That took her aback. “You wished to waltz with me?”
“Why does that surprise you? You would make a far more interesting partner than any of the young ladies I danced with tonight.”
Madeline stared at him warily. “I do not waltz, my lord.”
His expression turned curious. “Why not?”
“I never learned.”
“Your education is sorely lacking then.”
His observation struck a nerve. “No doubt, but just when would I have had the opportunity to learn to waltz?” she asked. “I have been employed as a companion since it was imported from the Continent two years ago, and in no position to engage a dancing master.”
Realizing how peevish she sounded, Madeline softened her tone and managed a wry smile. “Besides, Lady Talwin considered the waltz a vulgar display of hedonism.”
Haviland cocked his head, considering her. “You could always play whist. There are two card rooms set up for those who don’t care to dance.”
She shook her head. “That would not be advisable. I am a sharp at whist.”
His mouth curved in amusement, but his response seemed to question her claim. “Indeed?”
“I am not boasting. Lady Talwin and I played many a hand for imaginary pennies, and she loathed it when I failed to give my all. If I were to play here, I would surely win, and I don’t wish to fleece Lady Danvers’s guests. That is no way to repay her kindness to me.”
“I expect not,” he agreed, his lips twitching. “Very well, then. Since you cannot play cards, allow me to s
how you how to waltz.”
“Here?” she asked, startled.
“What better time? Listen. We even have music.”
The lilting sounds of a waltz were indeed filtering through the partially open window, Madeline noted.
“Come,” Haviland murmured. “Let me show you.”
Her heart leapt as he took a step closer. When he reached for her gloved hands, she stiffened as if afraid of his touch.
Yet she was not afraid of him precisely, Madeline vowed silently, allowing him to position her right hand on his shoulder and her left hand in his warm, larger one. She feared her response to him.
She was unnerved by the powerful effect Haviland had on her. He merely touched her, and she lost the power to think. She could feel heat radiating off his body as he placed his left palm at her waist and drew her closer.
Yet strangely, he made no move to teach her the proper dance steps. Instead, he simply held her in his light embrace, staring down at her.
Madeline waited, frozen in place, her heart lurching in her chest. She felt as if she were drowning in the depths of his sapphire eyes. His sheer physical presence overwhelmed her senses, while his warmth enveloped her.
Her gaze slid lower to his mouth, that firm, sensual mouth that had given her such pleasure last evening…. Heavens, was it only last evening that Haviland had kissed her at the inn?
A fierce longing rose up in Madeline, a craving for him to repeat his stunning assault of her lips. The feeling was so intense, her fingers curled into his shoulder, gripping the superfine of his coat.
“No,” she whispered in protest of her own need. “I cannot….”
In a desperate effort to maintain control, she pulled back from his embrace. “I don’t care to learn the waltz or any other dance, my lord.”
Her action thankfully made him release her, breaking the spell he had cast over her. But when she backed away from him, Madeline forgot that the window seat was directly behind her. As her skirts came up against the wooden panel, her knees literally gave out on her and she sank down onto the cushion.
The impact jarred her, but not as much as what Haviland’s gaze was doing to her.
She inhaled a deep breath, striving for composure. Her pulse had yet to quit racing, but she managed to say in an uneven voice, “As it happens, I am glad to have the chance to speak to you, Lord Haviland. I wished to ask you about Freddie Lunsford’s missing letters.”