Page 13 of Her Sweetest Rogue (The Worthington Legacy #6)

J udith rushed outside. Spring’s warm wind caressed her heated face, making her stop and close her eyes. Breathing deeply, she calmed her rapid heartbeat. What a fool she’d been. Why did she allow her emotions to take over, especially in front of Trey? Now he knew her insecurities. Knowing him, he’d use them against her one day.

Just now he’d been so wonderful and caring, which was not like Trey Worthington at all. He said the right things and made her feel like a real woman. Tingles erupted throughout her from his words and his heated touch. She’d soaked it in like a withered flower yearning for water and sunlight. Those feelings should be saved for Alex. After all, she loved him, didn’t she? Only moments ago, doubts had filled her head. Her fiancé had never made her feel like Trey had.

She opened her eyes then squinted against the brightness of the sun. Had she been chasing a dream that would never come true? Had she been in love with love, instead of the man himself?

After a few cleansing breaths, she turned and strolled back inside the house. From down the corridor, the dowager stepped out of a room, spotted her and waved.

“Judith? Come quickly.”

Forcing herself to smile, she hurried to the older woman. “What is it, Your Grace?”

“Your dance instructor is here. Is that not exciting?”

“Extremely.” Judith tried not to dampen the dowager’s enthusiasm, although Judith had been taught by her mother and father how to dance.

The reed-thin man in the center of the ballroom stood a good two-heads taller than her. His long face, and equally long nose, would be hard not to stare at. She bit her bottom lip, forcing herself not to laugh. He reminded her of a pelican.

“Judith dear, this is Mr. Henry Teethers. He’s one of the best to instruct young ladies in dance. I’m quite certain you will learn much from him.”

Judith curtsied slightly. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Teethers.”

When the man spoke, his voice squeaked like a young boy’s in the years before becoming a man. Once again, she tried not to giggle. Instead, she followed his instructions, pretending this was the first time she’d been shown the dance steps.

The dowager duchess sat on a cushioned chair against the wall, carefully poking the needle through the cloth sampler before pulling it out. Would she notice how quickly Judith caught on?

“Splendid, Miss Faraday. Now, let me put some music to it and try again,” her instructor said.

Judith scanned the room, wondering where the music would come from since there was no orchestra much less a harpsichord on the premises. Within seconds, Mr. Teethers cleared his throat and began humming a tune. His squeaks and squawks were worse than birds outside in a fierce hailstorm.

Since she didn’t have to concentrate on her steps, she looked around the room again, noting the size and grandness, and especially the many chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. A few tapestries hung on the wall to give it more decoration. The dowager still looked engrossed in her sewing with her creased forehead and narrowed eyes. When Judith moved her glance toward the doorway, a familiar figure caught her attention and held it.

Trey.

He leaned his shoulder against the frame, his arms crossed over his muscular chest. Dreamy eyes followed her around the ballroom, and she couldn’t stop from looking at him. Shivers of delight cascaded over her, making her limbs weak. She couldn’t understand the effect he had on her.

Heavens, he was handsome. Why couldn’t she think of him as the swine she’d met that first day? Was it because he’d admitted he was attracted to her? She couldn’t allow that to enter her mind. Her head was already full of doubts about Alex.

Instead of listening to her instructor, she kept her attention on Trey, recalling every time he’d touched her and made her tingle. Would Alex be able to accomplish such a feat? And why in the world was she comparing Trey to the man she was going to marry?

Her mind was in such a whirlwind of confusion that she didn’t notice she’d stepped on Mr. Teethers’ foot until he yelped and stopped humming. She snapped out of the spell Trey’s mesmerizing gaze had put her under. She focused instead on the man making hissing noises under his breath. “Please forgive me, Mr. Teethers. I should have been more aware.”

A deep chuckle came from the doorway as Trey walked in, slowly clapping. “I see your pupil has learned quickly, Mr. Teethers. Indeed you are an excellent instructor.”

The older man bowed. “Thank you for the compliment, my lord.”

“Oh, Trey.” The duchess put her sampler aside and stood. “I’m thrilled to see you here. Now Judith will have someone else to practice with instead of Mr. Teethers.”

“What?”

“Pardon me?”

Both Judith and Trey exclaimed their surprise at the same time. The dowager wanted Judith to dance with him ? Her heartbeat quickened and her mouth turned dry. No. She couldn’t get that close. Not now.

The older woman motioned Trey closer. “Come dance with Judith to see if she’s ready for her ball.”

Panic gushed through her, yet Trey’s tight lip and wide-eye expression mirrored how she felt. Didn’t he want to touch her, even after what he’d told her earlier? Had he indeed, lied?

His gaze darted between her and his mother, but finally he smiled and stepped closer to Judith and held out his hand.

“Would you do me the honor, Miss Faraday?” He mocked a bow.

She swallowed the cotton that had formed in her throat before curtsying. “Yes, my lord.”

The moment he clasped her hand in his, heat consumed her very being. Her heartbeat pounded as excitement shot through her. She held his stare, and nothing could tear her away from his amazing blue eyes.

His eyes darkened. Although he might have panicked a moment ago, his gaze now told a different story—that he indeed enjoyed this as well as she.

Mr. Teethers hummed another tune, but the sound faded quickly, only leaving the beat of her heart as it tapped the rhythm she and Trey were dancing. Every nerve in her body came alive and spun out of control, especially when his thumb rubbed her skin.

“You are a remarkable student, Judith.” Trey’s deep voice caressed each word.

“Thank you, my lord.”

“Trey,” he encouraged. “I wish you to call me by my given name.”

“Trey.” Oh dear, had she sighed his name? Hopefully, her ears were playing tricks on her—as well as her breathing.

He grinned. “You shall make my mother proud when she presents you at your ball.”

“That’s the plan, is it not?”

“Indeed, it is.”

“When is the special day? I do not believe you have told me.”

“Friday after next.”

She nodded. “I shall be ready.”

His arm tightened around her waist, drawing her closer to his chest. She feared he’d be able to hear her pulse beating from her bosom.

“My mother is planning to take you to the dress makers in Town and have your wardrobe made. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Unless you’d like me to take you.”

Her heart jumped to her throat. “That’s not necessary. My parents saw to my welfare before they died.”

He squeezed her hand. “You are forgetting my mother wants to do this. She never had a daughter. Pray, do not spoil her excitement.”

“As you wish.”

Silence stretched between them, but Judith never lost eye contact. She couldn’t no matter how hard she tried. Once again, his entrancing spell had pulled her in.

It wasn’t until the clapping from the dowager and Mr. Teethers rang through the ballroom that Judith realized the older man had stopped humming, yet she and Trey still danced. He seemed rattled, too, as he stopped and quickly stepped away. Finally, the spell had been broken. She was almost relieved.

Almost.

If it weren’t for the cold emptiness seeping through her body, she would have been extremely grateful for the interruption.

“Trey my boy, you and Judith dance perfectly together.” The dowager beamed.

Mr. Teethers nodded. “Excellent form, indeed.”

Trey chuckled, then lifted Judith’s hand and kissed her knuckles. “The pleasure was entirely mine.” He winked, then turned and left the ballroom.

It was all she could do not to call him back. But she wouldn’t. He wasn’t the man she professed to love—the man she should have on her mind.

She quickly made her excuses to the dance instructor and the dowager, and quit the room not much longer after Trey had. The dance left her disturbed and very much confused. Being in Trey’s arms as he swung her around the ballroom filled her with a sense of belonging. Of peace and security.

She snorted a laugh and shook her head, quickening her steps as she took a brisk walk away from the manor toward the wooded area. Being outdoors always cleared her head, and if there was any time she needed to think straight, it was now.

The more she thought about Alex, the more anger consumed her. Earlier when she’d met with Trey to write that letter, many issues were brought up. Those she’d never even considered. Did Alex even want to marry her? Had she been fooling herself all this time with fantasies of wedded bliss?

Nearby a gurgling brook captured her attention. She followed the sound until she entered the wooded area. Down the slope a bit was the brook. She stopped near the edge and peered into the clear water rushing over rocks of all sizes. Memories of her childhood flowed into her mind. Her father had taken her fishing, taught her how to swim, and as she grew older, he gave her instructions on how to maneuver a rowboat. How she missed those special days.

Quickly, another memory rushed through, involving this very stream and the boy who tormented her as a child. Once when her parents were visiting, Judith had come to this section of the estate, hoping to have privacy. Instead, she’d had a run-in with Trey.

As a young girl, she enjoyed taking off her stockings and shoes, wading through the water without anyone knowing. On this particular day, she’d followed her urges. This was where Trey had found her. By this time in her life, she was leery of trusting him, and rightly so since he went out of his way to tease her.

He’d convinced her to continue wading through the stream, because he and his brothers had done this many times. Soon, she’d realized her mistake in trusting him since he led her to a section in the water that was deeper. She’d fallen, twisted her ankle, and ruined a new gown.

Judith shook her head, chuckling over the memory. Strange how different they both were now. Although, she still had a hard time trusting him not to lead her into deep water in all aspects of her life.

She sat on the grassy spot near the water and stared at the stream. A slight wind rustled through the leaves on the tall oaks, and in the distance chirping birds relaxed her. If only real life could be as serene. Unfortunately, Trey wouldn’t let it.

She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her forehead against them as she wrapped her arms around her legs. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, allowing the soft sounds around her to put her into another world where she could dream to her heart’s content.

“Ah, I see you have found my favorite spot.”

The deep timbre of Trey’s voice jerked her alert. She snapped her head up and met his twinkling eyes. The sun created a halo around his head until he walked into the shade near her. His rugged appearance nearly stole the breath right from her throat, as did his charming smile.

This was not good at all!