“I would be pleased to help,” Lady Prudence said, sounding rather breathless. Her blush deepened, spreading to her chest visible above her modest neckline. All Silas could think of was where else on her body that pretty pink might appear. How much more breathless would she be when they kissed?
He fisted a hand to keep from reaching for her, his body tightening even as he wondered what had come over him.
He cleared his throat. “Thank you. I appreciate it.” The lady’s unexpected appeal had him frowning, unable to remember the last time his interest had been caught so quickly.
Prue blew out a nervous breath as she turned away from her reflection in the cheval glass. A pretty gown didn’t change the woman who wore it. At least, not in her case.
She could only see gangly limbs and a bony figure that lacked the curves she envied in others. She already knew her mouth was too wide and her chin too pointed.
Nothing could hide her flaws. Much like frosting a fallen cake, little could be done to disguise the imperfections that were as familiar to her as her own name. Especially since the painful reminder during her debut.
“You look beautiful,” her cousin, Millicent Davies, declared as she entered the bedroom.
“Thank you.” Prue smiled. “As do you. That gown is gorgeous.” Millie wore pale blue silk with bands of a deeper blue around the short sleeves and hem. It complemented her dark brown hair and blue eyes, which were a shade darker than Prue’s.
She reached for her cousin’s outstretched hands and squeezed them.
Millie was not only her cousin but a dear friend. If Prue was to endure a Season, there was no one she’d rather be with than Millie.
“Green is most definitely your color,” Millie said as she looked her over from head to toe.
“I am fond of this shade.” The moss green gown with ecru satin trim was simple but elegant.
“It always makes me feel better to have a new gown to wear.” Millie glanced down at hers even as she tugged on the rather daring neckline. A hint of weariness shaded her eyes when she met Prue’s gaze. “Perhaps this will be the Season we meet someone special.”
Prue’s heart squeezed. She knew her cousin was losing hope of finding a gentleman interested in her. The least Prue could do was support her in any way possible. “One never knows. Our lives could be completely different come tomorrow.”
Millie gave a mock shudder. “That is a terrifying thought.”
The two of them laughed.
“At least we shall have one another to keep ourselves amused.” Prue couldn’t imagine enduring even one ball without her cousin at her side.
“Yes.” Millie grinned. “I am most anxious for you to meet my friends from The Mayfair Literary League.”
“I’m envious of your book group,” Prue said as they made their way down the stairs.
“It’s so much more than that. We have become the dearest of friends, and I know you will enjoy the ladies as well.”
The thought was reassuring. Having a group of friends to visit with during the numerous balls and parties scheduled for the coming weeks would make them far more enjoyable.
How she detested standing along the outskirts of a ballroom hoping to not only be noticed by a gentleman but asked to dance. The rising hope as one approached only to be dashed when he asked another instead. The expectant look from her mother that suggested she wasn’t trying hard enough to draw attention to herself. That was a skill she hadn’t mastered, nor did she care to.
Why couldn’t a nice man, titled or not, see her for her true self and decide no one else would do?
The thought brought to mind a pair of chocolate brown eyes that glinted with life and a far too attractive lopsided smile. She’d done her best not to think of Viscount Winstead since their unusual meeting.
However, he wasn’t an easy man to forget. Those broad shoulders and fine physique, along with a handsome face as well as that confidence—he was clearly a rogue through and through. She could never dream of catching the notice of a man like him. Well, except in her secret heart of hearts after she closed her eyes at night. But that would remain her dream.
If only more gentlemen in London were like him, so kind and considerate. Would he be there this evening? Somehow, thinking that gave her hope for the ball. She would enjoy dancing with him, though she had to believe he’d forgotten all about asking her to save him a dance.
Chances were he wouldn’t even remember her. That happened more often than she cared to admit and confirmed how unremarkable she was in both face and personality. He wouldn’t want her assistance with the party either.
She shook off the dour thoughts and settled into the carriage with her mother, Millie, and Millie’s mother. How lucky her mother was to be so close to her sister-in-law.
Everyone was in high spirits, which made the twenty-minute drive pass quickly.
The Halverston ball was to be a crush, according to Mrs. Davies. She patted Millie’s arm. “Expect your feet to ache from all the dancing by the evening’s end.”