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ballroom were watching me. I thought perhaps I had put my dancing shoes on the wrong feet or that my neckcloth was askew. It was an enormous relief to discover that it was, in fact, you they were all watching. You look outstandingly lovely tonight, Meg, as I am sure your glass informed you before you left home.”

    Margaret laughed again. “But it is far more satisfying to hear it from a gentleman,” she said, “even if he is prone to exaggeration.”

    Before they reached the place where Vanessa and Elliott were standing with Katherine, Margaret saw that they were about to pass close to the Marquess of Allingham. At the same moment he spotted her, and his face lit up with a warm smile as he stepped away from the group he had just joined.

    “Miss Huxtable,” he said, bowing to her. “What an unexpected pleasure. Montford?”

    “My lord.” She curtsied and stayed where she was while Jasper continued on his way after returning the greeting.

    “You have come to town after all, then,” the marquess said. “I concluded when I did not see you anywhere that perhaps you had decided to remain in the country this year.”

    “I was detained at Warren Hall until just a week ago,” she explained.
    “But here I am at last to enjoy what is left of the Season. Lady Tindell must be very pleased. Her ball is extremely well attended, is it not?”

    “It is a veritable squeeze,” he said, “and therefore must be deemed a great success. May I compliment you on your appearance? You look lovelier than ever.”

    “Thank you,” she said.

    “I hope,” he said, “you have a set of dances left to grant me. I arrived rather later than I would have liked, I am afraid.”

    “I do indeed,” she told him.

    “Shall we agree to the set after this next one, then?” he suggested.

    “Yes.” She smiled at him. “I shall look forward to it.”

    And perhaps another set later in the evening—a waltz, she hoped.
    He waltzed well.

    It amazed her now that she had not accepted his offer last year. Even then she had known that she must marry, if she was not to remain a spinster for the rest of her life and be a burden upon Stephen and her sisters. And even then she had known that she could not possibly do better than marry the Marquess of Allingham, whom she liked exceedingly well.

    “The next set has not even begun to form yet,” he said, glancing beyond her. “There is plenty of time. Do come and meet her.”

    He took her by the elbow and turned her toward the group of people with whom he had been standing.

    Her?

    “My dear,” he said to a pretty auburn-haired lady in green, “do you have an acquaintance with Miss Huxtable, sister of the Earl of Merton? She has been a friend of mine for a number of years. This is Miss Milfort, my affianced bride, Miss Huxtable, and her sister, Mrs.
    Yendle, and…”

    Margaret did not hear the rest of the introductions.

    … my affianced bride…

    He was betrothed. To someone else.

    For the moment the realization bounced off the outer layer of her consciousness and did not really penetrate—which was perhaps fortunate.

    Margaret smiled—brightly and warmly—and held out her right hand to Miss Milfort.

    “Oh, this is a pleasure,” she said. “I do wish you happy, though I daresay my wishes are unnecessary.”

    She smiled—very brightly and warmly—at Mrs. Yendle and the other members of the group and inclined her head affably to them.

    “Miss Milfort and I met at the home of mutual friends at Christmas,” the marquess was explaining. “And she made me the happiest of men just before Easter by accepting my hand. But you must have seen the notice of our engagement in the Morning Post , Miss Huxtable.”

    “I did not,” she said, her smile still firmly in place. “I have been in the country until very recently. But I heard of it, of course, and I was delighted for you.”

    Another lie. Untruths had come easily to her tongue recently.

    “The next set is forming,”