Whrr.
Oh bother, couldn't the man control his noisy nose? A glance to her left showed amused stares from other dancers, especially some of the women. Had they all at one time been subjected to Lord Whistler? She darted another glimpse around the room found Charles and his dance partner. Merciful Heavens, the poor girl he danced with resembled a buck-toothed canary. Charles had a fake smile plastered on his face making him look as if he'd swallowed something distasteful.
How had Izzy and Charles ended up apart, dancing with not only other partners, but also partners who happened to be so unpleasant? She sighed. It couldn't be helped now. Hopefully Charles would rescue her soon. Surely the dance music would end this month. How long could one song be?
Izzy let out a breath when the music ended. Finally. She glanced behind her to look for Charles then felt a tug on her hand. When she angled a glance back at her dance partner, she remembered her manners. Pasting what hopefully passed as a pleasant expression on her lips, she waited.
Lord Stanchbach bowed, planting a noisy slurpy kiss on her hand. Thank goodness for gloves. Gross. "Lady Isabella, it's been a pleasure dancing with you."
Izzy steeled herself for the untruthful remark she must make. "And what a pleasure for me as well, Lord Stanchbach." There. Now maybe she could escape the man and his magical singing nostril.
But the man wouldn't release her hand. "If I may, Lady Isabella, could I escort you to the refreshment ta—"
A hand grasped the lord's shoulder. It's Charles. "Lord Stanchbach, I believe I heard your aunt calling for you. Way over there, across the room."
The man frowned, nodded, and released Izzy's hand. "Lady Isabella, perhaps another time?"
"Certainly, my lord." Izzy waited until Lord Stanchbach was out of earshot. She leaned closer to Charles and lowered her voice. "Oh, Charles, it was hideous. The man's nose—"
He held up a hand. "Trust me, Isabella, I know. When I saw what had happened to you, I felt horrible."
"It wasn't your fault. You were waylaid by that yellow canary."
"Lady Alberta. Actually her mother did the waylaying, but the end result was the same."
Music filtered to them from the orchestra. Soft strains surrounded them, causing Izzy's heartbeat to increase. Would it now be her turn to dance with Charles?
He held out his hands. "Lady Isabella, may I have the pleasure of this dance?"
"Your grace, it would be my honor."
As they walked toward the dance floor, Izzy noticed some of the women. They weren't just staring; they were also pointing and whispering. Then they were laughing. At her. Izzy stole a glance at Charles. Headed toward the middle of the floor, he didn't seem to notice what was happening. Were the other women jealous? Had some of them hoped Charles would have asked them to dance?
Izzy squared her shoulders and decided not to let it bother her. Dancing with Charles was the only thing she'd been looking forward to this night. She was determined to enjoy it.
She fit in Charles' arms as if she were made for him. As soon as they moved to the music, everything, everyone else faded away. Charles' face was all Izzy could see, his sweet whispered encouragement, all she could hear. Izzy now knew that Charles' lips were indeed as sweet to kiss. It was as if no other dancers shared the floor with them. They were two dancing as one, their heartbeats aligned with each other's.
Around and around, they glided and turned. Izzy had never felt so alive, never so… loved. Love? Was this the elusive emotion she'd longed for but thought would never be hers? She tilted her head, peering into Charles' dark eyes. In that moment, she thought she saw love there, for her, and only her. Feeling as if she could conquer the world, she felt laughter bubble up from her chest. Swaying and leaning against Charles, her life seemed now complete, as if the missing piece of her heart was now in place.
The music ended. Charles released her, except for her hand. He bowed, kissed her hand gently, and tilted his head toward the sitting area.
Izzy nodded. They didn't need words, it seemed, as they were so in tune with each other. How had this happened, that someone she'd known for two weeks held the key to her heart, the key to her future? She shook her head as they made their way from the dance floor. Her future? Her past? How confusing it all seemed, yet somehow, so right, so perfect. Charles glanced back toward her, the left side of his mouth rose, which formed his dimple. She loved that dimple. It did things to her, things she could only whisper in private to him, and would, given the chance.
Voices carried from the fall wall. At first, it was just background noise, then more insistent. She blocked it out, her only focus being Charles. But then… she heard her name.
"Lady Isabella, indeed. I've never heard of her before. Have you?"
"Did you see how close they danced?"