Courting Magic (Kat, Incorrigible #4)(9)

Raising my eyebrows, I turned to Elissa for elucidation. She gave a tiny head-shake—no, she didn’t know what was going on with them, either—but her lips held a curve of amusement as she said, “Angeline, I believe we were meant to serve as good examples for Kat tonight.”

“Well, then.” Angeline pointedly detached herself from her husband’s side, just as the musicians ended the latest dance and a stream of couples began to form and re-form on the dance floor. “Frederick, why don’t you do your brotherly duty and dance with Kat? Perhaps the exertion will calm you down.”

“But of course.” Frederick swept me a flamboyant bow and pulled me into our place at the bottom row of the set.

If I didn’t know my brother-in-law so well, I’d have wondered if he had been drinking. His eyes were glittering with a strange, bright light, and he kept sneaking glances back at Angeline when he didn’t think I was watching. When it was our turn to promenade down the floor past the other couples, I narrowed my eyes at him.

“What exactly have you two been up to? You’re definitely keeping secrets.”

“Who, us?” Frederick grinned down at me. “I’ll have you know, young Kat, that your sister and I are a very staid and proper old married couple. I can’t imagine what sort of secrets we could possibly have.”

“Now that was convincing,” I said, and rolled my eyes. “Perhaps next time you’re trying to deceive me, though, you might actually consider…”

My voice cut off as my throat dried up.

“Yes?” Frederick prompted. He tilted his head, releasing my hand as the dance parted us again. “Alas, I’ll have to wait until our next turn for your wise, sisterly advice.”

But I wasn’t thinking of any advice, good or bad, as I turned, blindly following the figures of the dance.

I was feeling Alexander’s gaze on me with every move…and it felt as if it burned my skin.





CHAPTER FOUR


By the time the set finally came to an end, I was breathless, and not from exertion. Alexander’s unwavering gaze had been fixed on me the entire time as he stood, watching, near the edge of the dance floor. Even Frederick, for all his distraction, had taken note.

“Don’t look now, Kat,” he said, during our final promenade, “but you seem to have already attracted an admirer. Shall I call him out for his impudent attentions? Or demand to know whether his intentions toward you are strictly honorable?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” I snapped. Then I winced at my own tone. “I mean, no. Thank you. But it really isn’t necessary.”

“Hmm,” said Frederick. For the first time in the dance, he was watching me instead of Angeline.

“It’s nothing,” I said. “I mean, I know him.”

“Hmm,” repeated Frederick. Now he was grinning.

I glared at my infuriating brother-in-law. “Go back to making eyes at your wife, if you please. You needn’t worry about me.”

Alexander was only waiting to do his duty, obviously. That was, after all, the only reason he was here. It wasn’t as if it actually meant anything.

No, it didn’t mean anything at all, I told myself, as I straightened from my final curtsy at the end of the dance and saw his tall figure approaching me inexorably through the crowd.

“Frederick,” I said, “why don’t you go and find Angeline?”

“Oh, I think not.” Frederick gave me a saintly smile. “The laws of etiquette require me to escort you back to your chaperones at the end of the dance, you know.”

I sighed. “And you’re entirely ruled by etiquette, as we all know.”

“Oh, believe me, Kat, I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” Tucking my hand into his arm, he ushered me toward the rest of my family in as stately a march as if he were escorting the Queen.

There was no chance of escape, and my luck for the evening had evidently run out: they were all still there. Even Papa! Why couldn’t any of them have set off to dance or play cards in another room? Instead, Elissa and Angeline were chatting away as we approached, while Stepmama bobbed about, getting an eyeful of all the other ladies’ gowns and Papa illicitly read his book, against all of Stepmama’s strictest orders beforehand, only half-hidden behind Mr. Collingwood’s back.

Every single one of them looked up as we returned from the dance…and none of them were looking at me.

“Miss Stephenson.” Alexander’s voice spoke behind me, deep and resonant.

Frederick signaled Angeline before I could stop him. Her eyes lit up as she moved forward. Elissa had already stiffened, visibly shifting into chaperone mode. Even Stepmama’s peacock feather seemed to be vibrating with excitement.

Sighing, I turned around under the combined gaze of nearly my entire family. Thank goodness at least Charles was still hard at work in his country parish with his wife and babies. The last time Charles and Alexander had met, my overprotective older brother had knocked Alexander to the ground. Any repeat of that event would definitely set the wrong tone for our mission.

“Mr. Harding,” I said. My throat felt strangely tight as I took in the full view of him in his elegant evening attire. Mr. Gregson had certainly done a good job with his new wardrobe. Alexander’s shoulders looked even broader in the close-fitting black coat, and the pale gold waistcoat underneath looked dangerously strokable.