Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (229 page)

54

The Viscount
Claims His
Bride
But for the most part, Valerian had spent the evening listening to the rhythm of

What

did people think about these days? What was the lifeblood of the Cornish economy? Where did people think their future lay? The answer repeatedly came back to mining.

It was not surprising. Mining had been an ongoing consideration in the region for literally centuries.

own family had mining interests

upon which the family fortunes were built. He knew the Duke of Cambourne had invested heavily in tin and copper mines as well as the ancillary businesses that accompanied the industry of mining: smelting, furnace parts and mining equipment.

What
did
surprise him was the growing competition. Mining had not yet reached its apex, but the foundations for managing those future interests were being laid now. Mining had become a full blown industry and much more highly politicised than it had been before.

Valerian had caught snatches of conversations regarding mining-related legislation. House of Commons members, home from the Michaelmas session of Parliament, and members of the House of Lords, debated the need for safety laws that ensured a quality of life for the miners and their families.

More intriguing to Valerian were the conversations he overheard regarding the merits of importing metal ores from British settlements in Chile and Argentina. The capitalists of the group argued importing would certainly help meet growing industrial need, while other, cooler, heads argued for caution;

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glutting the market with copper and tin would drive the price down, which in turn would affect the domestic market's ability to turn a profit.

Canton sided with the capitalists, avidly arguing for aggressive expansion in South American mining.

earlier suspicions about Canton coveting the assets brought to him through marriage to were finding substantiation in Canton's avaricious stance on the economics of mining. Valerian made a mental note to ask Beldon about the extent of Philippa's mining assets.

'Fifteen minutes until midnight!' The cry went up from the orchestra conductor, who urged everyone to find a partner for the 'last waltz of the year'. There was an excited flurry on the dance floor as people laughingly paired up.

Valerian strode purposefully towards the group stood with. Other than acting as a willing dance partner for her wallflowers, Valerian had stayed apart from her. He preferred to study her movements and behaviour from afar-a certain of exquisite torture he'd imposed on himself as punishment for the prior evening. In hindsight, he acknowledged that he had not handled himself well on the balcony. He'd rushed his fences without knowing his quarry.

Tonight, she sparkled among an already glittering crowd. The deep gold of her gown was an elegant foil for the mass of burnished hair piled on her head and

in strands of gold, woven through the coils like other women wove pearls. Her long neck was shown to advantage with the upsweep of her hair

56

The Viscount Claims His Bride

and Valerian was seized with the urge to her

nape as he came up behind her. He settled for putting his hands on her shoulders as if he were settling an imaginary cloak about her. He bent close to her ear, saying, 'I believe this dance is mine.'

It was a proprietary overture on his part and he knew it well. Most women thrilled to such a seductive, possessive claim. Odds were that wouldn't. But neither would she be able to politely refuse without looking like a shrew in front of the others.

Whatever scold she had in store for him would be worth the feel of her in his arms. Waltzing was something they'd done often and well in the old days.

'Viscount,'

said, recovering from having

been caught unaware by his gambit, 'I thought you'd forgotten. You've left it until the last minute.' She gave a smile, forced to cover for his presumptions.

'My apologies.' Valerian swept her a gallant bow and escorted her to the

floor, knowing he

wouldn't get off that easily. He had no sooner fitted his hand against her back when she showed her displeasure.

'Don't ever handle me like that again,' she began.

'I am afraid it would be rather

to dance

without touching you,' Valerian said obtusely.

'That's not what I meant and you know it. You put me in a position where I could not refuse you without looking rag-mannered. Moreover, you insinuated claims on my attentions that you do not have.'

'Haven't I?' He couldn't resist the temptation to flirt with her.

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The music started up before she could fire another insult at his head. Valerian swept her out into the centre of the floor, effortlessly creating space for them in the crowd. He was confident her pique wouldn't last long.

could not resist

the lure of the waltz. It had always been her favourite dance.

He had waltzed women across dance floors from the Black Sea to St Mark's Square in Venice, but no partner could rival the beauty of

in his

Her long legs matched his stride with ease; her body answered the subtle guidance of his hand. She was all fluid grace as they moved through the turn at the top of the ballroom, her anger at him erased in the exhilaration of the dance.