Tieralee found herself toying with her starburst pendant, her fingers trembling. These high society balls made her anxious. It was stifling.
She stood on the outside of the swelling crowd, head bowed, eyes down. In a heartbeat she was shouldered roughly into the wall behind her. With a pained exclamation she looked up into a pair of sage green eyes, the surprise in them mirroring her own.
Quickly the owner of those eyes righted her, sliding his hand softly down to take hold of hers.
“Are you alright? Did I hurt you?” The intense sincerity with which he searched her face stole her clear thinking from her.
“I…no…please do not worry yourself. I am unharmed. Only startled.” How long had it been since she last spoke to anyone? Relief flooded through her when her voice did not crack. The music for the next dance announced the beginning of a waltz.
“Still” he temporized, “I am appalled by my lack of manners. How may I make it up to you?”
“Sir, I do not even know you. Please do not worry over such a trivial thing.”
“Of a truth! Another bout of bad manners on my part!” He caught her hand in his and bowed over it. “I am Lord Braithwaite. Allow me to show my deepest apologies. Please honor me with a dance Miss…?”
“Gibson.” She acceded, looking anywhere but into his intoxicating gaze. She struggled to figure out a way to extricate herself and reacquaint herself with the shadows of the nearest alcove as soon as possible.
“Wonderful. Miss Gibson.” He led her on the dance floor in a firm grip well before she could voice her dismay. Dancing with the handsome Lord Braithwaite was not a good way to stay out of her aunt’s scornful watch.
With his hand properly holding her in harmony with his movement, the warmth emanating from his strong frame lulled her to giddy acquiescence. It was exquisitely more exciting than what she had expected of her very first dance, and a waltz at that.
She was quite enjoying her forbidden interaction with Lord Braithwaite, until he opened his mouth.
“Now Miss Gibson, to whom do you belong to at this delightful little soiree?”
“My aunt.” She hedged.
His smile bloomed. “Ah, how telling.” He glanced away. “When you answered, you glanced her way to make sure she hadn’t seen you. Thus she is in that corner and you are only recently acquainted and don’t want to mess it up.” He paused. “That is, if I read that look correctly.” His gaze went from scanning the corner in question to piercing through her. “Why weren’t you standing with her?”
Tieralee blushed, dropping her gaze to his shoulder. This man and his eyes were far too perceptive. At a loss of how to answer, she stayed silent.
She forced herself to keep her smile but could still feel him looking at her. With the end of the dance there came no relief, for he held her hand to his arm in the guise of escorting her. “Come, let us meet your aunt.”
“Please, leave it be. The shadows where you found me is where I aim to stay for the rest of the evening.” She pleaded softly.
“No I’m afraid I can’t allow that.” He smiled to cushion his bluntness. “We must be properly introduced through your aunt, for I plan to spend as much of the evening as I can at your side.” With this pronouncement he pulled her to a stop in front of her aunt. How he knew, she couldn’t say. “Lady Grenault, I must compliment you on pulling together such a wonderful event.”
Lady Grenault turned her full attention their way. “Lord Braithwaite. I am pleased you have enjoyed yourself thus far. Allow me to introduce my daughter Miss Alanna to you.”
Simpering and flouncing into view, Alanna dropped a deep curtsey to Lord Braithwaite. Tieralee burned with embarrassment at what was sure to happen next.
Lord Braithwaite bowed, drawing attention to the fact that he had her at his side by choice. It only took a few seconds but Tieralee knew the instant she was noticed. It was then she knew without a doubt, her aunt had expected her to stay out of sight in her room and most decidedly not in the ballroom.
Lord Braithwaite felt her tense and watched her wilt under her aunt’s silent scolding. Far too perceptive.
He forestalled any further conversation that would put Alanna forward and relegate Tieralee back to invisibility as he spoke. “I must beg your pardon for bringing this young lady into the conversation, however she has not been introduced to anyone and it seemed only appropriate to seek your impeccable guidance on whom would have such manners as to abandon their kin without a friend here, to be left alone, unable to properly meet anyone. She refuses to tell me who she is here with. Would you be able to enlighten me?” Tieralee looked up at the innocence plastered convincingly all over his face. Subtle.
“No need to be rash my Lord.” Lady Grenault fluttered. Based on her aunt’s simpering theatrics, Lord Braithwaite’s influence must have been great indeed. “She is my niece sir, and I was simply unaware she had arrived. Seeing how she has only arrived this evening from the country. I had assumed she would need more rest after such a long journey. Since she is here allow me to happily introduce her to you now. My sister’s daughter, Miss Tieralee Gibson. My dear, this is Lord Jamison Braithwaite.”
Tieralee did her best to curtsey prettily as the bow Lord Braithwaite presented her was impressively powerful. Immediately he placed her hand back in the crook of his arm. “Please excuse us Lady Grenault, I promised Miss Gibson an introduction to several of my associates.”
Tieralee followed him away from her aunt. Once far enough away she whispered up to him. “Though I am sure to be in great amounts of trouble for that conversation, I thank you.”
“No need to thank me Miss Gibson. I did it for selfish reasons.” He shrugged, refusing to release her hand from his arm.
She stilled. “What would those reasons be?”
“Well, I am sorry to say I may have been avoiding your cousin. And even if that were not the case, I couldn’t bear to not have the chance to get to know you better.” He caught her gaze with his, capturing her fully. Again, Tieralee found herself speechless and utterly drawn to him. He continued with a grin, “And most importantly, I learned your name is Tieralee. Charming indeed.”
