Read Online A Crime of Manners by Rosemary Stevens - Free Book Online

the dance with style.
    When the dance was over, they promenaded around the room, and just as Brummell was leading her back to Lady Fuddlesby, Henrietta turned to look up at him, a solemn expression on her face. “Sir, I most sincerely thank you for your kindness.”
    Well pleased, Brummell spread it about Miss Lanford’s charming face matched a charming disposition. Fickle Society grew convinced the Duke of Winterton had played some kind of mischievous trick on them, and Miss Lanford was quite justified in her set-down of him.
    The duke observed Brummell and Miss Lanford’s dance with a measure of relief. He felt the responsibility of bringing her into fashion lifted from his shoulders.
    Now Henrietta did not lack for partners. Still smarting, she refused to look in the Duke of Winterton’s direction. However, this resolve perversely made necessary a constant need to know his whereabouts, so she might look the other way.
    While she began to wonder where Lord Baddick was, that gentleman entered the ballroom in happy ignorance of all that had transpired in his absence. He had spent the early part of the evening in the arms of a dashing young widow, Lady Hoare. Her appetite in the bedroom proved voracious and she had been loath to release him from her clutches.
    Therefore, it was a somewhat weary Lord Baddick who hastened forward to Henrietta, at Lady Fuddlesby’s side. “You are breathtaking this evening, Miss Lanford,” he declared, raising her gloved hand to his lips. “I am come to claim my dance.” He held out his arm to her and she accepted it, eyes sparkling up at him.
    “With pleasure, my lord. I began to think you had forgotten your promise when you were so late in arriving.”
    “Never! I was delayed helping a friend in need.”
    Lord Baddick’s presence and compliments did much to restore Henrietta’s spirits. She would not care what the duke thought of her.
    It was the supper dance and Henrietta, despite her resolve not to care two straws for the duke, felt compelled to fill Lord Baddick’s sympathetic ears with the tale of the duke’s perfidious behavior and Mr. Brummell’s subsequent rescue.
    Lord Baddick spoke passionately. “Shall I call Winterton out, Miss Lanford? You have only to say the word.” He felt secure in making this rash statement, knowing Miss Lanford would never agree to it.
    “Oh, no, my lord!” She swiftly denied him. But the Fantasy Henrietta indulged in a gratifying dream in which the two handsome men fought a duel over the slur to her name. Then she brought herself back to reality with a sharp self-admonition not to think of the duke as handsome after what he had done.
    The dance ended and Lord Baddick led her to a place at one of the long tables in the supper room. He filled a plate for her and one for himself, then signaled a footman for champagne. Henrietta placed a little bit of everything from her plate on her fork, as was the custom. She had never tasted champagne and, sipping the wine cautiously, found it pleasing.
    “Have you seen much of London since your shopping expedition?” asked Lord Baddick, making polite conversation while his hazel eyes stripped her naked. He noted with growing anticipation her innocence was in sharp contrast to the charms of Lady Hoare.
    “No, Lady Fuddlesby and I have been busy with my wardrobe and have kept quite at home.”
    She glanced to the head of the table where the Duke of Winterton was seated next to the blonde he had been dancing with. It seemed to Henrietta the top half of the lady’s gown was missing, it was cut so low. She then dropped her startled gaze back to her plate when her eyes met the duke’s cool gaze regarding her steadily.
    At the duke’s end of the table, Clorinda’s next dancing partner presented himself, much to the lady’s annoyance, and took her away. Colonel Colchester seated himself next to his godson, looking after Clorinda with a faint air of distaste.
    “My boy, you have still not given Miss