Regency Romance: Dancing with the Duke by Cathy Brooks Page A

yesterday. Sebastian concluded that it was because she had one of those faces that you immediately never notice but once you do, they become absolutely hard to ignore.
    He watched her from the corner of his eyes at a distance at first and once she had finished speaking with her fellow companions, he strutted right over to where she was situated and introduced himself.
    “Allow me to introduce myself, my Lady,” he said, intercepting her path and greeting her with a nod of the head, “My name is Sebastian Ilhom. I believe we did not get the chance to make acquaintance yesterday.”
    “That is indeed a strange last name,” Elizabeth remarked, “beg your pardon? Have we met before?” she inquired.
    Sebastian looked at her as if he just been insulted greatly but he quickly covered up his reaction, “Yesterday at the ball you happened to clumsily stumble across and step right on the toe of my foot,”  he explained, calm on the surface but appalled that she had forgotten.
    “Oh! – Why yes. You.” Elizabeth said, the memory coming back to her, “if I might add, don’t take offense. I meet a lot of people on a near daily basis. One simply cannot be expected to remember the names and faces of them all. My name is Elizabeth Baines,” she said and stuck out her hand for him to shake.
    He found this exchange quite odd; as ladies did not usually shake hands and you were meant to kiss them on the hand in greeting instead.
    “Ah, I see. So is it also a recurrent state of affairs when you step on people’s foots whilst dancing?”  he raised an eyebrow along her direction.
    Elizabeth gave a careless shrug of the shoulders, “It seems you are quite hard-pressed about it since you’ve brought it up more times than anything else we’ve talked about thus far. Relax yourself, these things happen all the time. Do you require that I issue an official apology signed by Her Highness the Queen?” her tone took on a straight edge of sarcasm.
    “Just an apology uttered by you would suffice, thank you,” Sebastian shot back. He did not like the satirical remarks being launched his way by this hotheaded woman.
    “Ah, can I say please lose that air of self-important chauvinism that you have surrounding you? Five minutes in your company and I dare say, it is already making it harder to stand here,” Elizabeth knew she was a brutal honest and she considered it to be one of her best qualities, “Just some advice for the young noble man,” she finished, smiling sweetly and giving him a small curtsy.
    Sebastian found himself getting more flustered at her responses and had only opened his mouth to respond when Elizabeth cut him off.
    “Oh- I do believe the dance is about to begin. My dance is full for the night! I must be going now. Pleasure meeting you.” She said before scrambling off with Sebastian just watching her retreating figure with his mouth still agape.
    The party had progressed on and Sebastian was now in the company of one of his friends, Lord James Gusto. They were talking of all the suitable women which to pursue; a topic of conversation that came up often as the society which they lived in placed a high pressure on the shoulders of men above twenty-five to settle down in marriage.
    “Ah-  I say, Elizabeth Baines is a good catch as well,” James remarked, “her height is perhaps a little on the short side but overall, I would say –“
    “Elizabeth Baines?” Sebastian spluttered out in an almost mock horror, “what has happened to your fine taste, James boy? I had the utmost unfortunate privilege of meeting her recently and I have concluded she is thoroughly unpleasant.”
    James replied with a chuckle, “What a shame! I would say she is one of the most charming ladies I’ve had the chance to meet. Her dancing skills are quite superior as well. In fact, I had the privilege of leading her to the dance floor myself this afternoon. How come you spew such words ill in taste towards her?”
    Sebastian recounted