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“A beauty, you say? Pray, what was it about her that captivated you so?”

“Captivatesme,” he corrected gently, his eyes flaring with an intensity that both warmed and alarmed her. “Come for a picnic with me tomorrow, and I shall tell you.” He leaned slightly closer. “Chaperoned, of course.”

Agnes had to inwardly commend his efforts at propriety despite his reputation. “Very well,” she agreed. His response was a grin that would have made her swoon last season—when she was a clueless debutante.

The magic of the moment, however, was fleeting, and the end of their dance marked a return to the ball’s bustling reality. It was with a palpable sense of disappointment that Agnes watched their connection dissolve into the air. “Forgive me, but I must leave you for a moment,” Theodore said when a gentleman sought his attention.

He placed a soft kiss on her knuckles and left. She looked about the room for Frances and Emma, and a moment later, a gentleman approached her.

“You’re looking well, Miss Young,” said the gentleman. “I am Lord Fairfax,” he introduced himself. “May I have a dance?”

“Of course,” Agnes agreed with a slight smile. Being seen with Theodore was giving more gentlemen the confidence to toss the rumors about her out and approach her.

Why do I not feel any excitement, though?

Fairfax’s demeanor was polished, yet, as he led her onto the dance floor, Agnes couldn’t shake off the discomfort that crawled beneath her skin. There was something in his gaze, a certain intensity, that set her on edge.

“You’re quiet,” he observed, his statement more an assertion than a query, as if her silence was a puzzle to be solved.

“People usually are with strangers they’re getting acquainted with, My Lord,” she responded.

“Well, we will have to work on breaking your boundaries then,” he smiled, the corners of his lips curling into what he no doubt intended to be a charming gesture. However, to Agnes, it appeared nothing short of predatory, and she managed a response that felt more akin to a grimace than a smile.

“So tell me, Miss Young, what is it youenticedGillingham with? Think I could get a bit of it, too?” He leered, his intention blatantly clear and utterly distasteful. The audacity of the question, coupled with the lecherous look that accompanied it, sent a wave of rage coursing through her veins.

“I beg your pardon?” Agnes found herself stumbling, both in her steps and her words, her shock and anger tangling into a tight knot in her stomach. His insinuation was not only offensive but also deeply humiliating.

“Oh, do not feign innocence with me. It is common knowledge that you must have done something to get the Marquess interested in you. After all, those rumors about you have some truth in them. And a man of Gillingham’s stature would never settle for…your kind,” he said.

The insinuation that she was unworthy of Theodore’s attention unless through some underhanded means, was both bitter and appalling. Something fierce and indignant rose within Agnes, urging her to retaliate, to reclaim her dignity from his cruel jibes. She willed herself to reign in her ire, choosing her words with care.

“Mykind, as you say, are in possession of something his lordship lacks. Perhaps that is the key to my enticement of Gillingham,” she said, her voice steady, playing along with his vile game. It seemed to catch him off guard, his interest piqued as he leaned in, expecting to be let in on some secret.

“Pray tell, what is it you offer, Agnes?” he asked, his impertinent use of her Christian name without leave yet another trespass upon her propriety. It caused a shudder to ripple across her skin.

“Simply some dignity and honor. Because clearly, you seem in need of those, Lord Fairfax,” she retorted, her anger no longer hidden, her voice sharp as a whip. His face contorted with outrage at her audacity, but before he could utter a word, she deliberately stumbled, landing squarely on his foot with all her might.

CHAPTER 10

“La, I must confess, all the dancing is making me rather clumsy!” Agness said.

“You did that purposefully,” Fairfax accused.

“Do you have proof?”

“I—”

The music ceased at that moment, and she stepped back, turning on her heels and leaving the suffocating atmosphere of the ballroom, seeking refuge on a quiet terrace overlooking the gardens.

As she closed her eyes and took in a deep, steadying breath, Agnes grappled with the whirlwind of emotions within her. Fairfax’s venomous words echoed in her mind, a cruel reminder of the societal barriers that stood between her and acceptance. Was his vile opinion shared by others? Was this disdainfulscrutiny the reason she had remained on the fringes, overlooked and underestimated?

She glanced down at the dance card attached to her wrist, counting five names. Perhaps all the gentlemen that had penned their names wanted the same thing as Fairfax from her.What would be the point of dancing with them, then? What would be the point of seeking a match at all?

When she had the attention of a marquess, it was not her wit, her grace, or her intellect that was acknowledged, but rather she was approached with the worst of intentions and expectations.

She swallowed the bitterness, anger, and hurt that rose to her throat. The quiet of the terrace offered a momentary escape, but Agnes wanted to be far away from here.

“That was quite the flight after your dance.”