Page 410 of From Rakes to Riches

“It’s not my favorite activity, but I was trained from a young age.” He frowned at her. “If I remember correctly…”

She sighed. “I can’t dance.”

“That’s not a worry,” he said, putting out his hand.

She stared at it. “I don’t understand.”

“I’ll teach you to dance.”

Excitement rose up inside her as she stared up at him. He looked amused, interested in such a simple thing as dancing.

“If I remember correctly,” he said dryly, “you used to write that you stepped on men’s toes.”

She smiled with pleasure. “Oh yes. My mother despaired of me, and finally gave up.”

“I’ll wear my riding boots for protection.”

He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and led her back through the garden and into the house. “We’ll go up to the blue drawing room. That’s where we used to dance.”

“But there’s no music,” she said.

“We don’t need music.”

No, surely she didn’t, for there was a whole orchestra playing in her heart. As they walked up through the house, arm in arm, Victoria told herself that she mustn’t make so much of this. David did not want her to embarrass him, so he would teach her to dance.

But when they swept into the large drawing room, beneath the multitude of chandeliers, her heart was beating so fast, she could swear her chest vibrated.

“We’ll start with a waltz,” he said, positioning her in his arms.

She felt his hand high on her back, the other hand warm in hers.

“You know the basic steps?” he asked.

She nodded. “But I was never very good.”

Then he started to count and whirled her away, and she forgot everything as she stared up into his face. It was the stuff of dreams, of magic, of moments that come only once in a lifetime, dancing alone with her handsome husband staring so intently down at her. The room might have been lit by the sun streaming through the tall windows, rather than bathed in candlelight, but that did not take away the romance of the moment, the way herheart swelled with hope that everything could work out between them.

David smiled. “I thought you said you couldn’t dance.”

As if the spell was broken by speech, she stumbled and stepped on his toe. He laughed, a deep rich sound, and caught her in his arms. The air was suddenly full of a crackling tension that had nothing to do with dance, and everything to do with a man and woman locked close together.

“Let’s try it again,” he said, stepping back. “This time don’t think about it. Trust me to lead you.”

He wanted her trust, but she despaired whether he would ever give it in return.

14

At luncheon Victoria told Mrs. Wayneflete and her mother about David speaking before the House of Commons that afternoon.

Her mother sighed. “You’ve married a very important man, Victoria.”

“I know, Mama. I want to help him in every way I can, but it’s hard when he has such a separate life from mine.”

“You can always show an interest, my lady,” Mrs. Wayneflete said. “You can watch him speak. The ladies have their own gallery above the main floor of the Commons. It’s not too late since the speeches never begin until four in the afternoon.”

Victoria smiled. “Your knowledge always continues to amaze me, Mrs. Wayneflete.”

The housekeeper shrugged, obviously pleased with herself. “The steward keeps me informed. So will you go to Parliament, then?”

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