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“Our mothers do,” the man said. “If you will excuse me.” He walked past Emily without even looking at her and left.

“Someone’s not feeling very festive, now, is he?” Benjamin asked with a laugh.

Emily giggled, but it seemed a little forced, her attention clearly elsewhere.

Benjamin turned to Anna. Her lips twisted into a slight frown, and his stomach clenched to see her vexed. “What has he done to you?”

“Done to me? Who?” She blinked and then laughed. “Nothing. He is no one.”

“I did not catch his name.”

“He is the Earl of Pershore.”

“I have not heard of him.” Out of the corner of his eyes, Benjamin watched Emily accept a dance from a baron’s son. “May I have the honor of this dance?”

“Of course.” Anna’s smile stretched across her face, lighting up her dark eyes.

The two danced, talked, laughed, and danced another before the bold Lady Catherine interrupted them and stole him away. Benjamin danced once with her, and when he tried to locate Anna again, he could not see her anywhere. Had she left already? There was something about her, yet there was something about nearly every lady. If he saw her again this evening, he would spend more time with her. If not, there were others he would converse with.

Still, he found himself curious about Anna and that Pershore fellow, and it irked him to think that someone might have upset her.

* * *

“Did you not see how he was?” Anna asked as they nibbled on some of the delicious snacks set out for the guests to enjoy.

“Who was?” Emily turned around to face the dance floor.

“Lord Pershore! Have you not been listening to me?”

“Ah, yes, the marchioness’s son whom you cannot stop talking about.” Emily laughed, teasing.

“That is not true!”

“I thought you were trying to avoid the Duke of Barnet. You walked straight up to him. You did not even wait for him to approach you!”

“Yes, well, he was talking to Lord Pershore, and I wanted to…”

“To what? Save him? What on earth would Lord Pershore do to him?”

Anna sighed. “I suppose you are right. I did use that as an excuse.” She shook her head and vowed to think nothing more about either man. “Is Lord Tipton here?”

“Not that I have seen.” Emily put her hands on her hips. “Do not attempt to change the subject.”

“I am…” Anna rubbed her temple. She had not seen Benjamin either for some time now, and her happy mood after dancing with him vanished. She never should have approached him, should never have danced with him. Her mother was certain to find out, even if her chaperone and maid kept quiet, and then what?

She will ask if I bothered to dance with Lord Pershore as well when she should realize the answer to that would be no. I just cannot see why she wants me to befriend him, let alone anything more!

CHAPTER6

It wasa quiet carriage ride home, and Anna’s mother waited for her by the door, unfortunately. Anna begged for some time to rest her feet and complained of her headache, but her mother would hear none of it.

“Cook can make you some tea, and you can rest your feet in the parlor. Now come. Let us talk.”

Talk. All her mother ever wished to do.She would talk to the walls if they would answer her back.

To Anna’s relief, her mother talked to her about her charity work for a good bit of time, and Anna was even smiling and laughing.

But it did not last long.