beauty by any means, but she was pretty nonetheless, far more so than some of the otheryoung debutantes present. A little short, perhaps, but so were many of the men in attendance.
A slight blush touched Blythe’s cheeks. “You’ve already said, but thank you again.”
“And what’s that you were given at the door when we arrived?”
She showed him the little leather-bound booklet with their host’s crest on the front that she’d already attached to her wrist. “I know this is your first ball just as it is mine, but surely you learned about dance cards when you were taught to dance?”
Devin chuckled. “One of those classes I barely paid attention to.”
She gasped. “You can dance, can’t you?”
“I think I can manage that.”
“Well, the dance card includes a list of all the music that will be played by the orchestra tonight. There’s even a pencil attached. Go ahead, put your name next to one of the dances. That will reserve it for you.”
He felt like groaning as he did so. One more thing for him to worry about: Blythe’s getting her dance card filled. The problem was, this was a ball for debutantes and Blythe hadn’t been to enough parties yet to know even half the people in attendance. Devin was seeing a lot of new faces tonight as well. At first, he’d thought that Ophelia Locke had arranged this invite, which would mean Amanda would be attending, but the room was already quite full and the musicians were tuning up their instruments and he hadn’t caught sight of her, so possibly not.
The young men had been making the rounds, signing dance cards, but with the music about to start, they rushed at it now. Two of them whom Devin had already met stopped by with a greeting. Devin immediately introduced them to Blythe. Theysigned her card, and moments later five more men came by to sign it as well. Well, that was a relief.
He grinned at her and teasingly checked her card again. Oliver Norse had even signed it twice. What had Norse’s interests been? Devin had met so many new people this week, he was going to have to start taking notes. Boating! That was it.
“Two dances for Lord Oliver? You might mention sailing to him while you’re twirling about the dance floor,” Devin suggested. “His family owns several yachts. He’s overly fond of the subject.”
Blythe’s eyes actually lit up, making Devin wonder aloud, “Do you like boating?”
She laughed. “I don’t know! But I’ve always wanted to find out. I tried to talk Father into buying us a little sailboat when I was younger, but he called it a frivolous expense and didn’t want to hear another word about it. So I saved and saved to get one of my own, but then our parents died and I knew Will was counting every copper, so I gave up on the idea.”
“So you do have other interests? Why did you never say?”
“I like gardening, too, but as for boating, what’s the point of mentioning things that I never expected to come to pass?”
Devin rolled his eyes. “Who says they won’t? And who says you won’t marry a man who likes doing exactly what you like doing?”
“Do you like boating?”
He didn’t hear the question. The first song had begun and the dance floor was now filled with waltzing couples. Amanda Locke chose that moment to step into the ballroom with her escort, a young man of exceptional good looks.
Devin hoped he was another member of her family. The chap was too handsome. What lady wouldn’t set her cap forhim if he wasn’t a relative? But Devin’s concern was merely the thought of losing the rest of Ophelia’s “gratitude” if Amanda had already made her choice without his recommendation.
He intended to try to talk to her tonight, to see if it was possible to even have a conversation with her without her temper flaring up. A ball was a perfect place for it, on the dance floor, temporarily alone, without her beaus surrounding her. He needed to find out if she was going to cooperate and take up riding
A slight blush touched Blythe’s cheeks. “You’ve already said, but thank you again.”
“And what’s that you were given at the door when we arrived?”
She showed him the little leather-bound booklet with their host’s crest on the front that she’d already attached to her wrist. “I know this is your first ball just as it is mine, but surely you learned about dance cards when you were taught to dance?”
Devin chuckled. “One of those classes I barely paid attention to.”
She gasped. “You can dance, can’t you?”
“I think I can manage that.”
“Well, the dance card includes a list of all the music that will be played by the orchestra tonight. There’s even a pencil attached. Go ahead, put your name next to one of the dances. That will reserve it for you.”
He felt like groaning as he did so. One more thing for him to worry about: Blythe’s getting her dance card filled. The problem was, this was a ball for debutantes and Blythe hadn’t been to enough parties yet to know even half the people in attendance. Devin was seeing a lot of new faces tonight as well. At first, he’d thought that Ophelia Locke had arranged this invite, which would mean Amanda would be attending, but the room was already quite full and the musicians were tuning up their instruments and he hadn’t caught sight of her, so possibly not.
The young men had been making the rounds, signing dance cards, but with the music about to start, they rushed at it now. Two of them whom Devin had already met stopped by with a greeting. Devin immediately introduced them to Blythe. Theysigned her card, and moments later five more men came by to sign it as well. Well, that was a relief.
He grinned at her and teasingly checked her card again. Oliver Norse had even signed it twice. What had Norse’s interests been? Devin had met so many new people this week, he was going to have to start taking notes. Boating! That was it.
“Two dances for Lord Oliver? You might mention sailing to him while you’re twirling about the dance floor,” Devin suggested. “His family owns several yachts. He’s overly fond of the subject.”
Blythe’s eyes actually lit up, making Devin wonder aloud, “Do you like boating?”
She laughed. “I don’t know! But I’ve always wanted to find out. I tried to talk Father into buying us a little sailboat when I was younger, but he called it a frivolous expense and didn’t want to hear another word about it. So I saved and saved to get one of my own, but then our parents died and I knew Will was counting every copper, so I gave up on the idea.”
“So you do have other interests? Why did you never say?”
“I like gardening, too, but as for boating, what’s the point of mentioning things that I never expected to come to pass?”
Devin rolled his eyes. “Who says they won’t? And who says you won’t marry a man who likes doing exactly what you like doing?”
“Do you like boating?”
He didn’t hear the question. The first song had begun and the dance floor was now filled with waltzing couples. Amanda Locke chose that moment to step into the ballroom with her escort, a young man of exceptional good looks.
Devin hoped he was another member of her family. The chap was too handsome. What lady wouldn’t set her cap forhim if he wasn’t a relative? But Devin’s concern was merely the thought of losing the rest of Ophelia’s “gratitude” if Amanda had already made her choice without his recommendation.
He intended to try to talk to her tonight, to see if it was possible to even have a conversation with her without her temper flaring up. A ball was a perfect place for it, on the dance floor, temporarily alone, without her beaus surrounding her. He needed to find out if she was going to cooperate and take up riding
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