cards, allow me to show you how to waltz.”
“Here?”
she asked, startled.
“What better time? Listen. We even have music.”
The lilting sounds of a waltz were indeed filtering through the partially open window, Madeline noted.
“Come,” Haviland murmured. “Let me show you.”
Her heart leapt as he took a step closer. When he reached for her gloved hands, she stiffened as if afraid of his touch.
Yet she was not afraid of
him
precisely, Madeline vowed silently, allowing him to position her right hand on his shoulder and her left hand in his warm, larger one. She feared her
response
to him.
She was unnerved by the powerful effect Haviland had on her. He merely touched her, and she lost the power to think. She could feel heat radiating off his body as he placed his left palm at her waist and drew her closer.
Yet strangely, he made no move to teach her the proper dance steps. Instead, he simply held her in his light embrace, staring down at her.
Madeline waited, frozen in place, her heart lurching in her chest. She felt as if she were drowning in the depthsof his sapphire eyes. His sheer physical presence overwhelmed her senses, while his warmth enveloped her.
Her gaze slid lower to his mouth, that firm, sensual mouth that had given her such pleasure last evening…. Heavens, was it only last evening that Haviland had kissed her at the inn?
A fierce longing rose up in Madeline, a craving for him to repeat his stunning assault of her lips. The feeling was so intense, her fingers curled into his shoulder, gripping the superfine of his coat.
“No,” she whispered in protest of her own need. “I cannot….”
In a desperate effort to maintain control, she pulled back from his embrace. “I don’t care to learn the waltz or any other dance, my lord.”
Her action thankfully made him release her, breaking the spell he had cast over her. But when she backed away from him, Madeline forgot that the window seat was directly behind her. As her skirts came up against the wooden panel, her knees literally gave out on her and she sank down onto the cushion.
The impact jarred her, but not as much as what Haviland’s gaze was doing to her.
She inhaled a deep breath, striving for composure. Her pulse had yet to quit racing, but she managed to say in an uneven voice, “As it happens, I am glad to have the chance to speak to you, Lord Haviland. I wished to ask you about Freddie Lunsford’s missing letters.”
He gave her a long look, then moved to sit beside her on the window seat. “I suspected you might.”
Madeline tensed but resisted the urge to stand up and flee across the room. She was not
that
much of a weakling.
“Pray proceed, Miss Ellis. I am all attention.” His tone quite clearly indicated he was being ironic. He was not at all eager to hear her out.
Madeline forged ahead anyway. “I want to offer my help in retrieving Freddie’s letters. Did he not mention my suggestion to you?”
“Regrettably, he did,” Haviland answered dryly.
“Then you will allow me to accompany you to Mrs. Sauville’s soirée Tuesday evening?”
“Tell me, just how would that help?”
“It should be obvious. As a woman, I will be less noticeable than you would be, sneaking around a widow’s house and slipping into bedchambers.”
“You might, but I don’t want you involved.”
“Why not?”
“For one thing, if you were caught, you might find yourself charged with theft and wind up in prison.”
He was trying to frighten her away, Madeline surmised. She was certain Haviland would never allow her to be sent to prison. “Then I will take care not to be caught. And even if I were, you will be there to intervene.”
“You might be recognized later by one of the widow’s guests, have you considered that? If so, your teaching career might suffer.”
She hadn’t thought of that possible outcome. Teachers needed to conduct themselves with circumspection, and she particularly had to take care, since she was
“Here?”
she asked, startled.
“What better time? Listen. We even have music.”
The lilting sounds of a waltz were indeed filtering through the partially open window, Madeline noted.
“Come,” Haviland murmured. “Let me show you.”
Her heart leapt as he took a step closer. When he reached for her gloved hands, she stiffened as if afraid of his touch.
Yet she was not afraid of
him
precisely, Madeline vowed silently, allowing him to position her right hand on his shoulder and her left hand in his warm, larger one. She feared her
response
to him.
She was unnerved by the powerful effect Haviland had on her. He merely touched her, and she lost the power to think. She could feel heat radiating off his body as he placed his left palm at her waist and drew her closer.
Yet strangely, he made no move to teach her the proper dance steps. Instead, he simply held her in his light embrace, staring down at her.
Madeline waited, frozen in place, her heart lurching in her chest. She felt as if she were drowning in the depthsof his sapphire eyes. His sheer physical presence overwhelmed her senses, while his warmth enveloped her.
Her gaze slid lower to his mouth, that firm, sensual mouth that had given her such pleasure last evening…. Heavens, was it only last evening that Haviland had kissed her at the inn?
A fierce longing rose up in Madeline, a craving for him to repeat his stunning assault of her lips. The feeling was so intense, her fingers curled into his shoulder, gripping the superfine of his coat.
“No,” she whispered in protest of her own need. “I cannot….”
In a desperate effort to maintain control, she pulled back from his embrace. “I don’t care to learn the waltz or any other dance, my lord.”
Her action thankfully made him release her, breaking the spell he had cast over her. But when she backed away from him, Madeline forgot that the window seat was directly behind her. As her skirts came up against the wooden panel, her knees literally gave out on her and she sank down onto the cushion.
The impact jarred her, but not as much as what Haviland’s gaze was doing to her.
She inhaled a deep breath, striving for composure. Her pulse had yet to quit racing, but she managed to say in an uneven voice, “As it happens, I am glad to have the chance to speak to you, Lord Haviland. I wished to ask you about Freddie Lunsford’s missing letters.”
He gave her a long look, then moved to sit beside her on the window seat. “I suspected you might.”
Madeline tensed but resisted the urge to stand up and flee across the room. She was not
that
much of a weakling.
“Pray proceed, Miss Ellis. I am all attention.” His tone quite clearly indicated he was being ironic. He was not at all eager to hear her out.
Madeline forged ahead anyway. “I want to offer my help in retrieving Freddie’s letters. Did he not mention my suggestion to you?”
“Regrettably, he did,” Haviland answered dryly.
“Then you will allow me to accompany you to Mrs. Sauville’s soirée Tuesday evening?”
“Tell me, just how would that help?”
“It should be obvious. As a woman, I will be less noticeable than you would be, sneaking around a widow’s house and slipping into bedchambers.”
“You might, but I don’t want you involved.”
“Why not?”
“For one thing, if you were caught, you might find yourself charged with theft and wind up in prison.”
He was trying to frighten her away, Madeline surmised. She was certain Haviland would never allow her to be sent to prison. “Then I will take care not to be caught. And even if I were, you will be there to intervene.”
“You might be recognized later by one of the widow’s guests, have you considered that? If so, your teaching career might suffer.”
She hadn’t thought of that possible outcome. Teachers needed to conduct themselves with circumspection, and she particularly had to take care, since she was
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