The Unexpected Duchess(46)

“Lucy, may I introduce you to my friend, Christian, Lord Berkeley?” To Lord Berkeley he said, “Christian, this is my cousin, Lady Lucy Upton.”

Lucy curtsied. A promising beginning, to be sure. Oh, she mustn’t make a mess of this and say anything outlandish or rude. “A pleasure to meet you, my lord,” she managed. That was well done, wasn’t it? Neither outlandish nor rude. A good start, actually.

Lord Berkeley gallantly bowed over her hand. “My lady, the pleasure is entirely mine.”

From across the room, she saw Cass and Jane avidly watching. When her eyes met theirs they fanned themselves rapidly to indicate that they approved wholeheartedly of the dashing Lord Berkeley. Lord Berkeley’s gaze soon followed Lucy’s. When he glanced toward her friends, Cass and Jane immediately looked up at the ceiling and around at the backs of their dresses, feigning interest in anything to keep from being caught staring.

Lord Berkeley returned his gaze to Lucy, who was trying her best to keep from laughing. A smile hovered on the viscount’s face. “Friends of yours?”

“Yes,” Lucy replied. “Though I’m a bit hesitant to claim them at the moment.”

Lord Berkeley smiled at that. “W … Would you care to dance, Lady Lucy?”

Ah, a man who knew to call her Lady Lucy instead of Miss Upton, what a pleasant change of pace. But had that been a bit of hesitation in his voice? Was she not what he had expected after all? Surely someone as good looking and dashing as Lord Berkeley would be more interested in someone more like … Cass. Oh, she mustn’t think such unhelpful thoughts. Instead she gave him a bright smile. “Why, yes, my lord, I would. Very much.”

Lord Berkeley, she soon discovered, was a lovely dancer. Not much of a conversationalist, however, at least not during their dance. Perhaps he preferred to concentrate on the steps. And he was doing a marvelous job. The man swept her around the floor with an ease and grace that surprised her in someone so tall. Yes, the duke was tall and he was a lovely dancer, too, but— No. She refused to think about the duke. Not tonight. She firmly pushed him from her mind.

After their dance Lord Berkeley led her back toward the refreshment table. “Tell me, Lady Lucy, how is it that we have not met before? I find it such a pity.”

Ooh, perhaps this was when she would discover what Garrett had meant when he had said Lord Berkeley was a bit … She’d been studying the man throughout their dance and had found absolutely nothing lacking about him. She gave him a wide smile. “I was just asking Garrett that same thing earlier, my lord. He mentioned that you rarely come to town.”

“It’s true. I’ve been to a few functions here and there over the years but I much prefer the country. Don’t you?”

Lucy thought about the question for a moment. The country meant her parents. No, she was not a devotee of the country. “I wouldn’t say that I prefer it, my lord. I certainly do like holiday towns like Bath. Tell me, what brought you here?”

“My own cousin is getting married here this week,” he said.

Married. The word caused Lucy to remember how she’d told her own friends not to begin planning her wedding quite yet, but she couldn’t help but think what sort of a life she would lead were she and Lord Berkeley to be a match.

“Ah, best wishes to your cousin, then. Are you enjoying Bath?”

“Yes. Quite,” he replied, giving her a dazzling smile.

Lucy smiled back. The viscount was tall and handsome and quite a good dancer. But she mustn’t seem too eager. Besides, the more time she spent in his company, the greater chance she might say something outlandishly rude. She must watch her tongue. “Thank you for a lovely dance, Lord Berkeley.”

“You’re quite welcome, my lady.”

Lucy opened her mouth to continue their conversation, but another guest came up to pay his respects to Lord Berkeley. The viscount was forced to excuse himself. Lucy sighed and said good night.

Twenty minutes later, she and her friends were sitting in a small cluster of chairs along the sidelines of the dancing drinking ratafia and laughing. “I swear I don’t know how in the world I’ve gone this long without Garrett introducing me to some of his handsome, dashing friends,” Lucy said.

“Or more specifically Lord Berkeley,” Jane added. “The man seems perfect to me.”

“Why, if Lord Berkeley had been around the year of your come-out things might have been quite different for you, Lucy,” Cass added.

Lucy had to smile at that. “You mean I might not be an on-the-shelf rapidly devolving into a spinster?” But even as she had the thought she wondered if it was really true. Would she have appreciated Lord Berkeley’s good looks and good manners five years ago? She couldn’t be certain. But tonight. Tonight she’d enjoyed them indeed. Lord Berkeley was exactly the sort of man she should be interested in. Impeccable manners and impeccable breeding. Quite different from a certain someone who knew little about the ways of the ton and Society even if he did happen to be a duke. Yes. Lord Berkeley was a perfect match. Though she couldn’t help but glance over at Derek from time to time to see if he’d noticed her new companion.