Teaching the Earl Read Free Page A

cheekbones and a small, tidy mouth. She wore black; elegant and uncompromising. She reached out a hand to lay it on the forearm of a man standing near her, and he turned his head. Elizabeth looked away before she could be seen to stare, and a moment later sent a darting glance back to them and away again.
    Both the strangers were looking at Elizabeth now. He was very handsome, in a lean, dignified way. There was such a likeness between the two of them they must be related.
    From the corner of her eye she saw they now approached, and she waited, almost holding her breath.
    "Mrs Seton, how delightful to see you," came the woman's voice, commanding even in greeting. As everyone else turned their heads and smiled in polite welcome, Elizabeth could examine the pair.
    Definitely related, though it was difficult to break down the individual features of his face to compare them to another's, as he made such a strong impression. He was very compelling, his brow broad, nose lean and cheekbones prominent. He had dark shadows under his eyes and seemed distant from them all, as if he did not quite listen. For a moment those grayish-green eyes rested on her face, and then he looked at his relative who still spoke, then at the crowd beyond her, disconnected from them all.
    ". . . and of course my son," said the woman in black, "who is now the Earl of Carhampton, following the untimely death of his cousin."
    "A sad loss for your family," Mrs Seton said.
    Elizabeth's eyes went to the black armband on the man's arm. The Earl's arm. He was in mourning. That explained the air of sorrow that hung about him. She wished she could take his hand and hold it, and sit with him in sympathy and let him know he was not alone. A peculiar idea, when he already had his mother with him. Yet despite her black dress there was nothing in the brisk snap of her manner to make one think she mourned.
    "It is so congenial to meet with you here. And your friends," the Earl's mother said.
    "Have you been introduced?" asked Mrs Seton. "Mrs Alexander, Lord Carhampton, allow me to make known to you Mrs Cross and her eldest daughter, Miss Elizabeth Cross. Mrs and Miss Cross, Mrs Alexander and Lord Carhampton."
    He bowed while the women curtsied, and now Mrs Alexander assessed Elizabeth's Mama, who murmured a quiet, "Charmed, I'm sure," showing just the right degree of civility and deference. Not too much, in the face of such a coolly appraising inspection.
    "Christopher, there is a set forming," said Mrs Alexander. "Perhaps you would enjoy a dance." Her words were a suggestion. Her tone was not.
    Lord Carhampton looked at his mother, something passed between them, and she pinched her lips together and glanced away. Then he turned to Elizabeth, inclined his head in inquiry and held out his gloved hand. "Miss Cross, would you do me the honor?"
    She inspected his face, smiled at him so his lips twitched upward in a vague response that did not reach his eyes, then put her own hand in his. "I'd be delighted," she said in a calm way, and congratulated herself on her composure. An earl! She held the hand of an earl. Now he looked directly at her she could not imagine he needed comfort from one such as she, he was so controlled, so distinguished.
    He led her to the dance floor, and she was acutely conscious of her uplifted hand in his, and held it high so the weight of her arm did not drag on him but rested light as thistledown. He was a tall man, and though she herself was tall, standing next to him she felt small and feminine; such a pleasant sensation.
    The dance was a cotillion, and he assayed it gracefully, the crossing and swapping of partners making it impossible for any conversation. His gaze held hers now, and again she smiled, loving the challenge of the quick hop and skip, completing it all perfectly and knowing she showed well. This was success indeed.
    When the dance finished she was warm. He took her hand, and placed it in the crook of his elbow. "You dance extremely