His brilliant, dark eyes glanced down into hers. “Do you not mind it?” he asked forthrightly.
She sighed faintly. “Only a very little, George. If we went into the other room we need not see them, and you could bring me a glass of orgeat, and we should be comfortable, don’t you think?”
He led her off the floor. “No. There is no comfort for either of us!” he said, with suppressed passion.
However, a certain measure of comfort was found in the refreshment saloon, for they discovered Mr Ringwood and Ferdy there, and Ferdy at once disclosed the nature of the wager which he had lost. Hero was a good deal amused, and George’s brow lightened for a moment. But it soon clouded again when he recalled that when he had made just such an attempt as Sherry’s earlier in the evening, it had not met with a like degree of success. When Sherry presently brought Miss Milborne in the saloon in search of iced lemonade, he bore down upon them instantly, and, ignoring Sherry, earnestly besought the Beauty to dance the next waltz with him. She excused herself, and would have joined the group round Hero had he not barred the way.
“You shall not fob me off so!” he said in a vibrant voice. “Why will you not so much as dance one waltz with me? What have I done to offend you? Answer me, Isabella!”
“Good gracious, nothing in the world!” she replied. “It is merely that I am engaged to dance — ”
“With Severn! It will not do! You will scarcely dance every waltz with him! You use me as though — ”
“For God’s sake, do not make a scene, my lord! Remember where you are, I beg of you! We are attracting attention!”
“I care nothing for that! Will you dance with me?”
“The next country dance, then, if you will but conduct yourself towards me with more propriety!”