Could he have enjoyed the moment as much as she had? At the very least, he’d proven that his words to Dunthorpe at the garden party were lies. Winston seemed to find her appealing given that he’d gone to this much trouble just to speak with her.
But what didshewant?
Millie glanced at Catherine who flirted with Viscount Dunthorpe a short distance away. The girl’s boldness amazed her. Millie had never been so confident and tended to remain in the background. No wonder she was thought of as a wallflower.
Yet that tendency hadn’t got her anywhere. Now she was relegated to chaperoning relatives rather than enjoying the ball herself. In truth, she wouldn’t have minded watching over Catherine if Winston hadn’t been in attendance. His presence changed everything.
She needed to take care though and remember what he’d said—he didn’t intend to marry for several years. By then, it would be too late.
Was there a chance she could change his mind? She glanced at him from beneath her lashes as they waited on the edge of the dance floor for the other couples to clear it, heart lurchingat the thought. Dare she try? Perhaps she should take some lessons from Catherine and see what happened. Even Tibby had suggested it would take several bold moves to sway Winston.
The challenge would be to make sure not to lose her heart in the process in the event she failed. She couldn’t forget how unlikely it was that she might make a love match when no one else in her family had.
“Shall we?” he asked as the other couples waiting started to move onto the dance floor.
“Yes.”Yes, she repeated silently in answer to her own question as they took their places. She should try. Surely she could manage another kiss or two without falling hopelessly in love with Winston.
And maybe...just maybe...those would entice him into rethinking his opinion of marriage.
She knew they would suit one another perfectly. It wasn’t as if she were blind to his faults, and he had several. But so did she. She liked the idea of trying to become a better person with him at her side. Might he be convinced to feel the same?
He was capable of more than he realized. His tendency to back away when difficulty arose puzzled her. Had there been an incident in his past that convinced him that he wasn’t capable of solving such problems? Yet he had effortlessly found a way to dance with her by arranging for Dunthorpe to dance with Catherine.
His gaze held on her as they waited for the music to begin, one hand on her waist while he held her other hand, his thumb briefly rubbing against her gloved palm. “It has been some time since our last dance.”
She’d been so thrilled when he’d asked her last summer, quickly followed by disappointment when she’d realized he’d only done so because of the wager. “I hardly think that one counted.”
“I asked you a second time, which you refused.”
She nodded, remembering how hard that had been.
“Do you remember what I told you?” he whispered as they started to waltz. “That I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t truly want to dance with you?”
Of course, she did. His words had been burned in her mind since then and given her hope. They were part of the reason she’d acted on her secrettendre.
“I have been longing for another dance with you.”
Her breath caught and it had nothing to do with the swell of the music as they turned. Instead, it had everything to do with the way he looked into her eyes as if he meant every word.
“We do dance quite well together.” Her stomach fluttered as she waited to see if he would agree.
“True.” The small smile on his face was genuine and caused her heart to skip a beat. “We do. That makes me wonder what else we would do well together.”
She hesitated, unaccustomed to flirting in this manner. After a moment of consideration, she lifted her chin and added, “Our kiss was rather spectacular.”
His nostrils flared, eyes darkening at her words. “It was. Most definitely.”
He spun her, and she allowed herself a triumphant smile before facing him once more. “I wouldn’t be opposed to repeating the experience.”
“So you believe me now? That I find you very appealing?”
She frowned, beginning to enjoy the conversation. “Appealing sounds more like how you would describe a delicious leg of lamb.”
Amusement had his eyes sparkling as he slowly nodded. “Understandable. What might be a better word?”
She lifted a brow as they moved in time to the music. “That is for you to say.”
“Lovely, for one.” The deep timbre of his voice caused shivers along his skin. “Desirable, another.”