Before He Was Mine (Before Series, Book 2)

Will Wants a Wife

Will couldn't keep himself from grinning like mad as he heard Lady Emilia call after him. By the time her slippered feet sounded behind him, he was able to tame his smile into something mild enough for a London ballroom.

"Wait!" Lady Emilia repeated breathlessly.

He turned slowly. It was done in a way that conveyed his characteristic nonchalance. People did not get to see Will Graham as anything other than casually confident. He made sure of that and was not going to let his eagerness to dance with Lady Emilia affect it.

"Change your mind, my lady?"

She opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted. The orchestra struck up a number, sitting just to their left behind the greenery branches used to conceal it. It was a waltz with a lilting tempo and luscious chords; Will took the opportunity. He grabbed Lady Emilia's gloved hand and unceremoniously whirled her onto the dance floor.

"My lord!" she exclaimed. "Honestly, must you drag me so?"

Will decided to consider that question rhetorical and instead clutched her indecently close. She was soft and willowy in his arms. He glanced down at her wide, amber eyes and chuckled. Lady Emilia appeared speechless, and he did not reckon that happened often.

"So you think me a lord?" he asked, his voice gravelly.

"I—"

She cleared her voice. "I suppose I do not know. You could be any number of things! Perhaps you are a lord, or perhaps you are not a gentleman at all. Perhaps you are a disreputable type!" Lady Emilia's voice grew softer then, almost conspiratorially, but Will reckoned it was still audible to the next couple over.

"I heard once that a man by the name of Matthews threatened a group of gentlemen at White's after losing a game of whist. Among other things, he said he would steal their ladies as revenge—wives, sisters, etc. I found that awfully dramatic, not to mention implausible, for simply losing a game. But what do I know."

Will raised his brows. "Because you do not play cards?"

"No, because I do not lose at cards."

He couldn't help it. Will's mad smile broke free again from his lips.

"I do not suppose you would tell me if you were going to ladynap me?" Lady Emilia asked, and Will couldn't control a snort from coming out.

"Ladynap you?"

"Why yes, such as kidnapping but with a lady. You should know, I am not a child."

Oh, Will knew she was not a child. Her womanly curves moved beneath his hand as she waltzed.

"I would not judge other men on the words of this Matthews man," he said. "I trust this hasn't occurred to you before, my lady. This ladynapping?"

"Oh, of course not," she said, matter-of-factly. "Although, Lady Worthington says I should never be too careful being that my brother is a duke." She glanced up at him beneath her eyelashes and added, "You knew that, I assume, being that you were already aware of my name."

Will's brows shot up. He did not, in fact, know that. Shepard, he thought.

Lady Emilia Shepard.

Oh.

"Your brother is the Duke of Kingfield."

It came out as a statement, likely making it appear that he had already known before asking her to dance. Lady Emilia nodded vigorously.

"I simply call him Theo." A slight pause. Then, "What should I call you?"

"You can simply call me Will."