Page 11 of Saving a Scoundrel
“Especially with an incorrigible scoundrel.” He bumped her shoulder with his.
The night air was cool, the sky clear and full of stars. Ellie glanced over at Lucius. His smile, reflecting the moonlight, stole her breath. Drat, why did he have to be so handsome? She quickly looked down at her skirt.
“Ellie, I know you love to dance. So why are you hiding out here instead of accepting offers to dance from eager suitors?”
“What makes you think I have eager suitors?”
“I saw you turn away gentlemen. And I saw you hiding by that large potted palm.”
Had he been watching her? A pleasant sensation warmed her at the thought of him noticing her across a crowded room. At least she looked her best tonight. She tipped her head up to stare at the stars and sighed. “It’s all a bit overwhelming. And crowded.”
“That’s typical.” Lucius looked up at the sky as well.
“I don’t think I will fit in here. These aren’t my people. This isn’t my dress. I feel like I am seven years old and playing dress-up with Charlotte.”
“Don’t be fooled. Everybody in there is playing dress-up.” He reached out and tugged gently on a curl of her hair, and his fingers brushed against her cheek. “You look beautiful tonight, by the way.”
Ellie swung her gaze to stare at him. His compliment so casually thrown out made her foolish heart flip over in her chest. Her lips curved up by their own volition.
He slid her a sideways glance. “It would be a shame to waste that beautiful gown on just the moonlight.” Lucius stood and held out a hand for her. “Come inside and dance with me.”
Ellie accepted his hand. She wanted nothing more than to twirl about the dance floor in his arms. This was precisely what she had been waiting for; the beautiful dress, the moonlight. The stage couldn’t be set any better. She tipped her chin up to gaze into his eyes.Kiss me;she willed him.
Lucius gently grasped her chin between his forefinger and thumb. “Don’t give me that look.”
“What look?”
“The same look you gave me right before you kissed me senseless last time.”
Ellie took a step back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“So, we aren’t going to talk about what happened in the graveyard?”
Dear Lord, talk about how she ran away after brazenly kissing him? She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
The corner of his mouth tipped up.
“And it’s very ungentlemanly of you to bring it up,” she added.
“Then don’t look at me like that. That’s not the way friends look at each other. We are friends, aren’t we, Eleanor?”
Friends. The worst word in the English language. Ellie sucked in a deep breath as she examined his expression. He looked like a deer about to bolt at the first sniff of a predator. She nodded. “Of course we are. Always.”
His shoulders relaxed, and his smile returned. “Now, will you let me twirl you around the dance floor?” He held out a hand.
“Yes.”
“Good. Charlotte would kill me if I ignored her instructions.” He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and steered them back toward the house.
Ellie stumbled a bit. “Her instructions?”
Lucius steadied her by pulling her tightly to his side. “In her letter, she asked me to keep an eye on you. And to make sure to ask you to dance.” He winked. “Not planning on getting into any trouble this season?”
“You mean other than my plans to kiss unsuspecting gentlemen senseless?”
Lucius’s low chuckle banished the last of her embarrassment over their kiss. She always followed the rules. She was the vicar’s daughter. She was supposed to set a good example for all the other girls. Well, her father wasn’t here, and she was tired of being a good example. This season was a new opportunity for adventure. She planned to grasp it with both hands. They gained the terrace, where light and music spilled from the open doors. Ellie slid her hand down to grasp Lucius’s. “Come on, let’s dance.”
*
