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

Chapter Sixteen

Cedric was standing just a few feet away from her.

Caroline was so aware of that fact that she couldn’t focus on a single thing the gentleman standing before her was saying. She couldn’t even remember his name or title, only that her mother had dragged him into her path a few minutes ago just when Caroline had found Cedric in the midst of it all again.

“Wouldn’t you say so, my lady?” the gentleman said.

“Hm, yes,” she hummed thoughtlessly, not bothering to look up at him. Caroline honestly didn’t care if he was offended by her lack of attention. She was too busy willing Cedric to turn around.

They were already an hour into the ball and they were yet to cross paths. Caroline couldn’t believe it.

It was easy to see that they wanted to see each other. When she’d managed to slip away from Lord Sotheby, Cedric had disappeared. She tried to look around the ballroom but could only do so much when she was being hounded by her mother.

Elizabeth was determined to ensure that Caroline was never without male company. When she got away from Lord Sotheby, Elizabeth appeared minutes later with two gentlemen on either side of her, sandwiching Caroline between them. Only then did Cedric reappear and their eyes met from across the room. But his attention was torn away by another gentleman.

It was a constant back and forth, going around in circles. Caroline was nearing her wit’s end.

“You do not seem to be listening to me, my lady,” the man said at last, sounding irate.

Caroline blinked up at him. For a moment, she considered apologizing and coming up with an excuse for why her mind was so distant, but why bother? If she was being honest with herself, she would take any route that was bound to get her out of this conversation sooner.

“I’m not,” she said at last. “I am simply not interested.”

The gentleman scowled at that and looked as if he was ready to argue when Louisa appeared .

“I do think that is your cue to leave, my lord,” Louisa said, slipping in front of him. With her back turned, she completely shut him out, which gave him no choice but to walk away to lick his wounded ego elsewhere.

“Thank you,” Caroline breathed. “I can only hope Mother will leave me be for a short while.”

“As do I.” Louisa was studying her curiously. “It is not like you to be so rudely blunt.”

“Was I too short with him?” Caroline asked uncertainly. “I was only hoping that would be enough to get him to leave me be.”

“You’ll hear no complaints from me. I, for one, would be happy if you were a little less nice.”

“Why would I do that when I have you?”

Louisa laughed. “Pray, do not provoke me, Caroline. I’m on my fourth glass of wine and it has since loosened my tongue.”

“Fourth?” Caroline gasped in surprise. “Others will certainly have something to say about that.”

“Perhaps. Perhaps not. I believe they may be far too interested in the Ice Earl staring at you from across the room to care about my overindulgence.”

Caroline felt her face grow hot. She was so painfully aware of where Cedric stood but she didn’t dare turn. “Is he looking at me now?”

Louisa gave her a look of surprise. “Yes, he is. Do you want me to tell him or—”

“No!” Caroline cried out. Her entire body seemed to go up in flames at her exclamation. It didn’t help when Louisa burst out in laughter at her expense.

“Well, he is certainly looking at you now.”

Caroline was tempted to peek. She didn’t know why she was acting like a juvenile smitten with the neighbor’s son. She was more mature than this and she’d been married before.

But when she turned around, she caught Cedric’s eyes, and it felt as if all her common sense flew out the nearest door. She couldn’t look away. He held her in a trance, the side of his lips quirking up into a smirk but she couldn’t find the strength to smile back. She was too busy trying to handle the barrage of butterflies that erupted in the pit of her stomach, a miraculous feat considering it felt as if her body had been set on fire.

“My lady Caroline.”

And just like that, the trance was broken and Caroline was sent crashing back down to reality. It took all her strength to keep from scowling up at Lord Sotheby for once again ruining her moment with Cedric.

He held his hand out to her, bowing deeply. “May I have this dance?”

The rejection was ripe on her tongue but she didn’t get the chance to voice it when her mother came swooping in.

“I’m sure she would love to!” Elizabeth gushed, taking Caroline's hand and placing it in Lord Sotheby’s. “Pray, do make haste. You would not wish for them to commence without your presence.”

Lord Sotheby quickly took advantage of it, almost as if he knew he would not get his dance if left up to Caroline. The choice was taken right out of her hands. Caroline held back her labored sigh.

It was just one dance, she told herself. One dance and then she could escape Lord Sotheby’s clutches once more.

A tall figure appeared in the corner of her eye. As Lord Sotheby gathered her close, Caroline spied Cedric on the dance floor as well.

He had a beautiful young lady in his arms—but his gaze was on Caroline.

The music began. Caroline moved her feet without thinking, not taking her eyes off Cedric. She felt herself sink into the icy-blue gaze, felt every nerve in her body come alive. As she was swept around the dance floor, and Cedric did the same with his dance partner, tension mounted. Try as she might, she could not look away. She could not pay Lord Sotheby any mind though she knew she was being incredibly discourteous. She only cared about him.

The dance lasted only a few minutes, though it felt like seconds. Caroline was only vaguely aware of standing apart from Lord Sotheby as he thanked her for the dance and she barely acknowledged him with a nod. She was too busy watching Cedric guide his dance partner away from the dance floor .

“Caroline?”

Caroline blinked, looking up at Lord Sotheby. “Yes, my lord?”

His patience was outstanding, she had to admit. Even she would have been annoyed by her lack of attention. “I asked if you would like something to drink.”

She shook her head. “Actually, I think I need a bit of fresh air.”

“Let me—”

“No, I would like to be alone, thank you.”

She tried offering a smile before she walked away, ignoring the pinch of guilt she felt at the disappointment in his eyes. Lord Sotheby was still a decent man at the end of it all. She simply did not share his affections.

She headed straight for the terrace doors, needing that bit of fresh air more than she’d expected to. Spending over an hour in mental anguish at the hands of the Ice Earl was not something she’d expect to be doing tonight. And it was exhausting.

The fresh night breeze outside helped calm her nerves a bit. Caroline headed a bit further, delving into the shadows cast by the Whitmore’s cypress trees. She went down a small stoned path that led towards the gardens, telling herself that she couldn’t go too far. She simply wanted to be away from the noise and lights of the ball.

Soon enough, she came across a small stone bench tucked around a corner, bathed in a swath of moonlight. Just as she moved towards it, a figure came around the corner in front of her.

Caroline froze. She stared into Cedric’s ice-blue eyes in disbelief.

His own surprise cleared far quicker than hers. “It seemed we had the same idea.”

Caroline released the breath she had been holding. “Good,” she managed to say. “I was afraid you’d fallen into the habit of following me.”

“That would be a rather difficult habit to break, Caroline,” he murmured.

Caroline huffed a laugh, even though her heart skipped a beat. He didn’t smile. He came closer instead, stones crunching under his feet .

Caroline’s heart began to race. She struggled to keep herself composed. “I thought you did not take part in dancing at balls, Cedric,” she said. “And here I thought I was the exception.”

“You are,” he said in a low voice as he continued to come closer. He didn’t stop until he was only a foot away from her. “You are the only lady I have willingly danced with in years.”

“So that lady was…”

“Someone forced upon me by my aunt. As you can imagine, she usually gets her way. Though I suppose I should thank you for it in this instance.”

“Why is that?”

He dared to take another step forward. And Caroline dared to stay right where she was. “Because it has made you jealous.”

How she managed to maintain eye contact was beyond her. Her voice was barely above a whisper as she said, “I was not jealous.”

“A pity. I certainly was.”

She forgot how to speak. Even the ability to breathe properly grew difficult when his eyes dipped to her lips. She knew what was going to come next and she wasn’t prepared for it.

His hand reached up to cup her cheek, the pad of his thumb brushing that sensitive spot at the corner of her mouth. All of a sudden, she couldn’t wait long enough. As he leaned in, his eyes drifting close, Caroline wanted to seize him by the lapels of his waistcoat and drag him to her lips.

But she waited, letting her eyes drift close.

The moment their lips touched, it felt as if everything in her life finally clicked into place. Their lips molded together perfectly. Her knees grew weak but then his arm slid around her back and pressed her to his chest as if he sensed she could not stand on her own any longer. Not when it felt as if her deepest wish had come true. Not when, with this single kiss, she knew she’d fallen irrevocably in love.

Cedric was gentle, his lips moving softly against hers. The way his fingers splayed against her back, his other hand still cupping her cheek, made her feel treasured. Wanted. She’d never felt anything like this before. Even their hearts pounded in sync .

A soft moan of objection flew from her lips when he pulled away. She felt his breath on the tip of her nose as he chuckled but she didn’t open her eyes.

“We may be found if we stay here any longer,” he said softly.

“I do not care,” she stated. Feeling bold all of a sudden, she leaned into him, pressing her forehead against his chest.

His chest vibrated with his laughter. “While I would like nothing more than to stay here with you for as long as possible, either my aunt or my cousin will come looking for me if I am gone for long. And you mother…”

“Dear God, we’d better get back, should we?”

This time, she joined in with his laughter. “Meet me by the mantle,” he said. “I’ve spent far too long without your company already. I won’t let the rest of the night go by in that manner.”

“Are you saying I will remain glued to your side all evening, Cedric?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.

“I am. Any protests?”

“You will hear none from me.”

“Marvellous.” That dizzying thumb of his continued moving against her cheek. “We part ways on three then.”

Caroline nodded, even though every bone in her body stiffened at the thought of parting ways, even if it was for a short while.

“One.” His hand drifted to her chin to cup it. “Two.” Then it traveled down the length of her arm to grasp her hand. “Three.” Then he kissed her, a quick yet earth-shattering meeting of the lips that left her breathless.

He grinned devilishly at her as he retreated backwards, as if he knew exactly what he’d just done. Caroline didn’t even have the strength to scowl at him. She still stood there and stared as he went out of sight.

Slowly, on leaden feet with a heart threatening to burst right out of her chest, Caroline turned and headed back into the house. She would have much to write about tonight.