Read Online Knight of My Dreams by Lynsay Sands - Free Book Online

for Alice’s presence.
    Actually, the lass had managed to make the past two days fun. She and Jonathan had talked and laughed their way through his mother’s orders, enjoying each other’s company and working together. As he’d suspected, Alice was a clever woman, and her witty turn of phrase and irreverent sense of humor drew Jonathan like a moth to a flame. He only hoped he did not get burned.
    â€œOops. I have done it again.”
    This time Jonathan did not need to be told, he’d definitely felt the crunching of his toes as the reel brought him and his partner together again. Had it been a deliberate stomp, with a twist at the end to inflict the most damage? It did not take a lot of thought to realize that the delicate little brat he was dancing with was annoyed with his lack of attention.
    He would have been enraged once, but Jonathan was honest enough to admit that he was being rude in his lack of attention. He likely even deserved his dance partner’s attacks, petty as they were. In truth, he had been rude to almost every single maid he had danced with, what with his gaze and attention being taken up as they were by Alice and her suitors. The wench had hardly sat a dance out. She was forever fluttering around the floor on the arm of one lordling or another. Why the hell had he allowed his mother to invite so many damned men? he wondered irritably. And did they all have to be so bloody attractive?
    The third stomp was the final one Jonathan was willing to suffer. It was also the most painful of the three and left him limping as he escorted the little brat off the floor. Leaving her to complain of his distraction to her mama, Jonathan sought out his own mother, intending to do a little complaining of his own.
    â€œAh, there is my handsome son.”
    Jonathan grimaced inwardly at his mother’s words as he paused at her side, but he gave a polite nod to the group of noblewomen gathered about Lady Fairley. He was beginning to feel like the pride of a stable, being presented for possible stud service.
    â€œHere you are, my dear.”
    Jonathan did grimace openly as the ever-present Lord Houghton appeared with a drink for his mother, but in truth, it was more from habit than anything else. It was now clear the man was nothing more than a nuisance. Jonathan was positive his mother had more sense than to do aught but dally with the oaf’s affections. Of course, if she suddenly decided to marry the bastard, Jonathan would have to kill him, but he would worry about that when and if the time came. At the moment, he was more concerned with Alice’s antics.
    â€œMy, this was a brilliant idea, Jonathan, and a fine success. Do you not think?”
    He nodded absently, hardly hearing his mother’s question or the cooed agreement of the surrounding women. He irritably watched yet another man lead Alice through a reel. She was a graceful dancer, her body perfectly in tune to the music. She put all the others to shame.
    â€œDo you not think so, Jonathan?” his mother asked again.
    â€œHmm?” He glanced around to find a dozen expectant faces turned toward him. He nodded distractedly, then commented, “Lady Alice appears to be quite popular, does she not? She has danced with nearly every man here.”
    His mother waved that away impatiently. “Really, Jonathan. Whatever does it matter whom Lady Houghton is dancing with? She is not the one who needs to marry. You are. Now, why do you not give Lady Jovell a turn on the floor? You have not danced with her yet.”
    Jonathan frowned at the suggestion, but he was too polite to give any insult by refusing. He took the arm of the spotty-faced girl who stepped out of the group and led her onto the floor. Fortunately, the chit was the quiet sort who did not seem to desire conversation while dancing. She also didn’t seem to mind that his gaze was trained on Lady Alice and the bevy of beaux vying to dance with her. Of