To Love A Duke

Dance Card

Song Recommendation: time of our lives by Venice connection

More flattery My Lord? Bah! My ears bleed..try something different, may I suggest a waltz?

The ball was in full swing the music and wine in abundance, and now he searched for his lady wife in the crowd, They were to begin the open set of the dance. He finally caught sight of her were she discussed with a woman in silver. The woman was smiling so broadly he hated to interrupt. He walked towards the group and spoke to her from behind

“ I was hoping to steal you away for a moment duchess mine?” She turned to him. Stiffly and humorless. Something was wrong, her head came up to his chest so she had to tilt her head to look in the eye. He smiled and gave his greetings to the women who had joined the group. She excused herself and fell into step with then, then he stopped abruptly and stretched his ungloved hands towards her

“May I have this dance lady Talbott?” Oh but when he called her like that she almost forgot she did not wish to smile with him. She placed her hands in his and curtsied. And as he swept her to the dance floor for the first set. He bowed to her and she curtsied graciously and then she was in his arms, were she belonged.

“Don’t you think this is a little far fetched”

She asked as they danced together amongst other couples who had joined them on the floor

“What is?” He replied swaying her from side to side to the swav beat of the music

“I do not see the need to dance to prove our commitment to each other” she said which

“You don’t?”

“ yes, I believe we’ve done enough of proving for the evening, it becomes tiring”

“Hmm, then it’s a good thing we aren’t just dancing to show off” he said smiling over her head “though I must admit I enjoy showing you off, half the men in this room wish they were me”

“I wouldn’t be so sure” she said looking anywhere but at him

“I would bet on it, I’m dancing with the most beautiful woman in the room” she looked at him but said nothing. They danced the remainder of the set in silence and when the last notes of the music rang out he bowed to her and she curtsied.

He was quite the dancer she reflected as she stood near the refreshment table, he had moved with the grace of a pompous aristocratic male who prided him self in knowing every ounce of societal demands. He had been in control, he had taken the lead and she had followed and honestly it had felt good to dance with him. She was having the time of her life.

Somehow he had managed to sign her dance card in numerous sets! The very idea. She had called him out on it when he had claimed her for a dance promised to a young man she had a been introduced to as the village doctor, and had insisted it was necessary for the act she was so-called-ly putting up for the masses. She hadn’t argued. And then he had claimed her for another dance after, and another , and quite frankly all the sets!

If they had been under a different circumstance he was truly the kind of man she would fall for he was totally her type.

“Already knew that” she jerked back to reality at the sound of his voice, dear God had she said that out loud?