“You normally have to be dragged to join in. What changed?”
“Are you going to take advantage of it or not?”We can’t both sit here yearning for ghosts,he wanted to tell her.
He led Charlotte onto the dance floor, taking her willing hand, just as the musicians began a waltz. He approached her, clasping one of her hands and placing his other hand beneath her arm, around her back. Will felt the tension in his arms and shoulders begin to relax as they moved around the floor to the music. He almost began to enjoy the sensation of twirling her around and gliding across the floor as she was smiling and relaxed. They were taking up more than their fair share of the dance floor, and several couples had stopped to observe them. Will rarely danced these days, but when they were younger, he and Rose danced all the time, albeit outside, and usually only with the music in their heads. He tried to push away thoughts of Rose while focusing on Charlotte, pushing away thoughts of her smile, body, and kiss. But as he swung her around, he came face to face with Rose.Will blinked hard, certain he was imagining it. It was simply not possible that she was there. But when he opened his eyes after a split second, Rose was still standing there, staring at him with a look he could only describe as stricken.
Momentum took him and Charlotte around one more time, and as he came full circle, he saw Rose’s back moving away towards the main door.
He circled Charlotte back to their table and then stopped. “I have to do something.”
Charlotte looked confused. “What is it?”
“Just wait here.”
Will made haste towards the front of the club. As he pushed past the red curtain, he saw Rose putting on her coat and gloves by the door.
Will came up behind her, speaking quietly so as not to draw attention to them both.
“Your Grace.”
She looked up, no trace of that earlier stricken look in her expression, but he noticed she was breathing more heavily than normal.
“Mr. Browning.” There was no warmth in her eyes as she looked at him. “I did not expect to see you here.”
She was speaking as if it was perfectly normal for her to be in London, at the Almack’s Club, alone.
“What are you doing here?” He asked incredulously.
“Perhaps I should ask you the same!”
Will looked around to see who was listening to their exchange, but there was nobody close enough to hear.
“Things are rarely as they seem,” he said.
“Really, Mr. Browning, because I find they most often are.” She turned as if to leave.
“Rose,” Will said then. Then he covered it quickly with, “Your Grace, wait.”
She turned a blank expression towards him.
“You have not explained what has brought you to London.”
Was she looking for him, he wondered?Did she have something to say? Had she changed her mind about marrying the Duke?He found his own heart was racing at the prospect.
“I do not have to explain anything,” she said. “Any more than you do.” Her tone was cold; her expression challenging.
He leaned his head as close to hers as he dared in the circumstances. “Rose!” He admonished. He could see the hurt in her eyes. For a moment, he thought she would move around him and leave. He would not be able to prevent her in such a public setting. But instead, a little of the haughtiness seemed to go out of her shoulders, and she replied, “I came to see the modiste for my wedding gown.”
“Oh.” Will took a step back. “I see.” Now it was his turn to be curt.
“And did you succeed in your task?”
“No.” She did not explain further but looked straight at him and added, “I should not have come.”
Will did not know if she was talking about the dressmaker or Almack’s.
“There you are!”
Rose broke away from his gaze to look over his shoulder he turned to see Charlotte walking towards them both with a smile. He noticed Rose stiffening at his side.