Page 34 of Miss Ellis Unleashed

“Good night, Lord Throsby,” she said. “Pleasant dreams.”

“My dreams…” he began, and then his lips twitched. “They’ll be of kissing you again.”

Daisy blushed as he disappeared out the door then exited the town house. Then she slowly collapsed to the floor in her very first swoon over a romance she’d never seen coming, but planned to enjoy to the full.

Chapter Ten

Max smiled at the hostess. “Lady Sanderson. So good to see you again?”

The older lady fluttered her fan. “Lord Throsby, how delighted I am to see you at last. I was starting to think you’d forgotten me.”

“Never. Apologies for my tardy response to your invitation,” he murmured. He was late, but not unforgivably so. The ball was well underway, and his leaving home had been at the very last minute. He’d been torn about what to wear.

But as the hostess’s eyes roved over him from head to toe, he concluded that he had made the right choice. She seemed impressed that he had chosen to wear one of his more flamboyant waistcoats, and his father’s dress ring, too.

He hoped he didn’t look like an overstuffed goose, and that Daisy didn’t laugh if he did. “I have been much involved elsewhere, but I would never miss an event of yours.”

“Family obligations can be so wearying. I was very sorry to hear about your cousin,” she murmured solicitously. “So tragic to die so young.”

“He will be missed,” he said, but likely only by his children and mistress.

“Well.” The hostess’ eyes brightened suddenly as she dismissed his dead cousin from her mind. “Let’s see which young ladies you don’t know yet?”

Max groaned under his breath. He knew everyone in society and their daughters, too. He’d extensively researched potential friendships to strike up and rivalries to avoid before launching Daisy upon society. But it had been done in the interests of helping her to make a suitable match. Now his interest in Daisy’s future had changed to something rather selfish. He did not want her to marry anyone but him. Not after their second romantic encounter.

He saw Daisy across the room. So did Lady Sanderson, and he sensed she deliberately turned him in the opposite direction. Lady Sanderson showed him off like some highly prized stallion, stopping often to speak with matrons who all had daughters with large dowries to marry off this season. He couldn’t seem to shake her clutches, either.

He was forced to re-meet all of the unmarried daughters, and saw nothing to impress him still. Since none had made overtures of friendship toward Daisy or her friends—or any women with far lower dowries—he kept his greetings on the cool side.

After half an hour of his indifference, the hostess was finally exasperated by his lack of interest in debutants and gave up. She excused herself and told him to enjoy the party.

He would, now that she had stopped trying to saddle him with unsuitable women while preventing him from even speaking with Daisy.

He made his way around the room again and, as hoped, came upon Daisy. She looked as frustrated as he felt. He bowed, and they made small talk for a moment.

“I was beginning to think we wouldn’t have a chance to speak tonight,” Daisy observed.

“Lady Sanderson is an old friend and means well.” He regarded Daisy, including the low-cut gown she was wearing, and then tugged on his neckcloth.

“She wishes to see you matched quickly and claim the credit, I suppose. I’m surprised she let you escape her clutches so soon.”

“Foolishness,” he complained. The only woman who interested him was within arm’s reach now. He inched closer to Daisy and lowered his voice. “I thought, perhaps, I shouldn’t make it obvious I was eager to talk to you.”

Daisy smiled and kept her eyes on the crowd. “I feel the same. Is it not strange.”

“Yes,” he agreed.

Max was more comfortable with his attraction to Daisy when they were alone. Here, he had to guard every word and gesture from others standing nearby. They were already drawing attention. “Perhaps we could take a turn about the room and talk some more?”

“I should like that,” she said, and they turned away from the hostess. She did not reach for his arm, and he did not offer it, either. After a few steps, she glanced up at him. “My lord, I’m curious about something. Why do you really not wish to inherit the dukedom?”

Max nodded. “For so many reasons. The distance from London is one, the drafty halls and freezing winters there another. The bowing and simpering that started tonight, when I walked into the ballroom as a future duke. The worry and expense of maintaining so large an estate, and the debts I will likely inherit upon my uncle’s demise. Also, my cousin spent money unwisely in expectation of his eventual elevation, leaving his widow poor, and it’s likely the ducal estate will have to pay her bills, too, just to avoid the scandal of it all.”

“Lord Throsby, you have always worried a great deal too much, but I’m sure you’ll rise to the challenge and succeed beyond your wildest dreams,” Daisy promised, and her smile suggested utter confidence in him.

He felt his cheeks heating from the unexpected praise and support that had been so rare in his adult life. “I’ll do my best not to disappoint you.”

“You didn’t approve of him, did you? Your cousin, I mean.”