bit of overt matchmaking was done with. No doubt, being a woman, she did not mind his grandmother's insistence. Fortunately, she had not pushed him, with unspoken pleas, sighing glances, or even — as his grandmother no doubt would have done — with outright demands. She seemed to understand that he was not ready for marriage.
As they moved away from his grandmother, his gaze caught Hero's full upon him. She held to Gabriel Digby's arm as he led her to the dance floor. His eyes caught on hers for a moment as she moved past him and he noted that she was pale as she nodded in acknowledgement, and then she quickly turned her gaze to Digby.
Gwen tugged his arm gently. "Is something the matter?" Surprised to find that he had stopped moving, he began to walk toward the dance floor again. "No."
As they reached the perimeter of the other dancers, he took her in his arms for the waltz and began moving awkwardly through the steps of the dance, trying not to pay any attention to Hero and Digby.
"He does dance well, doesn't he?"
Apparently, Gwen knew him too well. She had noticed where his glances fell. But he still pretended to misunderstand her. "Whom do you mean?"
"Gabriel Digby, of course."
"I hadn't noticed."
She laughed. "Well, I certainly have. After all the lessons that Papa and your grandmother have given me, I know an excellent dancer when I see one. And when I dance with him as well."
"So you have danced with him, then?"
"Of course. He is in town and you are not. And, as I said, he is a very good dance partner."
Arthur lost his footing for a moment and then regained it. "Unlike me, you are much too kind to say." He smiled. And then, as casually as possible, he added, "He seems to be set on Hero Fenster."
She stumbled slightly, apparently thrown off by his previous misstep, but recovered quickly. "What makes you say so?"
"He was visiting the Misses Fenster when I arrived today."
"Is that where you are staying, then? With the duke and his family?" He saw the concern in her expression. She knew him well enough to see that being the duke's heir was not something he felt comfortable about. "Do you think it wise?"
"I do not intend to be here long. A day or so, no more."
She smiled, and teased him. "Your grandmother will be disappointed. Each time you come to London, she hopes you will embrace your role as heir to the Duke of Kerstone."
"I hope that the duchess will soon make that role unlikely by providing my cousin with a healthy son."
"I hope the same — for your sake, Arthur." She changed the subject, apparently noticing that his glance had once again strayed toward Hero and Digby. "Do you think Miss Fenster returns Mr. Digby's regard?"
"Yes." He told himself to be honest. "He is an intelligent, sober man with good prospects."
She laughed, a soft sound he was familiar with. She thought he was being obtuse in a scholarly way. "You do not think she sees him in a more dashing light?"
He did not want Gwen to recognize the jealousy that ate at him, so he pretended to an impartiality he did not possess and conceded grudgingly, "Perhaps, he does have a look that some would consider handsome."
She said nothing for a moment as they both danced in the crush, careful of their toes. Then she laughed once more. "If I didn't know better, Arthur, I would say you were jealous of the man."
"Nonsense." Gwen knew him much too well.
"I can understand why," she added, to his alarm. But then her next words eased his worry. "He does seem to have all the characteristics your grandmother has tried to instill in you all these years. Honor. Valor. Chivalry. But so do you, though you refuse to see it in yourself."
She thought his jealousy was to do with the Round Table Society. Certainly, there was some truth in it. That realization stung. He looked at her sharply, wondering if she had said it because she was angry with him for not declaring for her once and for all. But her look was all sympathy. He said dismissively, "Grandmama
As they moved away from his grandmother, his gaze caught Hero's full upon him. She held to Gabriel Digby's arm as he led her to the dance floor. His eyes caught on hers for a moment as she moved past him and he noted that she was pale as she nodded in acknowledgement, and then she quickly turned her gaze to Digby.
Gwen tugged his arm gently. "Is something the matter?" Surprised to find that he had stopped moving, he began to walk toward the dance floor again. "No."
As they reached the perimeter of the other dancers, he took her in his arms for the waltz and began moving awkwardly through the steps of the dance, trying not to pay any attention to Hero and Digby.
"He does dance well, doesn't he?"
Apparently, Gwen knew him too well. She had noticed where his glances fell. But he still pretended to misunderstand her. "Whom do you mean?"
"Gabriel Digby, of course."
"I hadn't noticed."
She laughed. "Well, I certainly have. After all the lessons that Papa and your grandmother have given me, I know an excellent dancer when I see one. And when I dance with him as well."
"So you have danced with him, then?"
"Of course. He is in town and you are not. And, as I said, he is a very good dance partner."
Arthur lost his footing for a moment and then regained it. "Unlike me, you are much too kind to say." He smiled. And then, as casually as possible, he added, "He seems to be set on Hero Fenster."
She stumbled slightly, apparently thrown off by his previous misstep, but recovered quickly. "What makes you say so?"
"He was visiting the Misses Fenster when I arrived today."
"Is that where you are staying, then? With the duke and his family?" He saw the concern in her expression. She knew him well enough to see that being the duke's heir was not something he felt comfortable about. "Do you think it wise?"
"I do not intend to be here long. A day or so, no more."
She smiled, and teased him. "Your grandmother will be disappointed. Each time you come to London, she hopes you will embrace your role as heir to the Duke of Kerstone."
"I hope that the duchess will soon make that role unlikely by providing my cousin with a healthy son."
"I hope the same — for your sake, Arthur." She changed the subject, apparently noticing that his glance had once again strayed toward Hero and Digby. "Do you think Miss Fenster returns Mr. Digby's regard?"
"Yes." He told himself to be honest. "He is an intelligent, sober man with good prospects."
She laughed, a soft sound he was familiar with. She thought he was being obtuse in a scholarly way. "You do not think she sees him in a more dashing light?"
He did not want Gwen to recognize the jealousy that ate at him, so he pretended to an impartiality he did not possess and conceded grudgingly, "Perhaps, he does have a look that some would consider handsome."
She said nothing for a moment as they both danced in the crush, careful of their toes. Then she laughed once more. "If I didn't know better, Arthur, I would say you were jealous of the man."
"Nonsense." Gwen knew him much too well.
"I can understand why," she added, to his alarm. But then her next words eased his worry. "He does seem to have all the characteristics your grandmother has tried to instill in you all these years. Honor. Valor. Chivalry. But so do you, though you refuse to see it in yourself."
She thought his jealousy was to do with the Round Table Society. Certainly, there was some truth in it. That realization stung. He looked at her sharply, wondering if she had said it because she was angry with him for not declaring for her once and for all. But her look was all sympathy. He said dismissively, "Grandmama
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