Page 8 of More or Less a Countess
“Damn it, Dare.”
“For God’s sake, Derrick. I’m only jesting. Despite what you may think, Idoknow how to behave myself with a lady.”
He simply chose not to most of the time.
Derrick gave him a narrow look, then rose reluctantly to his feet. “See that you do, then.”
He left the drawing room with a resigned sigh, and Nick relaxed against the settee. When Derrick returned with Miss Somerset he’d smile charmingly, compliment her performance, and ask for permission to call on her tomorrow. She’d grant it, and he’d take care to mention the call to his aunt, to get back in her good graces.
“I wish you a pleasant evening, Lord Dare.”
Nick looked up to find Lady Uplands standing next to the settee. He got to his feet and offered her a polite bow. “Are you off so soon, my lady?”
Her lips curled in an inviting smile. “Oh, I think we’ve wrung about as much pleasure as we can from this evening, don’t you, my lord? It grows late.” She waved a hand around the room. “How long do you intend to stay? Everyone else has gone.”
Nick took in the empty room with a frown. Damn it, where the devil was Derrick? He wanted the introduction, and didn’t like to abandon a chance to appease his aunt with so little inconvenience to himself, but he also didn’t intend to wait all bloody night for the chit to work up the nerve to return to the drawing room.
“I understand you’ll be in London for some time, my lord.” Lady Uplands licked her generous lower lip and gazed up at him with heavy eyes. “I do hope you’ll come see me during your stay. You’ve an open invitation to come as often as you wish.”
Nick forgot all about Miss Somerset and grinned down at Lady Uplands with frank appreciation. There was a great deal to be said for a lady who knew precisely what she wanted. “I’d like nothing more than to come see you, my lady.” He dropped his voice to a whisper and leaned closer to murmur directly into her ear. “Allof you.”
She let out a low, sultry laugh. “How delightful.”
Nick opened his mouth to agree, but before he got the chance, Miss Somerset wandered into the drawing room, alone. Nick glanced at the door, but to his annoyance, Derrick didn’t appear.
Miss Somerset arched an eyebrow when she noticed him standing with Lady Uplands, and an odd little smirk drifted over her lips, but she didn’t pay them any further attention. She glanced around as if she were looking for something, then strolled across the drawing room toward the pianoforte.
“My lord?” Lady Uplands ran a finger flirtatiously down his arm. “Will you follow me in your carriage?”
“You may count upon it, my lady.” But Nick had turned his attention to Miss Somerset, who’d retrieved a blue wrap that had fallen to the floor beside the pianoforte bench, and was about to walk out of the room.
Bloody hell.
His gaze shot hopefully to the drawing room door, but Derrick was still nowhere in sight. It wasn’t proper for him to speak to Miss Somerset without first being introduced to her, but if he didn’t take his chance now, he doubted he’d get another.
Propriety be damned. He’d never paid the least bit of attention to it before, so why should he start now? “Ah, Miss Somerset? May I have word, if you please?”
Lady Uplands and Miss Somerset both gaped at him, shocked at his lapse in manners, then Lady Uplands let out a faint hiss and turned away with a toss of her head. Miss Somerset gave her a wide berth as her ladyship flounced out of the room, then she turned her attention back to Nick.
A strange look passed over her face, as if she were trying to make up her mind whether to be horrified or amused. Her gaze swept from the top of his head to his boots, but he fancied she lingered on his waistcoat, and his…
Dear God, was she staring at his breeches?
Unfamiliar embarrassment rushed over him, heating his neck. Christ, were his falls disarranged after the skirmish with Lady Uplands? Before he could stop himself, he gave his coat a self-conscious tug to hide any irregularities. Miss Somerset made a faint noise, and his gaze jerked to her face just in time to see her expression tip from embarrassment into sly amusement.
He stared at her, dumbfounded into silence. He hadn’t expected such bold assurance from a lady who’d nearly fallen into a mortified swoon after a pianoforte performance. He studied her for a moment, his gaze narrowed, but there was no mistaking the dark blue eyes and fair hair, the pretty pink lips. She was more petite than he’d thought, and there was an impish quality to her smile he hadn’t expected, but then he hadn’t paid much attention to her until now.
“How can I help you, my lord?”
Her gaze swept over him again, and this time she lingered on his breeches with such fixed attention that for one wild moment Nick thought she was asking if she could help him button his falls.
For God’s sake, forget your falls and gather your wits.
“Forgive me, Miss Somerset.” He crossed the room and sketched an elegant bow in front of her. “I realize we haven’t been introduced, but I couldn’t let you leave without telling you how much I enjoyed your performance this evening.”
She looked appalled, and her cheeks flooded with color. “My, ah…my performance? I don’t know what you…that is, I didn’t see…I’m not sure what you mean, my lord.”
Nick stared at her, taken aback by this odd reaction, but then Derrick had said she was timid. Perhaps she was embarrassed by compliments.
