Never Courted, Suddenly Wed by Christi Caldwell Page A

business with Mallen? The burning sensation in his chest grew. A growl started deep inside his chest, it worked its way up his throat.
    Sophie cocked her head at an endearing, little angle. “Are you all right, Christo…my lord?”
    “Will you join me for a set?”
    The fan tumbled from her fingers down to the marble floor. “I beg your pardon?”
    Christopher retrieved the delicate accessory and gestured to the dance floor. “A set. You know, with a partner, one moves ones feet in time to the music.”
    The corners of her lips tugged upwards. “I know what dancing is. In spite of my dearth of partners,” she mumbled under her breath. “I’m merely pointing out that you haven’t danced with me in two years.”
    The duke cleared his throat and Sophie and Christopher jumped, both seeming to have forgotten his presence. Mallen nodded to the chintz fan in Christopher’s hand. “I suspect the lady would like her fan back, Waxham. Though you do handle it with remarkable ease.”
    Christopher looked at the item and blinked several times. “Oh. Right. Yes. Here you are then,” he said, handing it over to her.
    Sophie accepted the fan.
    Mallen’s gaze flickered between Christopher and Sophie, and then he offered Sophie his elbow. “May I claim the next dance?”
    Her smile deepened. She glanced down at the card that dangled from her wrist. “A waltz?”
    Mallen’s lips twitched. “Is there a problem with that? Has some gentleman already claimed your waltz?”
    Sophie laughed, the husky sound, rich and fulsome, earned the attention of those around them. She held up her card for his inspection. “As you can see, Your Grace, the gentlemen are hardly clamoring for my company.”
    Mallen bowed his head. “More the fool are they, then.”
    It was all Christopher could do to keep from dragging Mallen away from Sophie. Yes, he’d asked his friend to court her but damn, he hadn’t wanted Mallen to flirt with Sophie. She was young. Impressionable. She would be no match for Mallen’s full-ducal charm.
    “I’ll take the next set,” Christopher snapped.
    Sophie and Mallen’s gazes swiveled toward him.
    Christopher dug his fingers into the palms of his hands to keep from tugging at his suddenly too-tight cravat.
    Mallen inclined his head toward Sophie. “Very well. The next waltz, then, Miss Winters?”
    Sophie frowned. “Lord Waxham is merely being polite. Aren’t you, Christopher. He doesn’t want to dance with me.” She shook her head. “You know you really needn’t partner with me.”
    He frowned. “I don’t do anything because I don’t want to.” He reached for the pencil on her wrist and scribbled his name upon the card. There. It was settled.
    He looked over at Mallen who studied him with no small trace of amusement. If Sophie and the other row of wallflowers weren’t present, Christopher would have explained to Mallen that his offer to dance with Sophie merely stemmed from a need to appease his father.
    Christopher was saved from saying anything further by the smattering of applause as the strings for the quadrille came to a rest. The orchestra thrummed the opening strands of a waltz.
    “Really, Christopher.” Sophie’s words ended on a squeak when he ushered her out to the dance floor.
    He settled his hand upon her waist while he placed hers upon his shoulder.
    “You really…”
    “I heard you quite clearly, Phi,” he bit out. She hadn’t protested Mallen’s offer. God if it wasn’t a childish thought but still, it chafed.
    Her mouth snapped closed. Christopher relaxed his hold upon her and guided her in the steps.
    Unbidden, his mind returned to a time she’d begun sessions with her dance tutor. Christopher and his father had been visiting her family’s country estate, and Sophie had rushed outside to greet him and inform him about her dance lessons. She’d asked to dance with him so she might practice. He’d laughed at her and in response, she’d ground the heel of her slipper upon