His Reluctant Lady by Ruth Ann Nordin Read Free Book Online Page A

to be on your best behavior. He’s exactly the kind of gentleman
you’re looking for. Make sure you tell him that you’re having
trouble deciding which gentleman to dance with next. That should
prompt him to ask you for a dance.”
    They reached him and waited for him and
Lord Roderick to turn their attention to them. Once they got
acquainted with each other, Agatha told Lord Clement, “My sister is
in her first Season.”
    “ How are you enjoying it so
far?” Lord Clement asked Sophie.
    “ It’s a little overwhelming
but I’m enjoying it immensely. Everyone’s been so kind,” Sophie
glanced around the room, “which makes it difficult to pick which
gentleman to dance with.”
    Agatha silently congratulated her
sister for slipping in the hint so well. There just might be hope
for Sophie yet, as long as she could keep her focus where it needed
to be.
    “ I wish I could suggest a
dance,” Lord Clement began, motioning to his cane, “but I’m afraid
my limp prevents me from doing so.”
    Agatha cleared her throat so he’d look
at her. “Perhaps we might talk for a bit on the
veranda?”
    “ That’s a good idea,” Lady
Roderick agreed. “Besides, it’s awfully warm in here. Some fresh
air would be nice.”
    Since Lord Clement indicated his
agreement, the group headed toward the veranda. On their way
outside, Agatha saw that Mister Robinson was at the ball. At the
moment, he was talking to Ethan. She told herself that her heart
raced because she hoped he wouldn’t see her, not because it
thrilled her to catch a glimpse of him. Before he realized she was
there, she slipped between her sister and Lady Roderick to block
her from his view. All she needed was for him to distract her from
her mission.
    When they reached the veranda, Lady
Roderick sat on one of the benches and opened her fan. Her husband
sat beside her and asked, “Are you feeling better?”
    “ Much.” With an apologetic
smile, she looked at the others and explained, “I do fine for a
while, but being around a lot of people in a closed space can make
me uncomfortable. I need a reprieve now and then.”
    “ Or it could be an excuse to
get your husband to dote over you,” Lord Clement joked.
    Agatha shot Sophie a meaningful look. A
gentleman who had a title, wealth and a sense of humor! Her sister
would do well to marry him. It might even be an amiable marriage.
Noting there were only two benches and there was room on the bench
where the Rodericks sat, she hurried to sit on Lady Roderick’s
other side. “I have smelling salts in my reticule should you feel
faint,” she said before anyone could ask questions. “I hope you
don’t mind sitting with my sister,” she told Lord
Clement.
    “ I’d be delighted,” he
replied and settled next to her, setting his cane aside.
    Agatha winked at Lady Roderick who
grinned, and Agatha had a newfound respect for the lady. Perhaps
Lady Roderick wasn’t feeling so weak after all.
    “ May I ask why you have a
cane?” Sophie asked Lord Clement.
    Agatha turned her startled gaze to her
sister and gave a curt shake of her head. Asking a gentleman such a
personal question upon first meeting him wasn’t a wise move, and
had she thought her sister would venture to ask it, she would have
warned her not to.
    Fortunately, Lord Clement didn’t seem
upset by the inquiry. “I was born with one leg shorter than the
other.”
    “ Really? How much
shorter?”
    “ An inch.”
    Before Sophie could ask anything else,
Agatha clapped her hands. “This is a wonderful ball, Lord Clement.
I’m especially impressed with your music selection. What made you
decide to go with it?”
    As he answered, she politely nodded and
smiled, hoping her sister now understood the kind of questions she
should be asking an earl and how she ought to respond when he
answered.
    “ I like to try new things,”
Lord Clement concluded. “Sometimes it’s nice to see what else is
out there.”
    “ That’s a lovely sentiment,”
Agatha