Page 33 of The Jilted Duchess
"Nay, lad, I can manage. Off ye go now."
Riles hurried off finally, and Laroux allowed himself a small smile, which Hector knew he had been meant to see, or he would never have caught him at it. "I have to say, I have never met a young man quite so enthusiastic about the vagaries of fashion, Your Grace."
"Is he doin' it on purpose or is he serious?" Hector asked, buttoning his shirt swiftly and tying his cravat in a quick, simple knot. "I cannae tell anymore."
"I think he may have been encouraged to ensure that you put effort into your dress for this lesson," Laroux said, expression guileless enough that Hector knew exactly who it was who had made this encouragement. "We are all keen to see Her Grace charmed by your attentions, Your Grace. Taking care with your dress will show her how seriously you are taking her efforts. I am sure you want her to feel respected, do you not?"
"Of course I do," Hector said sternly, pulling on his waistcoat. "She's a braw lass, and deserves all the respect in the world."
"And would you have worn finery if not encouraged by the young lad's enthusiastic insistence?"
Hector paused, dragging his hair back from his face with one hand. "Maybe."
They both knew that was a lie. He would have worn as simple a costume as he could have, if left to his own devices.
"Of course, Your Grace," Laroux said politely. "May I straighten your cravat?"
"If ye must," Hector said with a rueful smile. "Next time, daenae encourage the lad; he talked at me for ten minutes about the intentions behind a particular shade of blue."
"Of course, Your Grace," Laroux said smugly, tidying his cravat. "And may I say, you look particularly dashing."
Hector raised an eyebrow, glancing in the mirror. He still looked like an overdressed bull, but so long as it pleased Alexandra, he supposed he could bear with it. "Time to learn how to dance like the sassenachs do," he said with a grin.
"Good fortune to you, Your Grace," Laroux said with a pleased smile. Hector nodded and headed towards the ballroom, wondering if perhaps they should give Riles the opportunity to learn from a tailor or a fashion designer. The lad was enthusiastic to a degree that seemed wasted on a valet.
He entered the ballroom itself quickly, eager to begin the afternoon's event, and paused on the threshold. Alexandra was standing in the empty ballroom speaking softly with one of the footmen, a young fellow who had a fiddle in his hands and was gesturing with it avidly. A few of the maids were finishing sweeping the floor a final time, and there was a fresh, clean scent to the room that brightened the spirit.
Alexandra herself was wearing a gown, something pale yellow and simple, which he hadn't seen before. It set off her eyes and made her glow in the soft afternoon light. In that moment, Hector knew that Riles and Laroux had been right. If he had arrived in his shirtsleeves as was his instinct, then his wife would have been sorely disappointed.
The thought of disappointing her cut him to the heart. Thank God for the enthusiastic lad and his passion for color.
"Are ye ready for me, wife?" he asked, crossing the room towards her and smiling as she turned, her expression brightening. Whathe had done to put that look on her face, he didn't quite know, but he knew he wanted to do it over and over again. "I havenae come too soon, have I?"
"Not at all, husband," she said, beaming at him and waving off the young man to a corner of the room. "Mrs. Hopsted told me that young Barnes is capable with a fiddle so he has agreed to provide some music for our lessons. I have asked Jenny and Gracie to stand in for the placement of other couples when we get to the quadrilles, but I thought we could start with a waltz?"
"Whatever ye wish, me dear," Hector said, looking down at her pleased, flushed face. "Consider me completely at yer disposal."
"This is one of the Charles Ambrose collection," Alexandra said, placing herself at a position of the floor. "There would be several other couples on the dance floor, but it's easy enough to learn just our part for it. Come, stand opposite me."
Hector grinned at her cheerfully demanding tone. What a fascinating teacher she was going to be. He crossed to stand in front of her. He had seen enough dances at this time to know that the English and their high society acted as though couples could be no closer to each other than a full arm's reach, so he stood close, smiling innocently down at her from his height. Her eyes were bright and alive, her freckles making her face look sun-kissed and a little wild.
"Like this?"
"My dear, no!" she laughed a little and stepped a few steps back. "Never so close. Like this."
"Ah, like this."
"Yes," she nodded over to Barnes, who raised his fiddle. "Now, we advance, there will be another couple advancing to us as well. Like this," she gracefully moved to the side with a light step.
The music started, and Hector copied her movements as best as he could. His step was a little too clumsy to match her practiced elegance, but she seemed delighted and grinned at him in pleasure. "You are a quick study, my husband."
"Perhaps I have a very adept teacher, lass," he said with a smile. He had moved closer again, and she stepped back once more before demonstrating the next movement - a half circle that would bring them to the place of the other couple. They passed close to each other, palms touching, and then returned to a few steps apart.
It was not hard to pick up, though he doubted he would ever be particularly good at it. It was rather like a slow version of a ceilidh, lacking the spirit and vigor of a good highland reel. However, with Alexandra, he felt he could see the appeal, the soft touch of her palm on his more electric every time they passed.
"Now, we make a loop around the other dancers," she was saying as their palms touched once more and he took her handin his own, spinning them in a circle. "Your Grace! No! This is unseemly!"
He stopped, again close to her and smiled. "Sorry, me dear, I couldnae resist the music and yer hand in mine."
