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She felt hope. Hope that perhaps he had decided that he did not want to be without her and that he felt the same way she did. But she quashed it as soon as it came.

She had allowed the vapid thought free rein before and had been hurt soundly. If she were that foolish again, she would have no one else to blame but herself for thinking such.

After all, he had only showered her with physical attention and had not shown a real interest in her likes or anything that a man interested in a woman would ask about. Everything she felt had been a result of her desperation for a match, misconstruing what had otherwise been a temporary lapse in judgment on his part.

“Good evening, Your Grace,” Martha said with a curtsey, glaring at her so she did the same. “I feared we would not have the pleasure of your company tonight.”

“I was a little occupied, but I am here now.” He smiled politely at her. “Good evening, Lady Selina. I hope the ball is to your taste?”

“It is, Your Grace,” Selina answered, surprised at how cold her voice sounded.

He wasn’t unfazed by her cool response, but he nodded. His next words stunned her even more than the polite bow he executed as he extended his hand towards her.

“May I have this dance, Lady Selina?”

CHAPTER 20

“May I have this dance, Lady Selina?”

Selina’s surprise was evident. Even Martha’s presence hadn’t been enough to stop her mouth from dropping open. The last she had seen of the Duke, he had made it clear that they would never be alone together again, and now he came to ask her to dance where she couldn’t berate him as freely as she desired.

He really was the worst sort there was.

“She would be delighted, Your Grace,” Martha answered for her, shooting her a look that promised a major scolding once they were alone.

Why would her aunt give her so willingly to the Duke? If she knew the scandalous nature of the activities they’d engaged in, she would no doubt have banned her from speaking to him.

“Give the Duke your hand, Selina,” her aunt instructed with a polite smile.

“I’m afraid my dance card is full, Auntie,” Selina answered stubbornly.

She frowned when the Duke smiled wickedly, picked up her card, and scanned it. She hated the way she admired his long, elegant lashes and how the serious look on his face made him even more handsome.

She saw a flicker of emotion cross his face and wondered if he was jealous of the names he saw on her dance card. If he was, she hoped it hurt him as much as he had hurt her.

“I see one available slot,” he said with a smile at last. “And it’s coming up now.”

She frowned, taking the offending card from him. True enough, there was still a slot available that just happened to be a waltz. The thought of being so close to him had her heart racing in her chest as she remembered everything that happened between them over the past few days. Her cheeks flushed, and she saw a knowing look cross his face.

“I will dance with you, Your Grace,” she said, handing him the card.

She would use the time to ask him why he thought he could keep confusing her the way he did. Since he asked to end their agreement, he should stick to what he had asked for.

She took his hand, pushing down the feelings that rose inside her, and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. She looked up into those familiar eyes that had seen her at her worst and most vulnerable.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked once the music started, keeping her voice low enough so no one would overhear them.

“Doing what, Lady Selina?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

“This. Dancing with me,” she pointed out, refusing to play his game.

“Because I need to make sure that our final lesson has yielded results,” he answered, not looking at her.

“If you had watched me at all tonight, you would have known that it paid off.”

“I have been watching you, and I can tell that you put all of our lessons to good use.” His eyes ran down her frame, the heat evident in them. “I have been watching you a little too closely.”

His admission shocked her, as she hadn’t seen him all night. She had thought he had decided to leave early instead of waiting forthe ball. It made her face heat up, knowing he had seen her flirt with other men using the skills he had taught her.