As Edmund looked over the crowd, he hoped that someone would stand out and catch his eye, but all he could see was an ocean of nameless faces. He did not know what any of these people were like, so why would he be interested in any of them?
“I do not know,” he replied glumly with his eyes on the ground now.
The gentleman chuckled loudly. “Then I suggest you get out on the dance floor and spend time with some of them.” He nudged Edmund as if they were old friends rather than two people who had only just met. “They all seem to have a lot of interest in you at any rate.”
Edmund had noticed the eyes upon him; he was acutely aware of the whispers that surrounded the ballroom about him, but they only served to make him even more uncomfortable. “Me, or my title? Me or my wealth?”
The gentleman looked at him with blank eyes. “Is there any difference?”
There was not. Not really. Marriages set up were often of convenience. Lords picked Ladies based on their dowry offers and titles, and Ladies picked the men who could give them the best life. It was a hollow, empty way of finding a life partner.
“I think I shall get another drink before thinking about dancing,” Edmund said while moving away from his new friend. “I shall speak with you later.”
Edmund had not danced for a very long time. He had been given lessons when he was a young boy, just as everyone else, but he did not enjoy them so did not care to remember the steps. He did not want to be humiliated now if he was the only person who did not know how to move properly.
He got so wrapped up in his worries that he was not really concentrating on where he was going. Edmund’s eyes were on the ground rather than his destination, which caused him to walk right into someone else.
“Oh no, I am terribly sorry,” he said immediately as his eyes drank in the slip of a girl before him. “I hope I did not hurt you.”
She did not look hurt at all. If anything, her eyes had lit up in glee as if she liked the look of the Duke. “Oh no,” she purred. “I think I am fine; thank you very much.” She fluttered her eyelashes, hoping that he would be blindsided by her. “My name is Lady Victoria Hartmon. How about you?”
The Duke took Victoria’s hand, and he pressed a kiss against it, just as he knew he was expected to do. “You look beautiful,” he told her kindly. She did have a pretty face, even if it was a little understated compared to the rest of the women in the room. “The blue of your dress brings out your eyes.”
Victoria giggled and blushed in a coy manner. At twenty-one years of age, Victoria could not wait to get her hands on a husband. This was her third season, and she was growing increasingly desperate. The last thing she wanted was to end up an old, unmarried maid like her aunt. She wanted to be a wife, to be a mother, and the sooner that happened, the better.
As Victoria ran her eyes up and down Duke Edmund, glee filled her chest entirely. What a stroke of luck that the most eligible bachelor in the entire room had been the one to bump into her. It had to be fate telling her that this was the one.
She could feel her claws sinking into him, and she did not want to let him go.
Edmund could almost see Victoria turning on the charm, which only sent him back into his previous stiffened stance. This was the moment he was supposed to ask her to dance; he just knew it. Maybe he was not experienced at this sort of thing, but he was aware of that much.
Edmund was not sure why, but he did not really want to. There was something about Victoria that made him uneasy.
Stop being silly, he scolded himself silently. I am here to dance. Here is a Lady to dance with; it will only be one song.
“Would you like to dance?” he asked rapidly. At first, he thought he might have said the words too quickly for her to understand them, but she nodded eagerly. “Right, yes.”
She linked her arm through his and took the lead towards the dance floor. Victoria had an expert way of taking control without actually appearing to. To everyone else, it appeared that Edmund was happily leading Victoria to dance. Even if that was not the case.
They found a space on the floor and faced one another. As Victoria put her hands on Edmund’s shoulders, she insisted on maintaining an uncomfortable level of eye contact. Edmund could barely stand it; she made him feel uneasy. He did not think it was her obvious interest in him; he was used to that. It was her forward nature. He did not know how to take it.
As Edmund placed his hands on Victoria’s hips, his whole body remained numb to any kind of feelings. There was no spark as their skin brushed, and with this young Lady, Edmund did not ever think there would be.
He could not keep looking at her; it only highlighted how little he felt for her.
Fortunately, the music started up very quickly which gave Edmund something else to think about. He had to concentrate so hard on getting the steps right that he could not give Victoria any of his attention.
That was something that did not escape her notice.
It had been a very long time since Victoria had danced with a man that she found attractive. It had been even longer since she had been anywhere near a man who could give her the sort of life that she desired. Duke Edmund Smith could do that and more. He was a very wealthy man with a wonderful reputation, better than anyone she knew. His international shipping business was a huge success, and with his dedication, it got better every single day.
If she were ever going to get a husband, she would not do better than him.
“The band is wonderful,” she breathed into his ear. “Do you not think?”
“Hmm?” Edmund was distracted by the sensation of her warm breath on him. He forgot where he was for a moment and almost made a foolish error with his moves. “Oh, yes, they are terribly good.”
“Do you like music?” The steps were second nature to Victoria; she barely had to focus at all.
“Yes, I do,” Edmund replied, thinking that to be a very silly question. Everyone enjoyed music, did they not? It was the perfect form of escapism. “Do you?”
“Oh yes,” Victoria cooed. “I love the way that music makes me feel ...”
She continued to talk in Edmund’s ear, but he could barely listen to what she was saying. He did not mean to be rude, but her words were not captivating enough to distract him. Not when he needed to focus so badly. In fact, the whole thing was so stressful that he felt utterly relieved when the song came to an end, and he could move away from his dancing partner.
That is not something I am in a hurry to do again, he thought desperately. Maybe it is best that I just leave ...
“Thank you, Lady Victoria Hartmon,” he said while bobbing into a bow. “It was wonderful to dance with you, will you excuse me please?”