Dancing with Love: An Opposites Attract Beauty and the Beast love story (The Academy of Love Book 5) by Minerva Spencer & S.M. LaViolette

Author:Minerva Spencer & S.M. LaViolette [Spencer, Minerva & LaViolette, S.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crooked Sixpence Press
Published: 2022-12-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

“—so you see this new form of hoist has eliminated the need for—”

“Oh dear. Hoists, Gareth? Again?” The feminine voice came from behind Mary and Garth Lockheart, who’d been studying a drawing that Lockheart had sketched onto a piece of paper he’d torn from a tiny notebook.

Mary turned to find Serena Lockheart and Lady Honoria Saybrook smirking indulgently.

She knew her face would be a shade of red that clashed with her hair. “Er, I’m afraid the subject of hoists is one I raised, Mrs. Lockheart. I asked your husband about a problem we’ve had in our Bristol shipyard and—”

Mary broke off when she caught sight of her mother over Lady Saybrook’s shoulder, her face a mask of horror at hearing Mary utter the word shipyard in a ballroom, to a marchioness

“Er, in any case, Mr. Lockheart has been most helpful,” she finished lamely.

Gareth Lockheart stepped into the breech. “I was telling Miss Barnett about the lift I made for your larger sculptures, Serena.” The brilliant industrialist was an extremely handsome man, but there was something about him that was strangely lifeless, at least until he spoke to his wife

Mrs. Lockheart gave her husband a look of mock severity. “I’m afraid you overlooked something, Gareth.”

He turned and squinted at his drawing. “What?”

Mrs. Lockheart laughed. “Not the hoist, Gareth.”

The gorgeous man glanced around in confusion before comprehension dawned. “Oh, I say! I forgot our dance.”

“You did. But you can make that up to me right now, dearest, because another set is about to begin.”

Mary almost laughed at the look of misery that flickered over Lockheart’s face as he stared at the couples assembling on the dance floor.

“Er, not a quadrille.” He made a small, barely audible whimper. “Please, Serena.”

His wife laughed. “No, my dear, I am not so foolish. It is a country dance—we only need to follow the leader’s steps.”

Lockheart sighed and turned to Mary. “Shall I messenger those plans to your yard in Bristol?”

“Thank you. I will write and tell them to expect it.”

Before Mary could invite Lady Saybrook to take the seat that Mr. Lockheart had just vacated, Miss Lorelei Fontenot suddenly appeared and dropped into the chair.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” she said, staring at Mary in a way that seemed more than a little aggressive. Without turning to look at Lady Saybrook Miss Fontenot said, “Simon wanted to talk to you about… something, Honey. You should go to him.”

Even Mary could hear the lie in her words.

The marchioness gave her friend a hard look, which the other woman ignored, and then smiled at Mary and said, “Will you excuse me, Miss Barnett?”

“Of course, my lady.”

Lorelei Fontenot hardly waited until the other woman was out of earshot before saying, “What, exactly, is your dispute with Miles.”

Mary bristled at the other woman’s tone. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do. You take pleasure in goading him.”

“That is not true.”

“Yes, it is,” Miss Fontenot shot back. “Take this business of refusing to dance the opening set at your own ball.

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