Her Sudden Groom (30 page)

“
Would that be all right with you?” he asked Caroline quietly, taking into consideration she may not be comfortable with dancing since she didn’t know how.

She smiled at him. “I’ve already danced with you once before, Mr. Banks. I believe we had very good results that time. I can only imagine what will happen this time.” Her smile widened a touch and her eyes sparkled with an emotion he couldn’t name.

“
Dancing it is,” Alex said to his mother. He watched in quiet amusement as his aunt jump off her seat so fast one might think her skirt had caught fire.

Together his mother and Aunt Carolina left to locate a few musically inclined servants.

When the duo came back inside, they announced dancing would be held in the drawing room.

The small group stood, ready to walk down the hall. Caroline abruptly let go of his arm and said she’d be back in a minute. She came back on the arm of a gentleman Alex hadn’t seen before today. The man looked to be close to Alex’s age and height. His hair was solid black and his face appeared hard as stone.

Alex had spotted the man during his grand announcement about the slight delay due to Caroline’s dress. He had to be the possible guest Marcus had spoken to him about. Three young girls were either sitting on his lap or climbing on him at all times. These must be his daughters. His wife however, was nowhere in sight.

“
Alex, this is Lord Drakely. He’s been Marcus’ closest friend for as long as I can remember.” She turned to look up at the other man. “You two met the day of his accident, did you not?”

Lord Drakely nodded. “Yes. I stopped his horse.”

“
Right,” Caroline agreed. A crooked smile took her lips. “Marcus always jests that he and Drake here only became friends because no matter what Marcus did or said to drive him away, Drake clung to him like a bur.”

Alex barely nodded and forced his lips to hold a brittle smile while inwardly guilt consumed him to the point of making his palms moist with sweat. Her last words hadn’t been meant as anything but a lighthearted jibe at Lord Drakely, but Alex felt every word like a blow to the gut. At a time when his friend had needed him most, he’d not been there. He’d heeded Marcus’ harsh commands to be left alone and though he didn’t see it then, he realized now what his friend needed most was for someone to stay. He raked a clammy hand through his hair and pulled. Hard. He shouldn’t have let Marcus put him off so easily. But he had and that was one of Alex’s biggest mistakes, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make an earnest attempt to rekindle their friendship. Perhaps he should plan to visit Marcus more often and—

“
The three little girls you see running around are his,” Caroline continued, pulling Alex from his deep contemplations.

Alex greeted the man and his little girls and was about to ask after his wife when Caroline’s delicate cough halted his words.

“
Lead us down, boy,” Father hollered, prompting Alex to offer Caroline his arm and start walking down the hall.

“
Where is his wife,” Alex whispered, unable to hold his question any longer.

“
She passed away in childbirth about four years ago,” Caroline explained without much emotion.

“
Oh, I’m sorry. Did you know her well?”

Caroline misstepped a fraction. “No, not well at all.”

In the drawing room, a group of servants holding instruments that varied from an ancient looking violin to two spoons bound back-to-back were assembled together.

“
Shall we?” Alex asked, leading her close to where the musicians were assembled.

Caroline walked with him to the middle of the floor and let him take her into his arms the way he had a few nights before. “It’s all right, Caro, just follow my lead.”

She moved her feet to follow where his went.

After the first song, several couples joined them, his parents included.

Over Caroline’s head, Alex’s eyes fell on his father and mother who were standing still and swaying to the music, their arms wrapped around each other. The pair’s eyes were each fixed solely on the other and nobody else.

Uncle John spun his wife, and she squealed as she almost bumped into Liberty and Paul, sending both ladies into peals of laughter.

The earl and countess along with the duke and duchess had each found a corner of the room to dance alone. He mindlessly pulled Caroline closer, marveling at the way her soft body felt against his.

“
Alex,” Caroline whispered, catching his attention.

“
Yes?”

She glanced down at his snowy-white, emerald-pinned cravat before looking back to his face. “Could you please dance with Emma?”

He froze. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“
No, not at all.” She ran her hands along his shoulders in a comforting way, then bit her lip and glanced over his shoulder for a brief second. “She’ll never get to dance if you don’t ask her. Marcus can’t dance well because of his leg. Drake won’t dance at all. And as for your friend Andrew—” she shrugged— “I think he’s forgotten it’s the responsibility of the male attendant to dance with the female attendant at least once.” She reached up and pushed a lock of fallen hair behind her ear. “Anyway, I wouldn’t wish to remind him. He looks too content with his wife. So would you please dance with her?”

He glanced to where Miss Green sat next to Marcus and Lord Drakely. The three didn’t look to be having a conversation. They appeared to be sitting quietly, watching the couples and Lord Drakely’s three daughters dance. “Of course. As soon as this song is over I’ll ask her. Will that do?”

“
Yes. Thank you.”

The dance ended and Alex walked up to where Miss Green was seated. “Miss Green, would you do me the honor of this dance?”

“
But I couldn’t. You’re the groom!”

“
Yes, and as the groom I’d like a dance with the second most beautiful lady in attendance.” He shut his mouth and turned his eyes away. That was
not
the best thing he could have said to charm a lady. But really, he couldn’t have said she was the most beautiful lady in attendance when she wasn’t. Not to him, at least.

She laughed. “It’s all right, Mr. Banks. I’m in no way offended, and I would love to dance with you.”

Miss Green was an excellent dancer. She danced with far more grace and confidence than Caroline. He glanced at Caroline. She was currently engaged in a rather arresting conversation with Marcus and Lord Drakely, from the looks of it. One of Drakely’s girls climbed onto her lap and ran her fingers over all the beadwork on Caroline’s dress. She’d make a good mother. Her way with those little girls was so natural and easy.

“
Your children will be very lucky,” Miss Green said, startling him.

“
Thank you,” he said, nodding. “She has a way about her, doesn’t she?”

“
She sure does. She always has. The two of you are very lucky to have found each other.”

“
Thank you again. But I cannot take credit. Marcus is the one who pointed out to me how well suited we’d be,” he admitted, not wanting to mention—or even
think
about—his father’s role.

“
Indeed?” she asked as she nearly tripped. “Pardon me. I was merely shocked to hear Marcus was involved.”

Alex chuckled. “Surprising, isn’t it? I was rather shocked when he first suggested it to me, and my shock did not stem from who he was suggesting I should court, but that he was suggesting someone in the first place.”

“
Who knew he was a romantic?” she murmured.

“
You’d never guess by looking at him, would you?”

“
No,” she agreed, turning her head to look at the man in question. “Not by looking at him anyway.”

The music ended and Alex led her back to her chair. She might have more talent for dancing than Caroline, but Caroline was his wife, and she was the one he wanted to spin around the floor with.

That was not meant to be, however. “Dance with me! Dance with me!” three little girls squealed, tugging at his clothes.

Still sitting in her chair, Caroline made a gesture he took to mean he should give each of the three girls a turn of the floor.

A chuckle from Marcus caught his attention. The man winked at him. Next to Marcus, the viscount looked at his three daughters, but didn’t say anything.

Each of the two older girls grabbed onto Alex’s hands while the youngest wrapped her arms around his leg.

“
All right,” he said, resigned. “But one at a time. I’m not as talented as your father or Caro. I don’t think I can manage all three of you at once.”

One by one, he took each of the three girls into his arms and danced them around the floor, refusing to meet the curious eyes of his amused family.

“
Caro, are you ready to dance again?” he asked, reaching his hand out to Caroline.

“
Yes.” She stood and glanced back to Marcus, Lord Drakely and Miss Green. “The three of you are welcome to join us.”

Lord Drakely declined.

Marcus started to decline, but Caroline cleared her throat. He frowned, and Caroline cocked her head.

With a sigh, Marcus gained his feet. “Emma, could I interest you in a dance?” His voice gave nothing away.

Miss Green briefly looked at Caroline before declining Marcus’ reluctantly spoken request.

Caroline frowned and sighed. “I wish he’d at least try to dance with her. She cannot possibly be having any fun.”

“
I am,” Alex countered with a grin. “Well, now that you’re in my arms again I am. I like dancing with you, Caro.”

She allowed him to pull her closer. “Thank you.”

“
Alex, we need to go,” Andrew said after a short time.

“
Right,” Alex said with a slow smile. “If you don’t leave soon, you’ll not be home before nightfall.”

“
Exactly. Unless you’d like us to stay the night?” Andrew asked with a slanted grin.

“
No. I’m afraid I’ll not be available to entertain you tonight if you stay,” he added cheekily, admiring the way his words made Caroline’s face flush.

Andrew closed his eyes and shook his head. “Brooke would like to say goodbye, then we’ll be on our way. Congratulations to both of you.” Andrew kissed Caroline’s cheek and turned to his wife.

Brooke hugged him. “Congratulations, Alex.” Releasing him, she wrapped Caroline in a hug and whispered something in her ear.

“
Are we all saying our goodbyes?” Marcus asked, slowly walking up to their group.

The music stopped just then, and everyone gathered around them to say their goodbyes. Alex couldn’t pretend to be disappointed they were leaving. Once they were all gone, he’d get to spend the rest of the day alone with Caroline. That suited him just fine.

“
Oh, we’ve a wedding gift to give you,” Madison said. “Actually, we can’t exactly give it to you here, seeing as it’s outside.”

Everyone followed Alex and Caroline outside to where Benjamin had directed them to go. Alex knit his brows. Why the duke led them to stand on a wooden platform that was draped with white sheets was most bizarre.

“
Benjamin, are you planning to move the cloth?” Madison murmured, patting her stomach to indicate her inability to lean over easily.

Her husband made a comical facial expression. “Anything to please the duchess.” He kissed his wife’s cheek then dutifully leaned over, grabbed a handful of fabric, and pulled it to the side, revealing two black and two white squares.

“
It’s a lawn chess set,” Madison exclaimed.

“
The pieces are in that shed,” Benjamin explained, pointing vaguely in the direction of a shed some hundred yards to the east.

Marcus chuckled. “Poor, Alex. I think you’re about to spend your wedding night playing chess. Caroline
loves
lawn chess.” He flashed Alex a grin then turned to Caroline. “I should warn you, Caroline. Alex is the best I’ve ever seen. He can have the best players beat in less than fifteen minutes. Thirty, if he’s just trying to make sport of them. I’ve only seen him play one game that took longer than thirty, and after about an hour I realized—”