Penniless Until the Earl's Proposal, page 25
Thomas once again glanced down at his watch and saw that the Duke’s time was up. He looked over at the trapped debutante and wished her every success with whatever ploy she chose. He did not particularly care if the Duke noticed her or not, but he was grateful that for a few moments she had provided him with some much-needed entertaining diversion.
The Duke looked up from his harem, but it was not Thomas who had caught his eye. The Earl of Sundervale was summoning the Duke from the other side of the ballroom and pointing towards the card room.
Thomas gritted his teeth. That did it. He would not wait a minute longer, not while the Duke gambled away what little money he still had with his cronies.
Not bothering to say a word of explanation to the twittering debutantes, the Duke turned and pushed his way out of the throng. In doing so, he somehow brushed up against the little debutante. Thomas heard her small squeal as she skittered on the highly polished parquet floor on her satin slippers.
Her hands flew up into the air, circling as if looking for something, anything to hold on to as she fought to steady herself. Thomas winced as she hit the floor with an unseemly thud, landing in a pile of lace and embroidered silk.
Oblivious to the mayhem, or not caring, the Duke strode off, while the throng of debutantes erupted into giggling, their mockery barely disguised by their fluttering fans.
It seemed upstarts such as himself were not the only ones who could be made victims of a pack of aristocrats after blood. When the opportunity arose, they’d also turn on their own.
Ignoring the retreating Duke, Thomas strode across the floor, placed himself between the fallen young lady and the giggling pack and offered his hand to the blushing debutante.
Her head remained lowered as she placed her hand in his.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured, her face so red he could almost feel the heat radiating off it as she rose to her feet.
Thomas rarely danced at society balls, but for this poor creature he would make an exception. He hated bullying, having experienced such cruelty at school, and it was something he would never countenance. He needed to get this young lady away from those mocking debutantes and try to redeem her dignity or they would make the rest of her Season a living hell.
‘If your dance card is not full, I would be honoured if you would grant me this waltz,’ he said, bowing his head as if her embarrassing fall had never happened.
The giggling halted, but the debutantes continued to stare at them over their fans, their looks gleeful, as if anticipating more entertainment.
She gave a small nod, not meeting his eye, and he led her away from the pack.
‘I thought you said her name was Grace Lowerby,’ he heard one debutante say. ‘More like Graceless Lower-Born,’ she added, causing giggling to erupt again.
‘Ignore them,’ he said. ‘Lift up your head and pretend nothing they are saying can possibly affect you.’
She gave a small gasp that sounded like a suppressed sob. He hoped and prayed she would not start crying. To do so would give those bullies their victory and only have them baying for more.
He placed his hand on her slim waist, lifted her limp hand and placed it on his shoulder, and looked over her still lowered head as he waited for the waltz to begin. From the far side of the room, he caught the eye of Algernon Huntingdon-Smythe, watching them with studied interest.
Thomas knew that look well. The Duke was nothing if not predictable. Like a spoilt child, for whom a toy only became interesting when another was playing with it, the Duke now wanted the young woman in his arms.
He pulled her in slightly tighter, wrapped his arm further around her waist, and smiled down at her as if she was all he desired in a woman. He had no doubt what would happen next. The Duke would pursue her, determined to have what he thought Thomas wanted. She would get her revenge on those merciless debutantes and there was nothing Thomas enjoyed more than getting the better of bullies.
Copyright © 2024 by Eva Shepherd
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ISBN-13: 9780369758576
Penniless Until the Earl’s Proposal
Copyright © 2024 by Helen Dickson
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Helen Dickson, Penniless Until the Earl's Proposal
