Ice Cold Duke (Frigid Dukes #2)

Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

“ Y ou have come a long way as a dancer,” Lucien said as he steered Emery around the dancefloor. It was the waltz, of course, and Emery couldn’t believe that she was finally dancing it, in a ballroom full of beautiful, fashionable people, and in the arms of a man she--well, a man she admired greatly.

She smiled shyly at her husband. “Thank you. I have been practicing all week.”

He looked mildly surprised. “When did you find the time? We have been flat out with social engagements.”

“Leah and I practiced every night before bed,” Emery admitted. “We wanted to be perfect.”

“Well, you’re doing very well,” he said. “Better even than the last night at Dredford Castle.”

Emery glanced up at him, unsure of what to say. They had not spoken yet of that night, of the moment she had been sure he was about to kiss her. Perhaps it’s best if we don’t speak about it. But being at the Andersons’ Ball now, once more in his arms as he swept her around the room, she was reminded of it very strongly.

The memory, however, proved distracting, because at that very moment she trod on his feet.

“Uff,” he said, without thinking, and stumbled slightly.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry!” she whispered, freezing up at once. “I didn’t mean--”

“Don’t worry at all,” he said smoothly, resuming the dance with only the slightest of hiccups. “Just keep dancing.”

She forced herself to return to the steps, glancing around covertly through lowered eyes. Was it her imagination, or were heads turning in their direction?

“Do you think anyone saw that?” she murmured up to Lucien.

“I don’t know,” he said pleasantly. “Perhaps. But it’s no big deal. People make small mistakes dancing all the time.”

“Are you sure?” she could hear the panic in her voice. “I don’t want to embarrass you or Leah.”

“Don’t worry at all.” He smiled down at her, then held her a little closer. “I’ve been in the ton long enough to know the kinds of mistakes that matter and the kinds that don’t. This is one of those that don’t matter. It is a social faux pas that makes the tongues of the ton wag.”

Emery hoped he was right, but as she glanced around again, she thought she saw several ladies with their fans raised, whispering to one another. It doesn’t mean they’re whispering about you , she reminded herself. They could be gossiping about anything.

Still, she felt eyes watching her for the rest of the dance, and when at last it was over, she was relieved.

“Why don’t we go get some lemonade?” Lucien asked, and she nodded. He took her arm and led her away through the crowd, until the feeling of eyes burning into the back of her head was gone. At the lemonade stand, he handed her a glass, and she sipped it gratefully.

“I’d like to introduce you to some friends of mine,” Lucien said after a moment. “Would you feel comfortable with that?”

“Of course!” The lemonade had revived her, and now that she was away from the dancefloor, she was eager to once again throw herself into this experience.

“Good. Some of them are right over there. And--ahh--Leah is with them.”

He led her by the hand over to a small group of people gathered nearby, which included Aunt Wilhelmina, Leah, two ladies Emery didn’t know, and a gentleman she thought looked vaguely familiar, although she couldn’t place from where.

Lucien introduced the two ladies as Lady Violet Crane and Lady Emeline Rolfsley and the man as Dorian Attor, the Duke of Nottington.

“Ahh, Your Grace,” Nottington said, bowing low before her. “I’m pleased to officially make your acquaintance. Your husband has told me much about you.”

Emery felt her stomach churn nervously. Does that mean the Duke has told him what a disaster our wedding was? Is he a friend, or a foe, in our attempt to keep it all a secret?

However, as she offered him her hand, he gave her a kind, if reserved smile, and she got the impression that he wasn’t about to tell the ton the truth of what happened that day.

“It is nice to make your acquaintance as well,” she said, as he kissed her hand. “I wish my husband had told me more about you.”

“I don’t take it personally,” Nottington said with a smile. “The Duke is very reserved. I’d be surprised if he’d told you much about me.”

“And how do you enjoy being the Duchess of Dredford, Your Grace?” one of the ladies asked. Emery couldn’t remember which was which, and she felt herself flush with embarrassment.

“I like it very much, Miss Crane,” she said, smiling at the lady. At once, she could tell that she’d said something wrong. The woman’s face went pale, and everyone in the group stopped talking and stared at them.

The woman glanced at Lucien, then back at Emery. “I’m g-glad to hear that,” she stammered.

“ Lady Crane is also an old friend,” Lucien said, and Emery realized her mistake at once: she had taken away the lady’s title by calling her a mere miss . Mortification flooded her, and she wished she could have disappeared on the spot. Calling a lady of the ton by the wrong title was one of the worst faux pas she could imagine. Emery looked at Lucien, trying to ascertain how bad her mistake had been, but his expression remained neutral and mild.

“Well, any friend of the Duke’s is a friend of mine,” Emery managed to say, turning back to Lady Crane and giving her the most apologetic smile she could muster. “I am very pleased to make your acquaintance.”

They chatted idly for a few minutes more. Lady Crane was curious to hear about Leah’s first Season and whether or not she was enjoying herself, while the Duke of Nottington said very little, although Emery couldn’t help but notice that his eyes kept flickering to Leah more often than was strictly necessary.

At last, she excused herself, saying that she needed some air.

“I will come with you,” Lucien said at once.

“That isn’t necessary,” she began to say, but he shook his head.

“I must insist,” he said. “It is an honor to escort my new bride everywhere.”

He took her arm and together they began to weave through the crowded ballroom toward the balconies that would allow them to get some fresh air.

“Was that very bad?” she asked as they skirted the edge of the ballroom. “Will Lady Crane tell everyone that I insulted her honor by calling her a Miss?”

“Oh, that?” To her surprise, Lucien didn’t look concerned at all. If anything, he seemed as if he had already forgotten about it. “Oh, don’t worry at all. Lady Crane is a very kind and generous woman. She would never hold that against you or put our family honor at risk by gossiping about any of us. Don’t worry, Emery. You have done nothing to worry yourself about.”

Emery bit her lip. She wasn’t sure if the Duke was telling the truth or just being nice to her, but either way, his reassurance went a long way. And by the time they came out onto the balcony, she was feeling significantly better.

“You really don’t think I embarrassed myself?” Emery said, turning to face her husband as the cool air spread over her cheeks and neck, calming her. “I know what a stickler you are for the rules.”

Lucien took a step toward her, his eyes smoldering as a smile licked across his lips. “I’m sure, Duchess. I am, as you say, a stickler for rules, but even the ton doesn’t expect people to be perfect.”

They looked at each other for a moment, then the music changed in the room next to them and Emery glanced through the doors of the balcony and into the ballroom. Ladies and gentlemen were clapping politely for the musicians as others were led to and fro from the dancefloor. And to Emery’s delight, she saw that Georgina was standing nearby, accompanied by her mother. Before Emery could even point her out to Lucien, however, she saw Henry approaching, a strange, almost nervous look on his face.

“There’s Henry,” she said, pointing to him. “We should go and say hello.”

She had just moved toward the door when Lucien held out his hands to stop her. “Wait.” Her husband was wearing a funny look on his face. His eyes were narrowed and he was watching his brother intently as he approached Georgina.

Henry reached Georgina and bowed before her. Emery tilted her head to one side. It was odd to see Henry behave so properly with such an old friend of his. She would have thought he’d just walk up to her and begin speaking, like he might with Emery herself.

“Henry is being oddly formal,” she said aloud as she watched them. He was now taking Georgina’s hand and pressing the back of it to her lips. “Gosh,” Emery whispered, suddenly feeling the blood rising in her cheeks. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him behave thus to a lady. And especially Georgina!”

“She is a friend of yours,” Lucien said. It wasn’t a question, but he still had a curious look on his face, as if he were trying to place her.

“Yes. She was at the castle last week when we played that board game.”

“Ahh yes. I remember her now. And she is friends with Henry also? Old friends?”

“Well, old-ish.” Emery considered this. “He is much older friends with me. He and I have known each other since the cradle, of course, and Georgina and I have been friends almost as long. But I didn’t introduce them to one another until a few years ago.”

“Hmm.” Lucien’s brow was now entirely knit together. He seemed to have realized something, but it wasn’t exactly improving his mood. “I’m not sure that he and Miss--what is her name?”

“Miss Georgina Holloway.”

“Yes. If he and Miss Holloway should be seen together.”

“What? Why?” Emery stared at him, aghast. “They are good friends!”

“Yes, well, he is behaving most rakishly toward her.”

Emery looked back at the two of them. Henry was now speaking in a low voice to Georgina, close to her ear, and she was laughing. It was perhaps a touch intimate, but one could expect such things from a close friend.

“I believe you are mistaken,” she said. “They are just conversing.”

“He is embarrassing us and our family!” Lucien thundered. His face had become a mask of anger, and Emery felt a small flicker of fear in her stomach. Did something happen? Why is he so angry?

She glanced back at Henry and Georgina, and then something seemed to slot into place.

Oh!

For a moment, it felt as if the ground beneath her had fallen away, as if she were standing on the deck of a ship that was rocking back and forth. It couldn’t be!

And then Lucien’s words came rushing back to her, words she had completely forgotten about in the event of having to unexpectedly share a bed with her husband. He mentioned an attachment to another lady and now the ton believes he may have proposed to, or even tried to elope with, someone other than you, thus violating your engagement contract.

Henry had feelings for someone else! That was why he had been so eager to break off their engagement. That’s why it had only taken one letter from her for him to run away--risking everything.

And the lady, no doubt, was Emery’s best friend, Georgina. Watching them together now, she couldn’t believe it had taken her so long to see it. The affection was obvious. Henry couldn’t stop smiling, and his ears were very red. Georgina, meanwhile, was blushing prettily, and her mouth also kept curving up into a smile. She also kept lowering her eyelashes and fluttering them while giggling, something Emery had never seen her do before. It was practically coquettish !

“Oh my goodness,” she said. She was so stunned that her mouth had literally fallen open. “I cannot believe it.”

Lucien turned to her, and when she looked up at him, she could see how livid he was.

“This is his fault,” her husband whispered. “He is the reason that you are I were forced to marry one another. If he had not formed designs on this Miss Holloway, he would have received your letter and at least had the foresight to talk to me about it, to bring to my attention both your unhappiness in the marriage. Instead, he panicked, and acted rashly, because he hoped it might end with an engagement to her!”

“Lucien--” Emery began, her own panic starting to set in now at the look of fury on her husband’s face.

But he wasn’t listening. “This just proves, once again, that I was right!” Lucien snarled. “Love turns people into selfish monsters who are willing to doom the rest of their families just so they can play out their fanciful dreams.”

“That isn’t fair, Lucien,” Emery said sharply. “I also wanted out of the engagement. Henry and I both dealt with it improperly, but it isn’t just his fault.”

“No. This is his fault.” Lucien shook his head, his eyes blazing. “You were an innocent girl. He was a man grown. He knew what was at stake with Leah and our family fortune. And yet he still threw it all away simply because he had a passing fancy for a pretty face. I will never forgive him for this.”

“Lucien, please,” Emery said, grabbing his hand and turning him around to face her. She looked pleadingly up into his eyes. “Don’t be angry at your brother. Please. Let us just have a good time together at this ball. There has been enough strife already in our family. And… and things did not turn out so badly, did they? Our marriage is not so horrible? We are friends, are we not?”

“Friends.” Lucien snorted, then wrenched his hand from her grasp. “We can never be friends, Emery.”

“Why not?” she whispered. She felt as if someone had filled her stomach with lead. All she wanted was to return to the joyous, happy feeling that had filled her up just moments before, when he’d reassured her she hadn’t made any mistakes. But it was all gone.

“We cannot be friends,” he said heavily, “because I am not your co-conspirator. I am your jailer. I am the one who took away your happiness. And it is all because of my little brother’s selfishness.”

He then turned away and, without another word, strode from the balcony and disappeared into the crowd.

Emery sighed, shaking her head as she turned back to watch Henry and Georgina. As upset as she was by her husband’s words, she also felt certain that he would calm down after he’d taken some time for himself. Realizing the identity of the woman who had made Henry so eager to break off their engagement must have shocked Lucien, and she could understand his anger, but he had already known there was another woman, and he would recover in time.

If anyone should be angry, it’s me. I’m the one who was left at the altar because my fiancé had fallen in love with my best friend!

But as much as Emery searched for the emotion, she couldn’t find any anger. Yes, there was surprise, perhaps even a little bit of prideful hurt. But there wasn’t anger, or jealousy for that matter.

I never loved Henry, and he never loved me. It would be a waste of time to be angry that he found someone else he could love.

He and Georgina were now standing side-by-side, a little awkwardly, not speaking. It was almost funny how nervous they both looked. He was rocking back and forth on his feet, while she was twisting her hands in front of her.

“Why doesn’t he ask her to dance?” Emery muttered to herself. “He must be too shy.”

Well, if Henry was too shy to ask Georgina to dance, then Emery would have to help him.

She walked across the balcony and opened the door, letting herself back into the ballroom. Immediately, she was met with a burst of heat and loud, raucous sound, as all the laughter and conversation of the ballroom had been muted out on the balcony. She quickly waded through the crowd over to her friends and tapped Henry on the shoulder.

“There you two are,” she said, smiling at them both. “I was just looking for you two.”

“Oh, hello,” Henry said, and he looked sideways at Georgina as if nervous about something--probably Emery catching him.

“Hello, Em,” Georgina said, kissing Emery’s cheek. “How are you enjoying your first ball?”

“Oh, very much, indeed,” Emery said, beaming. “I have danced at least four times! And two of them with my husband, which I’ve been told is a touch scandalous.”

“I think it is alright for newlyweds,” Georgina said with a laugh.

“Have you danced much?” Emery asked her, and Georgina blushed.

“Oh, no… there are not many gentlemen here tonight, I fear.”

Emery looked pointedly at Henry. “Well why don’t you and Henry dance together?”

“Oh!” Georgina, Emery was pleased to see, turned an even deeper shade of pink at the suggestion. “Well… I don’t know… We are such good friends. Perhaps it would be strange?” Her eyes darted to Henry’s, then she looked away quickly.

“It wouldn’t be strange at all!” Emery declared, before Henry could say anything. His eyes had gone very wide, and he looked mildly panicked. “I’d dance with him myself, but after our broken engagement, I think that would cause far too much gossip.”

“But I…” Henry looked between the two of them. “I did not plan to dance tonight. Lucien told me it would be better if I did not.”

Emery waved away this concern. “Lucien is not your keeper. He may be the head of the family, but he cannot keep you from dancing. Especially since, as Georgina said, gentlemen are scarce. You would be doing all the ladies here a favor by dancing! And that could only improve our family’s reputation.”

She smiled at him so sweetly and so convincingly that he could brook no opposition.

“I s-suppose you are right,” he stammered at last, then turned to Georgina. “Miss Holloway, would you do me the honor?”

He held out his hand, and Georgina set hers in his, her eyes shining up at his.

“Yes, Lord Henry,” she murmured. “I would be honored.”

Henry’s hand closed around Georgina’s, and then he led her away to the dancefloor, Emery watching them go with a satisfied smirk on her face.

Somebody around here should get a love match, she thought to herself, even if it isn’t me!