He leaned in. “I’ve been waiting for the proper moment to unleash my talent upon the world.”

Her brows rose. “The proper moment?”

“The proper partner,” he corrected.

“I knew there was a reason I fell out of that carriage.” She laughed and looked up with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Aren’t you going to say that you knew there was a reason you didn’t catch me?”

About this, however, he could not be glib. “No,” he said with quiet force. “Never.”

She was looking down, but he could see by the curve of her cheeks that she was pleased. After a few moments, she said, “You did break my fall.”

“It appears I am good for something,” he replied, happy to be back to their teasing banter. It was a safer place to be.

“Oh, I don’t know about that, my lord. I suspect you’re good for many things.”

“Did you just ‘my lord’ me?”

This time, when she smiled, he heard it in her breath, right before she said, “It seems that I did.”

“I cannot imagine what I have done to earn such an honor.”

“Oh, it is not a question of what you have done to earn it,” she said, “but what I think you have done to earn it.”

For a moment he stopped dancing. “This may explain why I don’t understand women.”

At that she laughed. “It is but one of many reasons, I’m sure.”

“You wound me.”

“On the contrary. I know of no man who truly wishes to understand women. What would you have to complain about if you did?”

“Napoleon?”

“He’s dead.”

“The weather?”

“You already have that, not that you could possibly find any complaint tonight.”

“No,” he agreed, peering up at the stars. “It is an uncommonly fine evening.”

“Yes,” she said softly. “Yes, it is.”

He should have been satisfied with that, but he was feeling greedy, and he did not want the dance to end, so he allowed his hand to settle more heavily on her back and said, “You did not tell me what you think I have done to earn the honor of your calling me ‘your lord.’ ”

She glanced up at him with impudent eyes. “Well, if I were completely honest, I might admit that it just popped out of my mouth. It does lend a flirtatious air to a statement.”

“You crush me.”

“Ah, but I’m not going to be completely honest. Instead, I’m going to recommend that you wonder why I was feeling flirtatious.”

“I shall take that recommendation.”

She hummed quietly as they turned.

“You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?”

“Only if you want to.”

He caught her gaze and held it. “I do want.”

“Very well, I was feeling flirtatious because—”

“Hold on one moment,” he interrupted, because she deserved it, after making him ask. “It’s time for another spin.”