An Icy Christmas Engagement (Christmas Matches of Worth #1)

Chapter Fifteen

Caroline was actually excited for Lord and Lady Whitmore’s ball. She didn’t think she would ever see the day.

Of course, she hid it well from her mother. Elizabeth was convinced Caroline had come to her senses—especially after disappearing so suddenly during tea with Lord Sotheby—and that she’d finally decided to accept Lord Sotheby’s advances. That was why she’d made sure to style her hair in an intricate updo, rather than her usual chignon, and wore a fashionable azure gown. Caroline didn’t bother to correct her. It was far easier than listening to Elizabeth’s lectures about how rude she had been.

It was a little more difficult hiding it from Louisa, though she was sure she’d managed it in the end. Even though Caroline had quickly put away Cedric’s coat before anyone could see her in it, she knew Louisa might hear about it from the housekeeper sooner or later. Caroline played off her excitement by saying she was putting herself in the mind of her female protagonist and wished to live out tonight through her eyes. Louisa seemed to have accepted that.

The truth was, she only wanted to see Cedric.

Save me a dance .

She’d been hearing his voice play over and over in her mind all the way to Whitmore House and, now that she’d arrived, Caroline was downright giddy with excitement.

“Lord Sotheby is by the orchestra,” Elizabeth whispered excitedly in her ear. “We should go to greet him.”

“And that, ladies,” Louisa drawled as she walked by, “means I shall avail myself with another less dreadful mode of entertainment.”

Caroline giggled and Elizabeth shook her head disappointedly at that. But her mother’s attention could not be deterred for long.

“Come, Caroline,” she said, taking her by the arm. “We could use this night to make up for your discourtesy yesterday. ”

“Mother, I have only just arrived,” Caroline protested, trying not to make it obvious that she was looking around the room. “Won’t I look desperate if I seek him out the moment I enter? We have not even greeted the hosts.”

“A little desperation is necessary at times, Caroline,” her mother insisted. “How will Lord Sotheby know that you are interested in him if you do not show it?”

“I am not interested in him,” Caroline reminded her but Elizabeth only rolled her eyes.

“Interested in marriage,” she exaggerated, as if that had not been clear enough. “Not love.”

Caroline would have argued with her had her eyes not landed on a familiar pair of broad shoulders. He was standing with a familiar looking gentleman, looking as devilishly handsome and unapproachable as he always did. But then their eyes met and he straightened a bit, the constant glower on his face dispersing.

“Mother, I shall go to see Lord Sotheby soon,” she said quickly. “I would just like to greet someone first.”

“Who?” Elizabeth asked with a frown.

Caroline knew better than to answer that question. She gently untangled herself form her mother’s arms and started towards the earl, a smile stretching across her face. He too began to smile, watching her come towards him.

Then someone slid into her path. Caroline nearly snarled when she looked up at Lord Sotheby.

“Caroline,” he greeted with a grin. “At last, you have arrived. I have been longing to see you ever since we parted ways so suddenly yesterday.”

“Lord Sotheby,” she said slowly, making a point of not using his given name. “I must apologise for how abruptly I left that day. I should have been a little clearer in how urgently I had to leave, so that you may understand.”

“I’m afraid I do not understand very well. But Lady York did assure me that I would be made aware of the situation during tonight’s ball.”

“Did she now?” Caroline pushed through gritted teeth .

“Would you like a drink, Caroline? Come with me. Perhaps we could talk a bit more about it so you could help me to understand. I am still terribly confused, you see.”

Equal bouts of guilt and irritation seized her at once. She floundered for a protest but nothing came to her lips, leaving her with no choice but to allow Lord Sotheby to lead her away.

She glanced over her shoulder to see Cedric staring after her. She hoped to offer him an apologetic look but then the sight of him was quickly swallowed up by the moving bodies around her.

Caroline tried to mask her disappointment as best as she could. It was bound to be a long night after all. These balls rarely finished until well into the morning., She would have plenty of time to share in Cedric’s company later.

***

Cedric watched as Caroline was led away and fought that insane bout of jealousy that seized him by the throat. It was a difficult battle. He didn’t like the way Lord Sotheby looked at her nor the way he seemed to find every opportunity to get closer to her. Caroline was polite, accepting the glass of orgeat lemonade he handed to her and nodding along to whatever he was saying, but Cedric could tell that her attention was elsewhere. That was the only thing keeping him from marching right over and stealing her away from him.

“She is a beauty, isn’t she?”

Cedric stiffened at Grace’s approach. He quickly averted his eyes, adopting that impassive expression she was accustomed to seeing on him.

“Who?” he asked boredly.

“Lady Winterbourne,” Grace said. “It is quite a shame that her husband died so quickly.”

“Was he not an old man?”

“He was,” Grace confirmed, not at all put off by Cedric’s bluntness. “But he was kind and I hear they had a rather comfortable marriage.”

“Comfort and love are too different things. ”

“I thought you did not care about love,” Grace drawled. “Ever since that woman broke your heart—”

“Enough,” Cedric cut in. “I do not want to have this conversation with you right now and I’m certain this is not the conversation you wished to have with me.”

Grace studied him silently for a moment, then said, “You’re right. I hope you intend on asking Lady Winterbourne to dance.”

Cedric released a slow breath, letting his gaze drift back to Caroline. She was smiling at something Lord Sotheby was saying, but it didn’t hit her eyes. As soon as the viscount looked away, the smile fell.

“I am,” he confessed finally. “As soon as I get the chance.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” Grace said and he could hear the smile in her voice. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to keep Lady York away from you two.”

With that, she walked off. Cedric didn’t pay her much mind, his attention resting solely on the beautiful lady in blue. He supposed it might seem rather odd to anyone who noticed him that he was staring so intently at her, but he didn’t care. Many people present were still talking about the waltz between the Ice Earl and the Dowager Viscountess. It would only add to the discourse already sounding their name.

He would simply wait. They were limited to how many dances they could share. He didn’t care so much about what others said about it but he didn’t want to make it difficult for her. So one, perhaps two. But once she got away from Lord Sotheby, Cedric would make it his mission to keep her by his side for the majority of the night.

Caroline pointed at something over Lord Sotheby’s shoulder. Cedric watched as she quickly set her untouched lemonade down and, when Lord Sotheby turned back to her with a look of confusion, she laughed and said something, gesturing behind her instead. His confusion only deepened and she seemed to be taking advantage of it, backing away as she spoke. Without giving him much of a chance to say anything, she turned and walked away.

Cedric grinned, seeing his chance .

Just as he was about to step away, a familiar figure slid into his path. Cedric took a step back, irritation crawling over him as he looked down at Isabella.

She only gazed back at him for a long moment, saying nothing. Cedric scoffed, preparing to walk away from her, but then seized his sleeve.

“Wait,” she pleaded. “I wanted to speak with you.”

“There is nothing we need to speak about,” he said, brushing her hand off him.

“Cedric.” Her tone was low, apologetic. Cedric hated hearing it. “It doesn’t have to be like this.”

“It didn’t have to be like this,” he corrected in a cold tone. “You were the one who ensured that we would never be cordial with each other ever again. Not me.”

Sadness seeped into her expression. Once upon a time, that pouting expression would have had him in the palm of her hands. He would have been willing to do anything for her just to put a smile on her face again. Now it only filled him with disgust and lingering resentment.

She blinked rapidly as if she was fighting back tears. “I hear the rumours about Lady Winterbourne and you.”

Cedric only stood there in stony silence.

When she looked back up, her eyes were dry. “They say that you are smitten with her. Some even say that she has stolen your heart. Is that true?”

He still didn’t respond. The only reason he wasn’t walking away from her was to know what she was actually getting to.

A sad smile touched her lips. “I suppose it is not my place to comment on your life. Not after what I did.”

“If you know that, then why are you here?” Cedric couldn’t help but ask in a snide tone. “I’m surprised Simon let you out of his sight in the first place.”

Isabella’s shoulders slumped as she glanced over one side. “I had slipped away while he was talking to one of his friends. He truly does not let me out of his sight, but I simply had to come and speak with you.”

“As I said, we have nothing— ”

“We do,” she insisted. And then she stepped closer, dropping her voice to a whisper, “You need to know the truth.”

“The truth is, Cedric,” Simon said as he appeared, sliding a territorial arm around Isabella, “we miss you.”

Cedric frowned. He looked back at Isabella, but her eyes were on the floor, her head bowed. He wasn’t used to seeing her like that. The woman he’d fallen in love with had always carried herself with the kind of confidence only a beautiful lady could possess.

“Isn’t that right, Isabella?” Simon asked, his smile far too broad. She nodded slowly, not raising her head.

Cedric didn’t buy a word of it. But he didn’t want to stand around her talking with them any more than he needed to.

“What do you say?” Simon asked him. “Why don’t we put aside these hard feelings and go back to who we used to be?”

“I would rather throw myself into the deepest parts of the ocean,” Cedric told him. “Do not approach me like this again. I’m getting tired of it.”

Then he walked away, his mood far too ruined to be in the company of anyone else right now.