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ChapterTwenty

"My feet are so sore." Victoria groaned much to Anthony’s amusement after they had danced four dances simultaneously. "Help me."

He laughed and led her to a chair at the edge of the room which se sank into with a sigh.

"Do you want anything to drink?" He asked her.

"No." she answered shaking her head. "I’ve already had too much punch."

Her sister comes to join them, the young baron he had met earlier, in tow, looking as though he had won a prize.

He had wondered at the lad’s expression earlier when they had been introduced by Charity and seeing it again, he couldn’t help but wonder why the boy watched him so.

"Oh Victoria." Charity cried, settling into one of the seats. "This is the most wondrous ball’s I have attended. You thought of everything."

Anthony smiled proudly at that and shot Victoria a look. She had been so worried at the inception of her planning that he had had to help her but with time, she had come to trust in her abilities.

He had had to ask his mother to be much nicer to her and they had found many areas on which they agreed.

He knew his mother’s dislike of Victoria was due her reservations on how old she was and the fact that she had used scandal to force him into marriage with her but he had noticed her warm up to his wife quite quickly.

"Thank you, Charity." She smiled. "Soon, you too will be tasked with organizing your own ball."

The girl blushed and smiled at her beau who was also red in the face.

"You should also compliment the duke." Victoria added, surprising him. "He was a darling and has exquisite taste in curtain and flower designs."

He glared at her as the young lovers stared at him with an incredulous expression.

"Your Grace, I had no idea you would be adept at such… tasks." The baron stuttered which caused Victoria to laugh even louder.

He shook his head and was thinking of how he would punish her later when he spied a familiar face in blue out of the corner of his eye.

He turned hoping to see if it was who he thought and when he found her outright staring at him, he frowns.

She tilts her head, indicating that she would like to talk and he rises wondering what she could possibly want to discuss.

As he stepped out after her into the garden, he wondered why he was even giving her audience when he had nothing to say.

She turns to him and has a remorseful look on her face and he frowned harder wondering at the unnecessary emotion.

"What do you want, Lady Sutherford?" he asked, unable to keep the ire out of his voice.

They had been friends once but she had lost the privilege the moment she asked him to cancel their engagement.

"You surely cannot still be upset with me, Anthony?" she started but seeing his irritated look, she withers. "I... I wanted to apologize to you. I’m sorry, Anthony, for how I ended things. I should not have been so unfeeling. You deserved better than that, if anything for the friendship we’ve shared."

"Lady Sutherford, this is all in the past." He told her tonelessly. "why do you bring this up now?"

"Your mother informed me that it was my ending our engagement that influenced your decision to stay away from society."

He frowned and turned as though trying to find his mother.

She placed a hand on his arm which she removed at his glare.

"I know you don’t like her interfering, but she only meant well." She added hastily.

"And when did you two have this conversation?"