The Viscount Deception: A Sweet Regency Romance Adventure (Mayfair Mayhem Book 3) by Wendy May Andrews

Author:Wendy May Andrews [Andrews, Wendy May]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sparrow Ink
Published: 2019-07-22T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The ball was just getting into full swing when they arrived. Anne was happy to see that it was not yet a crush when she and her aunt and uncle were announced. For the first time, her name produced a tiny reaction amongst the assembled crowd. A shiver ran down Anne’s back. She was undecided if it were better to be completely anonymous or to be a person of interest. She could not even imagine how the Diamonds of the Season could bear all the attention they received. Maybe they considered it their due.

She was rather distracted with her thoughts as she gained the ballroom and did not notice the Earl of Sutton approaching until he was right in front of her.

“My lady,” he greeted her with more enthusiasm than she had received from him the previous night, much to her surprise.

“Good evening, my lord,” she returned his greeting, dipping into a curtsy.

“You are looking lovely,” he complimented after looking her over thoroughly.

She felt her cheeks warm but was not overly embarrassed. His inspection had been of the detached variety, as though he were checking her for defects, as if she were a horse at Tattersall’s or something. For some indiscernible reason this struck her as amusing rather than offensive. She examined him but knew she would not be able to imitate his manner so refrained from trying. She returned the compliment. “As do you, my lord. I quite fancy the interesting manner in which you have tied your neck cloth this evening.”

The earl appeared surprised by her words, and Anne was amazed to see a splash of colour cover his cheekbones for a moment. “Why thank you for noticing, my dear. I have no wish to be a dandy, but I do make an effort to turn myself out to advantage when I am attending this sort of thing.”

“I would say you achieved your aim.”

“You are a rather strange girl, aren’t you, my lady?” he asked her quizzically, making her choke on a gurgle of laughter.

“I do not know what to say to that, my lord.”

“Of course you don’t. Forgive my foolishness. I allowed words to leave my mouth before my mind was fully engaged. It was meant to be a compliment, although I realize it did not sound like it. I meant that you are not like the other debutantes, always wishing to discuss themselves. You actually seem to have some interesting thoughts in your head, which makes it a relief to spend some time with you.”

“Why, Lord Spencer, that is quite the nicest thing anyone has said to me.”

Again colour splashed onto his cheeks and he looked uncomfortable for the briefest moment, but then it vanished and he was the perfectly composed earl as usual. Bowing over her hand, he asked, “Might I have the pleasure of this dance? It sounds to me as though it is a minuet.”

Anne curtsied and accepted, and he swept her onto the dance floor with the other assembling couples. Since

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