He found the refreshment table and procured a glass of punch, then handed it to her. “Well?” he said with a challenging look in his eye.

“It’s wretched, but cold. Very cold.”

“There. You’ve made my evening better already. As much as this blasted affair has cost me, I demand to get the maximum enjoyment out of it that I can, so thank you, most lovely of sisters, for drinking my punch and admiring my ice.”

Kat returned the glass to him.

“More?”

“Oh no, thank you. Let’s save some ice for your other guests.”

“Very well, but at midnight, you must be in line to snatch up an iced cake. You could end up with a prize, you know.”

She followed his gaze to the tables where the cakes were set. “Why is everyone standing around the table now? There is still almost forty minutes before the clocks will chime.”

“Because some of the prizes settled to the sides and you can almost make out what prize is in which cake.” He lowered his voice. “I’m going for the third cake in the fourth row. You can see a jewel of some sort sticking out of the bottom.”

“You had the opportunity to see the cakes before anyone else, so I believe that is cheating. Are you certain you wish to compromise your values in such a way as to—”

“Malcolm—” came a deep voice. “And Miss Kat.”

Kat knew who it was without even looking. Blast it, it had been a trick. Malcolm had lured her into the room and then kept her busy until Devon could find them.

She closed her eyes and tried to move her heart back into place before turning and smiling. “Mr. St. John. How are you this evening?”

“My, that was frosty,” Malcolm said, sending her a frown. “Perhaps you had too much of the icy punch.” He glanced at Devon. “Have you come to claim Kat’s hand for a dance?”

To her horror, she realized the band was playing a waltz. “I don’t dance.”

“Excellent,” Devon said. “I’ll teach you.” He took her hand in his, Malcolm slipping away without so much as another word.

“You cannot learn to dance while at a ball!” Kat said desperately.

“Why not?”

“Because I’ll look a fool. And you will, too.”

“Nonsense. I’m an excellent teacher. Just put your arm here, and your hand here.” He placed one of her hands on the tip of his shoulder and held the other one loosely. Immediately all the unease in Kat’s stomach grew warmer.

“Good!” he said, placing his other hand on her waist. A shiver immediately traveled through her, though she resolutely ignored it.

His eyes glinted into hers. “Now comes the easy part; all you have to do is follow me.”

“What?”

“Just follow me,” he repeated.

“But I—”