Comfortable. What a concept.

He hadn’t been comfortable in ages. Even before his self-imposed banishment, he could not say he had been comfortable.

Ignorant, perhaps. Slothful, certainly. Self-indulgent, absolutely.

Comfortable, never.

Three days here, and he was almost perfectly at ease.

Almost, because a certain young woman he had spent a deal of time raging against and avoiding as though she guarded the gates of hell itself was becoming the person he sought out. Someone who could make him laugh. Someone who brought a smile to his face just by entering the room.

It was enough to make a man question everything in his life, but he really did not care to think about it all that much.

Imagine anyone trying to comprehend how Hugh Sterling found himself growing ever more attracted to Elinor Asheley, and not just because of her physical appearance.

He shook his head now, still whistling.

No one would understand.

He didn’t understand, but he was rather enjoying it all the same.

The coach would likely be mended and ready for departure today, but, if he were to be honest, he would have admitted he was loath to leave. He was enjoying himself, and there was nothing that said he needed to be with his family on Christmas Day, particularly if they were unaware that he would be coming. He could get there by Twelfth Night and still be festive.

If he wished to be festive.

The Asheley family, and their extended cohorts, were a warm and inviting bunch, even the desperate spinster cousins. Or cousin, he supposed. After dancing with each of the eligible cousins, including Lucinda, he would have to say that only Letitia was desperate. Lucinda’s conversation had been purely on food and cuisine, Lavinia had been droll, Barbara had stammered, and Letitia… Well, she had been attempting flirtation, which had made him exceedingly uncomfortable.

He could only be grateful they had kept to more lively dances and avoided anything resembling or related to a waltz.

Elinor had laughed at him the entire time, including their two dances together.

Two.

He almost never danced with the same woman twice, preferring a variety of partners to any repetitions, but last night had been an exception.

One he’d rather liked.

Time would tell if they would dance together again, let alone multiple times in a night. He would need to have a care for her reputation, and being surrounded by her family meant suspicions would reign twice as high, but surely…

He stopped whistling and paused by the stairs. He realized he was already planning on multiple dances with her, no matter what hesitant speculation was going on in his mind. As he understood it, there was to be a formal ball in a few evenings, the night before Christmas Eve, and the family were making plans to invite any and all neighbors, as well as seeing that the house was suitably trussed up.

He would dance with Elinor then, to be sure, and would easily get away with multiple dances in a night when the numbers would be so increased.