Chapter Eleven

M alcolm watched Lady Euphemia, who hesitated a brief moment. Then her curiosity won out, and she smiled at him, causing his heart to thump against his ribs in a manner he had never experienced before.

"I would be happy to partner with you for the supper dance, Your Grace."

"Good. I am glad that is settled. I suppose I should greet those in your large family whom I have already met and be introduced to the rest who are still strangers to me."

She chuckled. "Yes, you have yet to meet Allegra and Lyric, my cousins, and their spouses."

Quickly, she led him about the circle of Strongs, and he greeted Lady Mathilda, who stood with the Duke and Duchess of Seaton. Next came Lady Euphemia's older sisters, the twins who favored one another, and their husbands.

Looking at Lord Hopewell and Lord Edgethorne, Malcolm quipped, "I almost did not recognize you, my lords. You had no children in your arms or dangling about your shoulders."

Both men laughed good-naturedly, and Lord Edgethorne said, "You should have seen me waltzing around the nursery this evening with Evelyn before we departed for this ball." A wistful look entered his eyes. "I am afraid all too soon, she will be grown and no longer dancing with her papa—but with the man who will steal her heart."

He had not spoken much to Lord and Lady Bridgewater. Lady Bridgewater's auburn hair stood out among this group, and he complimented her on its shade.

"Thank you, Your Grace. Most of the Strongs have dark hair, but my red tresses come from my grandmother, just as Effie's blond ones do from our other grandmother."

"But you all have those cornflower blue eyes," he said.

Lady Bridgewater nodded. "They are the Strong eyes. We are known for them."

"Let me introduce you to my cousins," Lady Euphemia told him, easing him around the rest of the circle. "This is His Grace, the Duke of Waterbury. Lord and Lady Carroll. And Lord and Lady Blankenship."

He greeted the two couples, vaguely recalling that both these husbands had been quite wild.

Lord Carroll said, "I see you are trying to place us, Your Grace. Lord Blankenship and I had a bit of a reputation before Allegra and Lyric tamed us. Now, we are still good friends with one another, but we are quite docile husbands."

Lady Carroll shook her head in disbelief. "Docile?" she asked, arching one brow at him. "I would say you were more hungry like a wolf, my lord," she said flirtatiously, causing them all to laugh. Only Malcolm remained silent, wondering about this family.

Lady Blankenship said, "I hear that you and Lady Ada accompanied Effie to Gunter's last week, Your Grace. I hope you enjoyed the treats you chose."

"Yes, my lady," Malcolm replied. "It was our first visit to the shop, but I promise it will not be our last."

Lady Carroll said, "We ladies would like to take your sister there again so that we might have a good, long chat and get to know her. And eat ices, of course."

Lord Carroll said, "You would go to Gunter's without the men in the family, knowing how much we all enjoy their offerings?"

Lord Blankenship added, "We would not have to be seated at the same table as you. We could sit and entertain ourselves."

Lady Blankenship swatted her fan playfully at her husband. "All of you may go to White's together. Take His Grace with you and drink coffee and gossip even more than fishwives do. We will look after Lady Ada."

Talk of his sister reminded Malcolm that Lady Euphemia had suggested they dine together this evening.

"It was lovely meeting all of you, but I must speak with my sister. Excuse me."

He guided Lady Euphemia back to Ada. She still spoke with Lord Ashmore. This was the longest she had spent with any gentleman this evening, and he asked, "Ashmore, are you dancing with my sister tonight?"

The tips of the viscount's ears pinkened. "I am, Your Grace. The supper dance."

"Then I would ask for you and my sister to join Lady Euphemia and me so that we might dine together."

Lord Ashmore smiled. "Thank you, Your Grace. That is a splendid idea."

Malcolm saw happiness written on Ada's face and wondered if this man would be the one to keep his sister happy for a lifetime.

Lady Euphemia said, "Excuse us," and guided him away from the large group of Strongs.

"It is time for you to move about the ballroom, Your Grace," she told him matter-of-factly. "Sign those programmes. You must be active in your pursuit of a bride." Her eyes twinkled. "Especially since you do not have your mother perusing the Marriage Mart for you."

She glanced over her shoulder and back to him. "My brother will take care of Lady Ada in your absence."

He bowed to her. "Until the supper dance, my lady."

Malcolm actually did as she suggested. He did not want Lady Euphemia to be the only woman he danced with. While he still had every intention to stake his claim regarding her, he did not want to be too obvious this first evening. Moving about the room, he sought out a few of the gentlemen he had renewed acquaintances with at White's, meeting their wives and those who had sisters, whose dance cards he signed.

Returning to the group of Strongs, Malcolm claimed Ada, leading her away for a private word. Her cheeks were flushed, and the dancing had yet to commence, although he saw the musicians beginning to tune their instruments.

"Did you have enough gentlemen sign your programme?" he asked.

"Oh, yes, Waterbury. Every one of them you introduced me to did so. A few others also added their names when I visited with Lady Euphemia and her family. Mrs. Andrews knows absolutely everyone in this ballroom and was able to introduce me to a good number of gentlemen. Several asked for a dance, but I had no more open spots on my card. I told them we would have to partner at the next ball two nights from now."

He had no idea what events they would be attending this week. He had depended upon his mother to keep him informed, so Malcolm was glad that Ada seemed to have a grasp on where they would be going. He also wondered if Mama would be over her tantrum and accompany them to these future events. Surely, she would not sit home the entire Season. Then again, he hadn't a clue what she would do. He had accused her of not knowing him, and the same was true regarding her. Malcolm had spent so little time in her company, he knew little about her.

Spying a gentleman coming their way, he knew the man was ready to claim Ada for the first set and said, "I will be here in the ballroom if you need me. Have your partner return you to me each time."

"You will not be in the card room at all this evening?" she questioned.

"No, I am looking for a bride, remember?" He grinned. "I do not think I will find one in the card room."

Once Ada left with her partner, Malcolm moved across the room to his own partner, and they danced the first set, a lively country dance. He felt fortunate that Lady Euphemia was in their group of eight because it gave him a chance to see her dancing. She moved with ease, laughing as she did so. He did not think he had ever seen a lady enjoy herself dancing so much as Lady Euphemia did. Then again, he was prejudiced, favoring everything about her.

He sat out the next number, standing on the sidelines, watching both his sister and the woman who had captured his attention. He would not say that Lady Euphemia had captured his heart.

Not yet.

Malcolm found himself enjoying the evening and his various partners. The only Season he had attended, he had been focused on finding a bride, but he had spent more time playing cards than dancing, allowing his mother to observe which lady he should offer for. This time, he felt more lighthearted in all he did and ascribed that to Lady Euphemia's influence. Not only was she helping to change Ada, but she was changing him, as well.

The supper dance arrived, and he went to where the group of Strongs gathered. He had seen some of the men leave for the card room, but all were present and accounted for now, ready to dance with their wives and take them into supper.

Before claiming Lady Euphemia, Malcolm made certain to speak to her mother and Mr. Andrews.

"You raised a fine group of girls, Mrs. Andrews. They all seem to be most happy in their marriages."

"Are you dancing with my Effie now?" Mr. Andrews asked pointedly.

"I am, Captain," he said, addressing Mr. Andrews by the title his family lovingly bestowed upon him.

The captain cocked an eyebrow at him. "I will be watching," he said, turning to gaze protectively at Lady Euphemia.

"I know," Malcolm replied.

He moved to her and couldn't help but think she was the most beautiful woman in this ballroom. He had thought her pretty when first introduced to her, but the more he learned about her, the more he held her in esteem.

"I hope you waltz well, Your Grace," she said as they stepped upon the dance floor. "I had my toes trampled upon twice this evening. Twice! It is a miracle I am even walking now."

Smiling at her, he said, "That does not seem to have slowed you down one bit, my lady."

"Nothing would slow me tonight, Your Grace. Mama wished for me to make the most of my come-out, and I plan to do so."

The musicians took up their bows, and Malcolm slipped his arm about her, taking her hand in his. The waltz began, and they glided across the floor together with ease, seemingly as one.

"Oh, you do dance divinely, Your Grace."

"Thank you, Lady Euphemia."

Her nose crinkled. "I wish you would stop calling me that. The only person who addresses me that way is Mama, and that is only when she is put out with me. Please, I wish you would call me Effie."

"It suits you, you know."

"Euphemia was my grandmother's name. She, too, had her family refer to her as Effie."

"Then from now on, it shall be Lady Effie," he said.

Malcolm had thought they would talk during this waltz, the only dance where a conversation was manageable. Instead, he simply gave himself over to the moment, enjoying the feel of her in his arms and the subtle scent of gardenias upon her dewy skin.

When the music ended, he was reluctant to release her and held her to him a moment longer than he should have. She looked at him quizzically, and he dropped his arms, reaching for her hand and tucking it into the crook of his arm.

"Shall we go into supper?" he asked.

They moved slowly, all the guests headed to the same destination.

"Thank you for inviting Lord Ashmore to join us at supper," she said. "He spoke with Lady Ada for a very long time. It will give her even more of a chance to get to know him even better. I assume Lord Ashmore will become one of her callers tomorrow afternoon."

It struck Malcolm that he needed to be in two places at once tomorrow afternoon. How was he to chaperone Ada with her suitors when he wanted to call upon Lady Effie? He supposed he would have to apologize to Mama and make certain she took up chaperoning duties in order to allow him the freedom to call upon Lady Effie. Until he knew of that, however, he would not speak up about his intentions to visit with her tomorrow. He did not know if surprise visits occurred from suitors, but Mrs. Andrews would be gracious enough not to turn him away.

He saw Ada, who waved at him, and Malcolm began guiding Lady Effie toward his sister and her escort. He did not know much of anything about Viscount Ashmore and would definitely spend some of this supper hour learning more about this suitor.

As they joined up, Lord Ashmore said, "I have told Lady Ada that there are two ways to go about the buffet. We can leave the ladies once we have claimed a table for ourselves, or they can go through the buffet line with us and make their own selections."

Ada immediately spoke up. "I would like to see all the food on display if you do not mind, Lady Effie. I would not wish to leave you seated alone, though."

"No, I am more than happy to have the four of us stay together. I have already promised Cook I would tell her about tonight's food displays and what Lady Simmons served. Cook is already making plans with Mama about what to prepare for my come-out ball."

Guilt raced through Malcolm. That was another of the topics he had meant to broach with his mother and had forgotten to do so. He hoped Mama would not continue to sulk, and would help plan Ada's come-out ball. If for any reasons she refused to do so, he would need assistance. He thought of Mrs. Andrews and asking for her help. The thought caused him to chuckle, thinking how upset his mother would be with that suggestion.

"What is so amusing, Your Grace?" Lady Effie asked.

"The entire evening, my lady. Come, let us head to the buffet while others are seating themselves."

When they reached the place to start, Malcolm grimaced inwardly, seeing his former father-in-law. It would be the first time they had seen one another since Imogen's funeral. The earl had been quite upset about his daughter's death and had not even returned to the house with the other mourners. Already, he could tell the older man was upset to see the man who had wed his daughter in the company of another lady.

"Good evening, Lord Bilford," he said politely.

The earl's mouth hardened, and he looked as if had swallowed something sour. "Your Grace."

Knowing he would need to introduce his companions, Malcolm said, "You may recall my younger sister, Lady Ada. And this is Lord Ashmore and Lady Euphemia Strong. Lord Bilford is Imogen's—my wife's—father."

He had reverted back to Effie's formal, given name, not feeling comfortable using it as he introduced the two. Then it struck him he had called Imogen his wife, which seemed to magnify the earl's anger. Bilford looked ready to explode, and Malcolm feared what might be unleashed. Before he could speak, though, Lady Effie took Lord Bilford's hand.

With sympathy on her face and in her voice, she said, "It must have been so hard to lose your daughter, Lord Bilford. I suppose you never quite get over such a loss."

"You are correct, Lady Euphemia," the earl said gruffly. "Imogen was the only child we had. I lost my wife almost a decade ago. Losing my girl was heartbreaking."

Taking his arm, Lady Effie patted the older man's hand. "I doubt it is something you ever recover from, but you have those wonderful memories of her forever in your heart and can always sit and revisit them when you are feeling blue. Did you know when a ship loses her captain or any of the officers during a voyage, she flies a blue flag and has a blue band painted along her entire hull when returning to her home port?"

Malcolm noticed she began guiding the earl through the line, placing things on his plate for him, talking quietly with him about Imogen and things he remembered about his daughter. By the time they reached the end of the table, he seemed calm.

"Thank you, Lady Euphemia," Lord Bilford said. "I believe I will do as you say and recall those happy moments any time I feel sad."

"Wonderful, my lord," she said, smiling gently at him.

The earl looked to Malcolm. "Enjoy your evening, Your Grace."

Bilford moved away from them, and Malcolm shook his head. "You worked a miracle, Lady Effie."

"I agree," Lord Ashmore said. "I thought Lord Bilford was about to cause a horrific scene."

"Lady Effie knew just how to handle him," Ada said. "She is so good with people."

"You should see me with my animals," she quipped. "I have always thought myself better with them than people."

They found an empty table, and Malcolm set down the two plates he carried before seating her and then himself.

"I put a little of everything on both these plates if you would like to share, my lady," he told her. "I did not wish to interrupt your conversation with Lord Bilford to ask if you preferred sliced ham or poached chicken."

"That was thoughtful of you, Your Grace. I would not mind sharing at all. Let me know if you have a favorite among everything, and I will refrain from eating it all." Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"I will not tell you my favorites so that you will have to merely sample some of everything and not devour what I love," he teased in return.

She picked up an olive and popped it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "You are not nearly as serious tonight as you usually are, Your Grace. I rather like this side of you."

"You think me serious?"

"Very. When you are not being solemn, you act incredibly detached, as if you have no interest in what is being said. Rarely do you enter my conversations with Lady Ada. Frankly, I forget you are even present sometimes."

"I have not wanted to interrupt the two for you," he shared, again thinking he needed to make more of an impression upon her. "I do have plenty to say."

She gazed at him a long moment. "That is very good to know. Tell me something about you, then."

His gaze pinned hers. Malcolm was determined to be open and honest with this woman, something that ran contrary to the way he was raised and the example his father had set for him. More than anything, he wanted to break free of the chains of his past and become more like the men in Lady Effie's family.

"I was friendless my entire life. My father was uncaring and standoffish with me. With everyone, actually. I supposed I unconsciously modeled myself after him, especially when no one wished to be my friend at school."

Lady Effie took in his words. In her eyes, he saw no judgment. Only curiosity, mixed with concern.

"Why did you have no friends?" she asked.

And then she took his hand under the table. No one would notice because they all would be eating. But the gesture meant a great deal to him. It comforted him. It showed him she cared.

And it caused desire to shoot through him.

Malcolm turned his hand so that he could lace his fingers through hers. She cocked her head, studying him intently.

"I have been the best at everything I have ever attempted," he began. "I could run faster than other boys. Shoot better. Ride with ease. Academics came easily to me, from languages to maths. Because of that, everyone wished to compete with me. Bring me down in defeat."

He shook his head sadly. "And they never did. When they saw they couldn't best me, they isolated me. I was the most outstanding at all I did, yet I never made a single friend at school. What bothers me now is that I thought it was the way it should be. That I would one day be a duke and—like my father—remain aloof from all."

She bit her lip, causing the already-present desire to flood him. "I am so sorry, Your Grace. That must have been such a lonely life."

He shrugged. "It was. But I had my studies. And I doted on Ada when I came home from school terms. I am learning it is a bit different now. Petty schoolboy jealousies end. I have become reacquainted with a few others from my past at White's in recent weeks and hope to finally make some friends."

She squeezed his fingers. "You know the men in my family would be happy to be your friends. I will have James take you to White's. No, that might be too stuffy. We will do as Allegra suggested and all go to Gunter's."

Lady Effie smiled at him, a smile that warmed him from the inside. A smile that told him she liked him. As a person—and not a duke. He still did not believe she was conscious of him as a man, but then again, she was just now coming out into society and had never really been exposed to how a man wants a woman.

Malcolm hoped the growing feelings he was experiencing for her would soon be returned.

"Yes. A trip to Gunter's would be just the thing," he agreed. "Plan it with Ada and your siblings."

He glanced to his sister and the viscount and back to Lady Effie. "For now, I believe we should learn a bit more about Lord Ashmore, don't you?"

She nodded in agreement. "And enjoy this wonderful food as we do so." She looked to the viscount. "My lord, do you enjoy riding? Lady Ada and I have gone riding in Rotten Row since we have been in town. Might you wish to join us sometime?"

Malcolm watched as Lady Effie effortlessly steered the conversation, drawing out Lord Ashmore and including his sister, making Ada shine before the viscount.

He had made up his mind. Lady Effie Strong was the only woman for him.

And Malcolm would not rest until he had made her his.