Save the Last Dance for Me by Cora Lee

Author:Cora Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-09-29T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Honoria fairly bounced out of bed the next morning, despite the long hours she’d lain awake during the night.

She’d kissed Benedict!

She still wasn’t clear on what had possessed her to do such a thing, nor was she terribly sure what his response would be in the cold light of day. But at the moment she didn’t care. He had held her as if nothing was more dear to him in the world, and she’d felt so safe in his arms.

She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed that safety, that strength, until last night.

“There’s a note here from Mr. Grey,” her maid said, bustling into the room with a tray. “I thought you might want to read it while you had your chocolate this morning.”

“Oh yes, thank you.” Honoria poured herself a cup and broke the seal on the letter—he’d used his own this time rather than leaving it plain. She scanned the page quickly trying to get an overall sense of what he’d written, then went back and read again at a pace more conducive to comprehension.

“He’s asked me to visit Whitby House with him this afternoon, to take tea with his mother and the marchioness.”

“That’s exciting,” the maid replied with a bright smile.

“Or completely terrifying. I’ve met them both before, of course, but not...”

The maid nodded. Not as a prospective member of the family. For that is how they would see her, as Benedict’s potential bride. Was that how he saw her now, too? Did he feel obligated to marry her after their kiss last night, even though no one knew about it but the two of them?

Or was this just the next logical step in their ruse? It certainly made sense—if Benedict had truly been courting her, an invitation from the female members of his family would be expected. But it was not something Honoria had prepared herself for. She would have to go into their home and essentially lie to them about her future with their cousin and son.

Exactly as Benedict would do with her father.

Well, there was nothing for it—just because she had been blind to its coming didn’t mean she could avoid this complication. Especially not when her partner in this business was prepared to do much the same for her. She called for a pen and some paper and dashed off a reply to Benedict informing him that she would be ready at the appointed time.

But what to wear? She and her maid combed through the gowns in her dressing room, considering this one or that one, rejecting others out of hand. Together they pulled out several gowns for Honoria to try, and spread them out across her bed. Each time her maid got her laced in to a one, Honoria would stand in front of the cheval glass turning slowly left and right before shaking her head.

She finally settled on a blush-colored muslin sprigged with tiny roses. Ordered last month, she had yet to wear it anywhere so it could serve as a topic of conversation if need be.

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