“Mr. Anaedsley is a lucky man.” The words were spoken quietly, almost too soft for her to hear. And when she finally straightened and turned to look at the butler, his face was its usual impassive expression.
Oddly enough, the sight reassured her as nothing else. They all had their rolls to play, didn’t they? Seelye was the stoic butler. She was the blushing innocent. Even Mr. Rausch was the mysterious distraction.
But what was Trevor? Was he the ardent lover? Or merely another clever schemer? She supposed she would have to get to the end of the play to find out. So she descended the stairs, belatedly realizing she was leaving a small trail of feathers in her wake.
Just how much of her dress was she going to lose before the night was done? She didn’t really care about the answer. She was distracting herself as she walked the long corridor to the top of the ballroom stairs. And then she was there. Seelye passed her off to the Redhill majordomo before fading back into the shadows.
Now was the moment. She stepped to the top of the stairs, keeping her head down and fully covered beneath the cloak. She wasn’t to look up until she was announced.
“Miss Melinda Smithson.”
The murmur of the crowd silenced. Someone whisked her cloak off. Then she lifted her chin and looked…
Oh my.
Oh goodness.
She hadn’t expected the number of people there. She hadn’t realized how high the steps were before descending into the ballroom. She hadn’t thought everyone would gape at her like that. Or that she’d feel like a prancing bear dressed in feathers.
This was a mistake.
A horrible, ridiculous, stupid—
Trevor started climbing the stairs. She focused on him as she might have looked at a shield or a wall that she might hide behind. If she weren’t frozen in place, she would have run to him like a child trying to crawl behind a rock.
But then he smiled at her. That familiar face. Charming. Freckled. With warm brown eyes that held her gaze. She’d once hated that face because it meant he was taking away her father and leaving her with Ronnie. And before that, he’d been the spoiled prince who tugged her hair before running off to chase frogs.
She had a history with this man and a shared secret, not to mention that solid, whimsical ring about her finger. This was Trevor, and when he smiled at her, she felt herself come alive. She felt her belly soften and her shoulders ease. She was no longer frozen in place, so she moved for him, meeting him two steps below the top.
He bowed to her as she curtsied. Not so easy on the steps when her knees were still stiff. But she managed it as he took her gloved hand and pressed a kiss to the back. Well, that’s what his mouth did. But what mattered was that he managed somehow to wink at her just as he was acting the most formal of greetings.
“My Cricket Princess,” he murmured, too low for anyone else to hear.
“My Bug-Eyed Duke,” she returned.
She thought it was too quiet for anyone else to hear, but she’d forgotten about the Redhill majordomo. Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught his start of surprise. He twisted slightly to look at her, and then recalled himself.
Trevor saw it too. His eyes danced with merriment as he gently set her hand on his arm. “Allow me to introduce you to our host and hostess.”
“Of course—”
“And it’s Buggy Duke. Not Bug-Eyed.”
She giggled. She couldn’t stop it. “I think your ring speaks for itself. Bug-eyed.”
“Oh blast. I knew I’d fashioned that thing wrong.”
He hadn’t done anything like that. He was simply talking nonsense with her as they often did. And he was distracting her from the fact that the silence that greeted her appearance was now filled with the steady murmur of talk. Whispers, chatter, outright giggles.
They were laughing at her. Her father and uncle were right. She was a laughingstock. And yet, with a cricket ring on her finger and her duke at her side, she couldn’t bring herself to care. Not at this moment. Not as she curtsied to the Earl of Redhill and his countess.
Helaine pressed a kiss to her cheek, whispering into her ear. “We’ve almost done it. Just keep a brave front for a bit longer.”
Mellie didn’t have a chance to respond as Lord Redhill turned to the musicians and gave the nod. The opening notes were struck, and immediately the center of the ballroom appeared. People slid backward as if simply pushed away.
Lord Redhill took his wife’s hand, then pulled her indecently close, and together they began to dance. Melinda would normally have wanted to watch. The couple moved so beautifully through the steps, but it was her turn now. And if she was a bit reluctant, Trevor seemed to be eager.
In one motion, he took her hand and slipped his other about her waist. A moment later, he had her on the dance floor. If he hadn’t held her so securely, she likely would have stumbled, but he braced her. A few notes later, she was able to relax into the motions of the dance.