Courting Magic (Kat, Incorrigible #4)(10)

I was glad for the opportunity to look down as I curtsied, to catch my breath.

Of course, looking down made my gaze fall to his skin-tight knee breeches and hose.

Whatever he had been doing for the last five years, he had clearly been engaging in a good deal of physical exertion.

My cheeks flamed as I jerked my gaze back up and shoved my wandering thoughts back into line.

“May I have the honor of this dance?” Alexander asked. A line of red ran along his cheekbones, and he wouldn’t meet my eyes as I looked up at him. He held out his hand, though, which looked even larger and stronger than the last time I had held it, five years ago.

I nodded wordlessly as I reached to take it.

Angeline cleared her throat behind me, and I jumped back.

“Katherine, dear,” said Stepmama, in a tone like steel, “shouldn’t there be some introductions first?”

Oh, curse it. Yes, by all the laws of propriety, Alexander should have requested a proper introduction before he requested a dance, shouldn’t he? Well, never mind. “I already know Mr. Harding,” I explained, moving toward him again, “so…”

Angeline’s loud sigh halted me in mid step.

Frederick’s eyes gleamed with amusement as he explained, “But we don’t know him, Kat, remember?”

Oh, he was definitely savoring this moment.

There were times when I would have loved to throttle every member of my loving family.

“Papa,” I said, through gritted teeth, “may I present Mr. Alexander Harding? Mr. Harding, meet my father, the Reverend George Stephenson, my stepmother, Mrs. Stephenson, Mr. and Mrs. Peregrine Collingwood”—I nodded to Elissa and her husband”—and Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Carlyle.” There.

Starting forward again, I added, “Mr. Harding is an acquaintance of mine from…ah…Edinburgh,” I finished, barely half a second later than I should have. “I met him there during my summers with our aunt.”

“In Edinburgh? Truly?” Elissa, usually the most courteous member of our family by far, had a faint frown on her face as she studied Alexander. “I beg your pardon, Mr. Harding, but for some reason I can’t quite place…” She shook her head, frowning harder. “Haven’t we met? You look so familiar.”

Oh, Lord. Of course, Elissa and Mr. Collingwood had both been on the beach with us that night in Devon, five years ago. I’d only hoped that they had been too distracted by other events at the time to have taken much note of Alexander’s features in the darkness…or of The Kiss.

Not that that kiss had deserved capital letters, obviously. Even in my head.

I opened my mouth, already puzzling together a good story, but Alexander spoke before I could. “I’m afraid not, Mrs. Collingwood. I don’t spend much time in London.”

“So your own family lives…?” Stepmama prompted.

I winced as I saw Alexander’s face stiffen. Of course, he had no living family anymore, and what family he had once possessed he could hardly claim in public tonight. The natural children of lords were not invited to dance at high society functions, to say the least.

“He’s a connection of Mr. Aloysius Gregson,” I said quickly, grabbing Alexander’s arm, which had fallen to his side. It was warm and strong under my grasp, but better yet, it was my avenue to escape. “You’ll all remember Mr. Gregson, I’m sure. Now, shall we dance, Mr. Harding?”

“Really, Kat—!” Stepmama began.

At the same moment, Angeline began, “Mr. Gregson, did you say—?”

But I was already dragging Alexander through the crowd toward the dance floor. Maddeningly, I could hear Frederick’s laugh rolling out behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to know that both of my sisters’ piercing gazes were fixed on my back at every step.

Families!

“I beg your pardon,” I said as I released Alexander’s arm to take my place on the dance floor opposite him. More and more couples took their own places as we waited, men and women facing each other in two long lines. In the distance, near the far end, I spotted Lucy, who looked perfectly delighted to be there despite her ancient-looking dance partner. I frowned as I watched him leer down at her. “I’m afraid my family…”

“…Is trying to protect you,” Alexander said quietly. “There’s nothing to apologize for in that.”

I made a disgusted face as I turned back to him. “I hardly need protection!”

One corner of his mouth twitched upward in a half-smile. “You certainly didn’t need it five years ago, did you?”

I tried to look into his eyes, but he still wouldn’t face me properly. His gaze was directed somewhere above my right shoulder.

Honestly, if I left things to him, this could take all night. I would burst if I had to wait that long.

So I sighed and gave up on subtlety. “Do you find something amiss with my gown tonight?”

“What?” His gaze finally shot to my face. “What do you mean?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m not covered in pins this time, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

He frowned. “How unobservant do you think I am?”

“How could you possibly have observed anything about me?” I retorted. “You haven’t looked at me once since you came over.”