Gabby stood still and closed her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass herself by being too forward.

But Peter showed no inclination toward great intimacy. His lips pressed on hers slightly, and a second later withdrew. Gabby opened her eyes. Peter was smiling at her.

“Well, that’s over,” he said jovially. “I expect that was your first kiss, wasn’t it, Gabby?”

Gabby hesitated, and then threw herself against his chest and pasted her lips to his. Luckily he was considerably shorter than Quill and she was able to reach his mouth.

Peter gasped in shock.

She thought he was opening his lips, precisely as Quill had taught her was the fashion in kissing, and so she followed suit.

But Peter’s hands did not wrap around her. Instead, he grabbed her bare shoulders and furiously pushed her away.

“My God!” Peter was appalled. He was disgusted. His stomach was churning. “Are you crazed?” He looked at his betrothed. Her hair was tumbling down again, and her nipples were—by God, she was precisely what Prinny had said. When Prinny had called her a dasher, he didn’t mean a person of style, but a coquette. Prinny was warning him! Prinny was his friend, and that was no compliment—it was a warning!

“You are, that is, you’re debauched,” he managed to choke out.

Gabby wrapped her arms around her shivering chest. Peter was the most punctilious person she’d ever met in her life. After all, Mr. Barlow showed every intention of kissing her on the balcony, until she ducked under his arm and returned to the ballroom; he wasn’t overwrought about propriety.

“And your hair! You even look tawdry!”

“Peter,” Gabby said in her most reasonable voice, “we are engaged. I am persuaded that no one would cry scandal if we briefly embraced.”

Peter cast a haunted look at the open door. “Anyone could have seen us! And if they had, you would be an outcast in London society.”

Gabby bit her lip. “I feel that you are exaggerating,” she said carefully. “But I shall retire to the ladies’ chamber.” She walked through the door. Then she popped her head back onto the balcony. “Would you have kissed me in the carriage on the way home?”

Peter’s stomach churned again. “Absolutely not! Do you think Lady Sylvia wouldn’t notice?”

“Well, would you have kissed me if Lady Sylvia wasn’t there?”

“Lady Sylvia or my mother will always be with us, until we are married,” Peter retorted. “It would be most improper for us to be unchaperoned.”

Gabby disappeared, presumably taking herself off to fix her hair. Peter took a deep breath and touched his cravat. Luckily it didn’t appear to be too crushed.