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“Do we?” Theo scoffed. “Gillingham, tell me this is not a strange occurrence. I mean, you two are much the same.”

The Duke of Gillingham rolled his eyes but nodded.

Eveline couldn’t help but smile at their antics. She was grateful to see that her husband had such good friends and instantly missed hers. She would have to write to Lily soon and invite her to the estate.

“What have you done to our friend?” Theo asked again.

Eveline shrugged, sending a smile to her husband, who winked at her. Her breath caught in her chest at his playful demeanor, but she composed herself quickly.

“You need to know the sort of man your husband is,” Magnus supplied. “Then you might understand our feelings on the matter.”

Her husband shook his head. “We are not discussing this now.”

“We certainly have to, Mayfield.” Theo nodded. “She needs to know the man you are, and since you haven’t deemed it fit to invite us to your home, we can only make do with the opportunity before us.”

“You have never needed an invitation to my estate,” William pointed out.

“That was before you got married,” Theo countered. “We would not want to interrupt your honeymoon.”

Eveline flushed and hid her face behind her fan.

“Do not speak so crassly, Emerton,” her husband scolded. “There are ladies present.”

Theo, at least, had the decency to look ashamed. “Nonetheless, the fact remains that you were too busy enjoying life as a married man to remember your friends.”

“Indeed, I am,” William said with a smile. “Perhaps when you are married, you will understand why I am no longer keen on your company.”

Theo gasped. “You never wanted to be married, Mayfield,” he scoffed. “Weencouraged you, and this is the thanks we get. Mockery?”

“Indeed.” William nodded. “Now, I must excuse myself. I want to dance with my wife.”

Eveline’s eyes widened.

“To think you were once soundly against the institution,” Theo groaned. “You seem to be enjoying yourself more than anyone else.”

“That was until I met my wife,” William answered. “Shall we?”

Eveline stared at his arm and then took it, lowering her eyes. She had not expected him to ask her to dance, but now that he did, she could not wait.

“It is not exactly proper, husband,” she warned.

“When have we ever done anything proper?”

CHAPTER 13

“When have we ever done anything proper?”

Eveline raised an eyebrow at him but took his hand, nonetheless. He smiled back at her, giving her a wink that sent heat all the way down to her toes.

Since her sisters’ visit to the estate, they had grown even closer and had started sharing not just dinner but breakfast and even lunch. Eveline enjoyed their friendship, but as Magnus mock gasped and Theo mock gagged, she felt shy all of a sudden. Showing such familiarity in public had been unexpected, and having someone else express shock only served to highlight the oddity of it.

Her husband led her to the dance floor, taking his place in front of her, the playful look never leaving his eyes as he bowed. The first strains of the violin came, and they stepped close to each other, enough to touch but not quite, with their palms up facing each other.

She used to believe she could not maintain eye contact with anyone, but now, as they danced, she could not look away from him. She laughed when he did one of the particularly funny steps, gasping when he lifted her easily and spun her. But when the first dance came to an end, she did not want to stop. She loved seeing him lose himself in the music and did not want him to return to the dignified Duke he usually was.

He seemed to read her mind and took his position for the next dance, which would have them close enough to speak, and she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease him.

“I did not think you could dance.” She smiled. “And so well, in fact.”