Page 122 of The Seaside Homecoming
He shook his head. “Completely self-serving. I have no wish to make a fool of myself in your company.”
“I doubt you could. Are you fond of dancing?”
“I am. There was a fair amount of it at diplomatic parties, although like you, I am out of practice. Shall we muddle along together?”
“Very well.”
To tinny music drawn from a harpsichord accompanied by flute and violin, the assembled company began a quadrille in clusters of four couples. The dance commenced with bows and curtsies, followed by a series of advancing and retreating steps, turns, and changing places with the person opposite.
The pattern was a simple one, and soon Claire began to relax and enjoy herself.
After the first set, they all changed partners, and Sarah—who had sat out the first time—danced with the officer who’d been beside Claire at dinner.
Sarah appeared even more ill at ease and uncertain of the steps than Claire had been. She supposed Sarah, who had lost her betrothed, had not danced much in recent years either.
Sarah had watched the couples dancing, feeling wistful and out of place. She found herself thinking not of Peter, whom she had planned to marry before he died at sea, but rather of Callum Henshall. Would she ever have a chance to dance with him?
She thought back to his stay at Sea View, when he’d confessed his wife’s depression of spirits and his attempts to cheer her—including asking her to a dance.“I am a bit of an ox,truth be told, and woe to anyone who stands too close during a Scottish reel! But for her, I would try.”
Despite his efforts, his wife had ended her own life. At the thought, Sarah offered up a prayer for him and for Effie, the woman’s daughter.
Sarah noticed Emily approach the musicians to call the next dance. In honor of their former royal neighbor, her sister requested the Duke of Kent’s Waltz.
Despite its name, this was a longways country dance in three-quarter time. It was a lovely, stately dance and far more acceptable than the partner waltz now gaining popularity.
An awkward young officer asked her to dance, and taking pity on him, Sarah agreed.
When the music began, they formed a star with another couple. Next, she joined hands with her partner, stepping forward and back in a balance step, before moving down the line and back up again.
Sarah glanced over and saw Claire dancing with Mr. Hammond, looking happy and pretty, and she owned to a shaft of jealousy as well as concern. She hoped this man would prove more trustworthy than the last man who’d made her sister smile like that.
Later in the evening, the Countess Lieven stood, clapped her hands three times, and announced with authority, “We must have a proper valtz!”
The young officer asked Viola to dance, but the major, who had refused to dance until that point, abruptly stood and took her hand, staring menacingly down at the smaller man. “If anyone is to put his arm around my wife, it shall be me and me alone.”
“Jack...” Viola admonished, but Claire saw the fond amusement in her eyes and the tilt of her lips.
The young man blanched and scurried away to find another partner.
Seeing him heading toward Claire, Mr. Hammond quickly stepped forward and asked Claire to dance again. She agreed, even though they had danced together twice already.
She quietly admitted, “I’ve not waltzed before.”
“Just follow my lead.”
Once the music started and the honors had been paid, he turned Claire under his arm, then brought both hands to her shoulders.
“You do the same,” he encouraged.
After a quick glance around to assure herself others were similarly positioned, Claire complied. Holding each other by the shoulders, they turned in circles around the room. One, two, three. One, two, three ... Then, grasping right hands, they stepped forward and back in a balance step, and then again he turned her under his arm. This time as they came back together, he put his right hand around her waist.
She barely resisted a gasp. No wonder the dance was deemed scandalous! He lifted her other hand over their heads, and they continued to turn around each other, all the couples moving about the room in a large circle.
He grinned at her from beneath the arch of their raised hands. “You learn quickly.”
Then the tempo increased, and embracing shoulders again, they hop-turned around each other, circling the room, Claire soon breathless and grinning. How exhilarating! And really, surrounded by friends and family, and moving so swiftly, there was surely nothing wicked about the dance. The rapid turning and the swirl of skirts around her ankles made her almost giddy. She felt happy and more alive than she had in a very long time.
“Enjoying yourself?” he asked.
