Free The Ugly Duckling Debutante_FINAL-3 by Rachel van Dyken

bet.”
    Belverd shook his head and lifted his glass into the air to salute Nicholas for being so brave. Nicholas wanted to stab him; instead he returned a polite smile and led Sai onto the floor.
    “Any perspective suitors, Sai?”
    “Hmm?” she asked looking up at him. Was she even paying attention?
    Apparently noticing his frustration , she sighed . “I’m sorry, I just… It’s a lot.” Her voice held no confidence whatsoever, so he decided to bolster her esteem a bit.
    “You are not like most girls,” he crooned into her ear as they danced together. “Hold your head high, and be brave. I’m sure you’ve been stared at all your life, this should come as no shock to you, should it?”
    She shook her head no, but the light in her eyes seemed to dissipate.
    “I need you to…” He twirled her quickly and brought her back in, “…put on a brave smile, because the Duke of Kenmore is on his way over, and he needs an heir. An heir you can give him.” O n cue, the Duke presented himself and gracefully took Sai out of Nicholas’s hands.
    He felt naked.
    The warmth from Sai’s back faded quickly from his hands, leaving them cold and clammy, and noticeably empty. He needed a drink, a very stiff drink.
    “They will be perfect together,” Lady Fenton’s voice whispered next to him. “I inquired of his status earlier today.   He needs an heir, and lucky for Kenmore, Sai is young enough to do the job.”
    “He’s older than my father.” Nicholas snorted. “Do you really think a girl like Sai could stay with a man like that?” He gestured toward Kenmore.
    B alding slightly , Kenmore had a bit of a pot belly, most likely from over-consumption of brandy. His smile seemed nice and proper, but it never reached his eyes. His skin was papery and wrinkly from the many years he had lived. All in all, he wasn’t the talk of the ton for a reason; he was, simply put, ugly. He was also quite rich, making him one of the most sought after bachelors, right up there next to Nicholas.
    He watched in fascination when Sai smiled at the old Duke. It made his blood boil, and he wasn’t usually prone to physical violence.
    “Need this?” Sir Belverd suddenly appeared at his right ,   an amused smile on his face.
    Nicholas glared. “If you think I’m going to lose the bet, you’re sorely mistaken.” Lady Fenton sauntered off when she heard the word bet, which made Nicholas rest easy she had no inclination of the feelings Sai evoked in him.
    Belverd took a long drink of brandy. “What would ever give you the idea my faith in you is wavering?” His eyes twinkled with laughter, making Nicholas all the more annoyed. He grabbed the brandy Belverd offered , tossing it back like milk. Forcefully, Nicholas handed the cup back to him and stalked outside to the gardens. Although still early, h e ’ d seen enough for one night. Protector or no protector, he had no intention of standing idly by watching the Duke and Sai begin their courtship.
     
    ***
     
    Sara knew the moment Nicholas left the room. Her body began relax in the Duke’s arms . S he finally felt free to dance without being watched. She had been apologizing profusely for tripping over his feet, but he was kind enough to tell her a joke about his first ball. Apparently, he had grabbed a woman’s wig during a dance in order to break his own fall. Sara giggled with delight at the anecdote. He was an old man, older than her own father, but he seemed kind. She liked that about him. However, she couldn’t really see herself conjuring up romantic feelings for him. He was more like a grandfatherly teddy bear, and thinking about him made her want to hug him. Not…well, not do other things with him.
    Nicholas had left a handprint on her back, unfortunately. The place where he held her burned, and every move she made,   it felt like her body mourn ed the absence of his . Almost as if they ’ d been designed from the beginning of time to fit together. The thought made her