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Matthew raised an eyebrow. “It seems you may have some reservations about my presence, Madam.”

She let out an exasperated sigh and responded, this time speaking to him directly, even though she would not look him in the eye, “I apologize for my behavior. I am not normally prone to such outbursts, but tonight, I could bear it no longer.”

Matthew only nodded. “You need not apologize. We all have moments of frustration.”

Every second of his life was filled with frustration.Hewould know.

But then, before he could stop himself, Matthew Fitzroy couldn’t help but ponder the comment his friend Stephen had made earlier about some ladies initiating nightly trysts with gentlemen at balls like these.

This lady looked frustrated, but maybe not by what he thought? Maybe by something else entirely?

Her lips trembled, and her blue eyes were filled with such emotions.

Could she?

As he looked at the lady before him, he wondered aloud, “I can’t help but wonder, Madam, if I was not the man you hoped to find alone out here and by this time.”

He did not know why he asked that or why he asked it in such a bitter tone.

If he kissed her, would her eyes widen for him? Would they darken and become filled with desire for him?

The lady’s expression shifted from shock to realization as she seemed to grasp the compromising situation they were in.

Alone. Outside, at night.

Goodness, jumping from the frying pan to fire!

Agnes took a deep breath and, with remarkable swiftness, transformed her demeanor and countenance.

She stood upright with an impeccable posture that had been taught to her since childhood, exuding a polite and distant air as she replied, managing to look down her nose at him even though he stood several heads above her, “I assure you, Sir, I would never attempt to meet a gentleman without a chaperone present. Such behavior would be highly improper.”

He scoffed. Now she had transformed to look like the pompous elites, and it irked him. He wanted to see the soft, out-of-control woman he met first. He had a feeling that was the real her.

“Madam, you need not be so rigid in your judgments. I, for one, have no qualms about women seeking pleasure even before the confines of marriage,” he pushed.

The lady’s annoyance flickered across her eyes for a fleeting moment, but she concealed it masterfully. With a subtle smile, she responded, “Your liberality is duly noted, Sir. However, I adhere to the principles of propriety.”

Matthew only grinned. He knew there was more fire within her than she revealed. He was determined to break through her facade and discover the true woman behind the polite mask.

Matthew, with an arch of his brow, remarked, “Madam, you wear your decorum like a shield, but I sense a spirit that longs to break free.”

The lady’s blue eyes flickered with amusement and intrigue. “And what would you have me do, Sir? Discard my upbringing and indulge in impropriety?”

Matthew chuckled, a glimmer of appreciation in his eyes. “Not necessarily. I simply wish to see the real you, beyond the constraints of Society.”

For a brief second, the lady’s lips curved into a playful smile, her wit matching his. “Ah, you seek the unvarnished truth. But can you handle it, Sir?”

Matthew was stunned for a while. Was she being naughty?

Before the fire would die, Matthew met her challenge with a sly grin. “I am not easily daunted, Madam. Try me.”

As they exchanged playful remarks and witticisms, Matthew genuinely believed he was making progress in thawing her frosty exterior. He sensed the layers of her Society-imposed decorum slowly melting away, revealing a spirited woman beneath.

He was getting excited.

However, just as he believed he was getting closer to discovering the real lady, she made an unexpected decision.

With a graceful curtsy, she cleared her throat. “I must bid you farewell, Sir, and return inside. The night is still young, and there are many more dances to enjoy,” she said in a voice that made him think she really did not want to go back inside, but Matthew was not sure and could not do anything.