Lord Windham walked me back into the ballroom, my hand back under his arm. I longed to twist it out of his grip, but I knew this would be bad manners and really very petty of me. So I left it where it was and pasted a vapid smile on my face so that nobody would know a storm was currently roiling inside me.

It seemed as though my self had split into two parts, and they vied with each other now for supremacy.

He kissed me! Oh, but that kiss was marvelous!

He kissed you all right, but then he apologized for it immediately after. He obviously didn’t think the kiss was marvelous if he was begging you to forgive him for it.

I tried ignoring both voices, but I could only get them to fade into the background and not fully disappear.

“Would you like some punch, Miss Delacourt?” Lord Windham asked as he led me to a seat next to my guardian.

I smiled up at him, “Yes, that would be lovely.”

My guardian waited until his back was turned and then murmured, “Lord Windham is certainly very attentive tonight, dear.”