Page 71 of Never Beguile a Duke

Once all the guests gathered in the ballroom, the Duke of Beaufort called Nora, Miss Braddock, and Miss Philbert to the center of the room. He tied a blindfold around each lady’s head, hiding their eyes, then spun them around several times.

“Gentlemen, when I touch your shoulder, please walk to the lady I name and prepare to waltz.” He placed a hand on the Duke Roxburghe. “Miss Webb.”

As the Duke of Roxburghe crossed the floor, the Duke of Beaufort selected two more men, neither of whom was the other ladies’ fiancés.

“Remember,” the Duke of Beaufort said, striding toward a string quartet, “no speaking.”

He signaled for the small orchestra to begin, and the three ladies were swept into a waltz. After a few minutes, the Duke of Beaufort sent the second round of gentlemen, then the third.

When the final strains of the music died, the Duke of Beaufort gathered the three ladies in the center of the room.

“Once you guess,” he said, arranging the blindfolded women in a line, “the man you selected will remove your face covering and escort you for the remainder of the evening. Miss Philbert, you may choose first.”

“I know it was not the first man.” Miss Philbert’s mouth scrunched, her dark blonde head shifting from right to left, as though she were hoping to see something through the blindfold. “My fiancé was the third man I danced with.”

Silence blanketed the ballroom. Then, floating above the crowd, the Duke of Grisham’s tawny hair moved through the throng. He emerged from the sidelines, crossed the floor, and strode to Miss Philbert. Placing his hands on the blindfold, the Duke of Grisham leaned forward, brushed a soft kiss upon Miss Philbert’s lips, and removed the face covering.

“James!” Eyes shining, she flung her arms around him.

“I never doubted you,” he replied, flashing a smug grin at the Duke of Lennox.

“Excellent guess, Miss Philbert,” the Duke of Beaufort said as he shifted to the next lady. “Miss Braddock, it is your turn.”

She swallowed, keeping her head turned in the Duke of Beaufort’s direction, and murmured a sentence so softly that even he had to approach her.

“Would you repeat that?” he said, his sudden proximity causing her to gasp.

“I believe the Duke of Lennox was the second man I danced with,” she replied, her voice cracking.

No one moved. Then the Duke of Lennox stepped forward, strode across the room, and murmured something in Miss Braddock’s ear, causing a deep blush to explode across the visible portions of her face.

“Miss Braddock is also correct,” the Duke of Beaufort announced as her blindfold was removed.

Everyone clapped, and the Duke of Lennox escorted Miss Braddock across the floor and out of the ballroom. A moment later, Mr. Braddock disappeared, then returned with his sister on his arm and one extremely grumpy duke following behind them.

Chuckling, the Duke of Beaufort turned to Nora. “Miss Webb, have you an idea which of the three men was your fiancé?”

“It wasn’t the last one,” she said, adding a deft nod. “He smelled of bergamot.”

“And between the first and second…” The Duke of Beaufort circled Nora. “We must have a guess.”

“The first man.”

With a whoop, the Duke of Roxburghe appeared beside Nora, pulled off her blindfold, and wrapped her in a tight embrace, lifting her from the floor and swinging her in a small circle.

“I would loathe to have shared you with Mr. Egerton this evening,” he murmured as he set her back on her feet.

The Duke of Beaufort clapped his hands together. “Would the lovely fiancées each choose another lady to participate in the second round?”

“No,” Winifred groaned as Nora whipped out her arm and pointed directly at Winifred’s chest.

“I choose my sister,” Nora said, an evil grin twitching across her lips.

Winifred trudged to the center of the dance floor and turned around, allowing Nora to fasten the blindfold over her face. Miss Venning and Miss Wilmington joined Winifred, and the three ladies stood with their backs to each other, waiting for further instruction.

“This time,” the Duke of Beaufort said from Winifred’s right, “one man will dance with each of you. If you guess the man’s name, you may leave the floor and select another woman to replace you. If you guess incorrectly, you must spend the remainder of the evening with that man.”

Several giggles flitted through the surrounding guests.