that you and Cass—” She cleared her throat. “That’s not my battle to fight any longer. It never was actually.” Was that a look of disappointment that crossed his face?

“I see. Giving up so easily?”

He was outrageously trying to bait her. She would not rise to it. “There’s nothing to give up. Cass asked me to help her be blunt with you. I was. You refused to listen. That’s all there is. Cass won’t marry you. I know she won’t. But I intend to leave it to her to handle from now on.”

Derek didn’t say a word. He merely watched her. Lord Berkeley had returned to where Lucy had been sitting and he stood, holding two glasses of champagne. He watched Lucy and Derek dance, an inscrutable expression on his face.