Seducing an Angel by Mary Balogh Read Free Book Online

curiously as they took their places in the set. How could he have abandoned his poor bride on her wedding day? But her lips twitched with something like amusement when she thought that perhaps he was looking just as curiously at her , wondering how she could possibly have killed her own husband. With an axe, no less.
    The orchestra began to play and they danced while Cassandra looked about. They were the focus of much attention, she and the earl. The two notorious ones. But why watch them? What did people expect to happen? What did they hope would happen? That she and the Earl of Sheringford would suddenly clasp hands and make a dash for the ballroom doors and freedom and a reckless elopement?
    The mental image caused her to smile openly, though with a contemptuous curl of the lips. And she met the glance of the Earl of Merton at the same moment. He was dancing with the lady with whom he had been talking before the first set began.
    He smiled back at her.
    It was definitely at her he smiled. He looked at no one else before returning his attention to his partner and bending his head to listen to something she was saying.
    Stephen danced the second set with Vanessa. He would have danced it with Lady Paget if he had not already reserved it with his sister. He was very glad to see that Meg and Sherry had gone to speak with her at the end of the opening set and that Sherry had led her out for the second.
    Stephen felt sorry for her.
    That was doubtless a foolish waste of sympathy. Where there was smoke, there was usually some fire, even if just a tiny spark. Hereally did not believe the axe murder story—though it was more description than story, as it came without supporting details. He was not sure he believed the murder story at all, in fact. She would be in custody if it were true. And since a year or more had passed since her husband’s death, she would probably be long dead herself by now. Hanged.
    Since she was very much alive and here tonight at Meg’s ball, either she was not her husband’s murderer at all or there was sufficient lack of evidence that no arrest had yet been made.
    She looked bold enough to fit the part of murderess, however. And that startlingly glorious hair of hers suggested a passionate nature and a hot temper. Despite what Nessie had said about a woman’s ability to heft an axe, Lady Paget looked strong enough to him.
    All of which were thoughts and speculations that were unworthy of him. He knew nothing about either her or the circumstances of her husband’s death. And none of it was any of his business.
    He did feel sorry for her, nevertheless, knowing that almost everyone else in the ballroom was having similar thoughts to his own but that many would not even try to rein them in or allow her the benefit of any doubt.
    He would dance the next set with her, he decided, before remembering that it was to be a waltz and that he liked to choose one of the very young ladies for the waltz—one who was more his ideal of feminine beauty than Lady Paget was. He especially wanted to do so this evening, as the third set was also the supper dance and he would be able to sit beside his partner during the meal. He had several candidates in mind, though all were much in demand as partners and all might already be engaged for the waltz. A few, of course, could not dance it anyway because they had not yet been granted the nod of approval by one of the patronesses of Almack’s Club. The waltz was still considered rather too risqué a dance for the very young and innocent.
    He would dance the set after supper with Lady Paget, then. Maybe some other gentleman would have the courtesy to dance with her or at least converse with her during the waltz. Perhaps she would not even still be here after supper. Perhaps she would slip quietly away now that she had discovered that her reputation had preceded her to London. It would be something of a relief if she did leave. He did not particularly want to dance with