Free Undressed by the Earl by Michelle Willingham Page B

appeared to be bursting with excitement.
    The country dance involved intricate steps that David could hardly remember for the life of him. “I fear I may tread upon your toes, Miss Harrow,” he apologized, when they lined up across from one another.
    She sent him a warning look. “You may have to be mindful of your own toes, Lord Castledon. Sadly, I will likely stumble. Every last dancing lesson has fled my brain at the moment, I’m afraid.”
    Whatever grace Miss Harrow lacked, she made up for with enthusiasm, and he found himself enjoying the dance. She had a hearty laugh, and he liked her a great deal. True to their apologies, both of them stepped on each other’s toes, but he appreciated her blunt humor and the way she laughed at her mistakes.
    It was clear that her marital prospects were bleak, but more and more, he was beginning to see the woman as a viable option. So long as she was willing to be a mother to his daughter, she was pleasant enough. He could give her a splendid house, leaving her to run it as she chose.
    When they began changing partners, he was startled to find himself paired briefly with Lady Sarah Carlisle. Her face flushed, and she nodded to him but looked as if she wanted the floor to swallow her up.
    “My lord, I want to apologize for what happened a few years ago. I—I was wrong to try to ensnare you into marriage when you were hardly out of mourning. I hope you can forgive me.”
    He tensed, remembering the night when he’d been caught alone in the library with Lady Sarah. She had intruded upon his moment of solitude, and before he knew what was happening, matrons were trying to arrange a wedding. He’d protested vehemently, and though the young woman had been embarrassed, there was nothing to be done for it.
    “As I recall, neither of us did anything wrong except to be at the wrong place at the same time,” he said. “But I accept your apology, and I’ll admit that it hasn’t crossed my memory until I saw you just now.”
    She ventured a painful smile, and he turned her in a circle. “Are you enjoying your evening, Lady Sarah?”
    Her smile faded. “Not really. It seems that the ton hasn’t forgiven me for my mistakes or for my brother’s.”
    He didn’t know how to respond to that, but managed, “I hope you find a gentleman who suits you.”
    “Finding him isn’t my difficulty,” she admitted. Her eyes met his, and she held his gaze for a moment. “It’s finding someone who doesn’t care about my past scandals, who will see that I’ll be a good wife to him.”
    There was a trace of longing there, and it made him uncomfortable to see it. “I’ll bid you good hunting, then.”
    He was paired back with Miss Harrow, and then at last, he was Amelia’s partner. She touched her palm to his and said, “I see you listened to me and gave Miss Harrow a chance.” The look on her face was smug, as if to say, I told you so .
    “I did. She is a kind person,” he admitted.
    There was a softness that came over Amelia, and she nodded. “Few men take the time to know Lavinia Harrow. But she deserves a gentleman who can see her for the woman she is.”
    He walked in a circle with Amelia, her words sinking into his consciousness. In the past five years that he’d known her, he had seen the woman emerging from the enthusiastic girl. He knew the woman Amelia had become, faults and all.
    “I also spoke briefly to Lady Sarah Carlisle,” he told her. “I wasn’t aware that she was still seeking a husband.”
    A flash of tension stiffened Amelia’s smile. “I suppose she is. And I hope, for her sake, that she finds one.”
    He couldn’t understand why Lady Sarah would upset her so—though he remembered how the woman’s brother, the Earl of Strathland, had threatened Amelia’s family. “I’m certain she will marry eventually.”
    With a chagrined smile, Amelia squared her shoulders. “I’ve been thinking, Lord Castledon. We should call a truce between us.”
    “I wasn’t