Page 30 of The Duke and His Jilted Bride

There had been worse ideas, Aurelia thought.

But maybe not worse ideas that night.

“You haven’t seen my wife, have you?” Evander asked Poole as he re-entered through the church’s back doors. He had gone outside for air with some gentlemen he played cards with occasionally, having thought some distance from him would help Aurelia find her footing. “I left her only fifteen minutes ago but now she is gone.

Poole stood on his toes to scan the room, then shook his head. “Can’t say I have recently, Your Grace. But I caught her maybe ten minutes ago by the musicians with Miss Beckingham.”

Evander nodded and proceeded in that direction. He heard her laugh before he saw her, stopping in his tracks.

She laughed easily with people she liked. Evander had noticed this about Aurelia in the past two weeks. Her society laugh and the real one were distinguishable to him now. And he could tell from fifteen feet away which one this was.

When he saw her at last through a gap in the crowd, she stood with young Miss Beckingham indeed, but also with a gentleman. He was dressed like a dandy, probably from London then. Evander narrowed his eyes. But he couldn’t recognise him.

He was speaking loudly with Aurelia, leaning in a little too close and confidently. He was not objectionable on any available measure. He seemed to be personable and attentive, clearly interested in the conversation they were having rather than pretending to be interested because of her novelty or her good looks.

And yet… Evander looked at his drink. His breath hitched when he felt Poole sidle up beside him. “Her Grace seems occupied.”

“Yes.” Evander bit the insides of his cheeks. “Do you know that man?”

Poole observed him from a distance. “I believe he’s the brother of one of the musicians here tonight, though I couldn’t tell you his name if I tried. But I don’t believe… oh.”

Evander looked up, then across, to see what had caused Poole to gasp. Aurelia had taken the man’s hand and they were headed to the dancefloor. It was not the first dance of the evening, so there was no real faux-pas on her part. And Evander had told her that he had no rhythm and didn’t like dancing. So it was reasonable she had not considered waiting for him because she assumed he would never ask.

But he stepped back regardless, staggered and, yes, hurt. She was his wife. She was allowed to dance, and this was a ball, and these were the normal operations of a social occasion that he was attending by choice with her. So why did he feel this way?

He watched her go onto the floor. He told himself the thing he had been telling himself in various forms for two weeks: their arrangement was practical, and he was not going to confuse warmth for something difficult. He was not Frederick. He did not act on things before he understood them – especially not with a woman.

He watched the musician say something and Aurelia tilt her head almost flirtatiously. He watched them step into the dance – some sort of country dance which mercifully would keep them away from one another for the most part. But as they took their positions, he watched the musician's hand on hers, looked at his drink again, now empty, looked at the dance floor…

And before he knew what he was doing, Evander set his glass down on the nearest surface. He was already moving before he had finished whatever thought had sent him marching forward, and before Poole could stop him.

Eleven

“You didn't have to do that,” Aurelia said once it was over.

Evander accepted two glasses from a passing tray and handed her one. They were cold this time, some sort of punch. He feigned ignorance as they moved to the sidelines. “Do what?”

“Come and collect me like a lost parcel. I thought only unmarried women needed to be escorted off dancefloors,” she replied, taking the goblet with a little more force than necessary. Heat had risen to her cheeks, and he hoped it was just from the exercise of dancing. Seven long minutes. The country dance had lasted seven minutes. And each minute had been excruciating.

“I did nothing improper,” Evander said, taking a sip. They were close to the walls now, alone under a stained glass window. A draft came through the crack between the window and the stone and swept over them. He saw Aurelia shiver. “I only wanted to see you again.”

“I didn't say you did act improperly.” She took a sip and looked at the room. “Mr. Aldwick was perfectly pleasant.”

“Mr. Aldwick? Mr. Aldwick did not look interested in letting you go. He would have made you dance with him again.”

“Would that have been so terrible? There are many dances left.”

“And there are many people here who want to speak with you. You cannot allow a single gentleman to monopolise your attention tonight.”

“Single as in unmarried, or single as in counting one?” When Evander didn’t answer, she sighed deeply. “He was just being nice. He said he wanted to introduce us to his brother once the night was over so we could talk about music.”

“Yes, I’m sure that’s all he wanted, this dandy from London. They are known for their good sense and charity, especially when they come to the countryside where most of what they do goes unseen.

She looked at him gravely. And it was such an unusual expression for her that it shook him. “I do not understand you,” she said. “And I stand by the fact that you didn't need to intervene, regardless of what you say.”

A moment passed. Then he stepped back just enough, and the hand that had been at her waist was gone, two feet of air restored between them as though the preceding five seconds hadn't occurred. Mr. Aldwick was still looking at them across the room, but he withdrew to take another woman onto the dancefloor. He was light-haired. He had Frederick's colouring, though the resemblance stopped there. But the height, the ease of manner, the way he had leaned toward her when he spoke. Was that why Evander had been so unnerved?

He held his glass and said nothing for a time, ruminating about his brother and about the cold knot behind his ribcage – and about the fact that he had crossed a room because another man was making Aurelia laugh and he had not been able to stop himself.