To Charm a Prince(4)
Prince Rudolf turned to her unexpectedly, asking, “Would you care to dance?”
His invitation surprised Samantha. How could she refuse a prince?
“Your Highness, I suffer from an old injury,” Samantha said, a high blush staining her cheeks.
Concern etched itself across his features. “Are you in pain?”
“No, I limp when I walk.”
Prince Rudolf fixed his dark gaze on hers. Samantha felt her knees go weak and knew why he’d been surrounded by so many admirers.
“Then you will dance with me,” he commanded her, holding his hand out.
Samantha dropped her gaze to his hand. Nervous indecision gripped her. More than anything else, she wanted to dance with him.
Acting on instinct, Samantha placed her hand in his. As if he knew her fear, he gave her hand an encouraging squeeze to bolster her confidence and escorted her onto the dance floor.
Samantha relaxed as soon as she stepped into his arms. The prince danced with the ease of a man who had waltzed a thousand times.
Swirling around the candlelit ballroom in his arms, Samantha felt as if she were floating on air, and became intoxicated by the music and the man. Her aunt’s prediction flitted through her mind.
“I feel as if everyone is staring at me,” Samantha said.
“They are watching me, not you,” Prince Rudolf told her. “People are always curious about royals. By the way, you dance divinely.”
“You mean, divinely for a woman who limps,” Samantha corrected him, dropping her gaze to his chest.
“Speak to me, not my chest.” When she looked up, Prince Rudolf told her, “l meant, you dance divinely.”
Samantha felt the heated blush staining her cheeks. “You dance divinely, too.”
That made him smile. “I thank you on behalf of the myriad dance masters who tutored me.”
Samantha smiled at that.
“You have a beautiful smile and should use it more often,” the prince told her.
“People who smile for no apparent reason are considered unbalanced, Your Highness,” she said.
“Unfortunately, that is true. Please, call me Rudolf.”
“Familiarity with someone of your stature would be improper,” Samantha said.
“I am a man as well as a prince,” he told her. “I want to call you Samantha and cannot do it unless you call me Rudolf.”
“Very well, Rudolf.”
“I like the sound of my name on your lips,” Prince Rudolf said, making her blush again.
The music ended, and Samantha turned to leave the dance floor with him. The prince held her arm in a firm but gentle grip and refused to budge.
“You will dance with me again.”
Her aunt had said no more than twice with any gentleman but hadn’t specified if the dances could be back to back. “Is that proper?”
“Royalty must be humored.”
Samantha inclined her head and stepped into his arms for the next waltz. She glanced in her aunt’s direction and saw the older woman nodding at her.
Circling the ballroom in the prince’s arms felt like a dream. Samantha couldn’t help thinking that her fear of dancing had been foolish.
“Speaking while waltzing is customary, Samantha.”
“I’m sorry, Rudolf.”
“What were you thinking?”
“I was thinking you speak perfect English,” she hedged.
“Your thoughts were not about my lack of an accent,” Prince Rudolf said. “However, I will admit my mother is English and tutored me herself.”
The music ended before she could reply, but again the prince refused to let her go. “I’m sorry, Rudolf,” Samantha said. “My aunt insisted that I should not dance more than twice with any gentleman.”
“Your aunt did not intend for you to offend a prince by refusing to dance with him,” Rudolf told her. “Dancing two times with the same man applies only to commoners.”
“I am the second daughter of an earl,” Samantha said. “That makes me a commoner.”
“I will compromise.” Rudolf placed his hand on the small of her back as he guided her off the dance floor. “You will accompany me to the refreshment room and share a glass of champagne with me.”
Samantha didn’t know what to do. Her aunt hadn’t given her instructions about drinking champagne with a prince. She supposed that left her free to do what she wanted.
“I would like that.” In truth, Samantha didn’t want to see the prince dancing with another woman.
Together, they left the ballroom. She refused to look in her aunt’s direction lest she see disapproval stamped across the woman’s features.
“Strange, I don’t remember the ballroom, only the foyer and my mother’s fragrance,” Samantha said without thinking.