Page 30 of Made for the Marquess (Second Sons of London 4)

“I am fine with the idea if you are, my lord,” she interrupted. “I have to learn at some point and the sooner that occurs, the more I will be able to practice and become comfortable with the dance. Since you yourself have just learned it, I believe you will make for a fine teacher.”

She hadn’t thought he could turn any redder, but he did.

“If you insist,” he said.

“I don’t insist, my lord,” she told him. “I merely thought since you had recently learned the waltz yourself, you would make for a good teacher and be able to give me a few hints as my shortcomings arise.”

His gaze penetrated her and he said, “I doubt you have any shortcomings at all, Miss Nicholls. Not a one.”

Warmth filled her at the compliment. She swallowed and managed to say, “Shall we begin?”

His brow creased a moment in thought and she remained quiet and still, letting him work out whatever was going on inside his head.

Then he looked up and smiled.

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

“I think I’ve got it now,” he said, looking confident. “I just needed to think about how to do things in reverse since we perform opposite steps from one another.” He paused. “Thank you for trusting me with this task.”

She would trust him with anything at this moment.

He came to stand beside her. “May I take your hand?”

She offered it without speaking. His fingers wrapped around hers, sending the most delightful ripple through her. She blinked a few times, fighting to concentrate on his words.

“This isn’t how we will stand when we partner but I want to help guide you along as I teach you.”

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I believe I will need all the guidance you can offer to me.”

“The foundation of the waltz is a box step. Our movement creates a square on the floor. You will move backward, step to your side, and then step again to close your feet so they end up together. Like this.”

The marquess had her step back with her left foot, sweep her right foot to the side, and then had her left foot join the right. They practiced the motion several times.

“It is a backward half-box,” she decided.

“Let us add to that movement,” he said.

They repeated the steps, her hand held in his, and then he had her move forward, completing another half-box, her right foot moving forward, the left going to the side, and the right foot joining it again, closing out the box.

“I see,” she said, eagerness filling her as she caught on to the steps.

“It is done to a count of three. Slow, quick, quick. Slow, quick, quick,” he explained.

Once again, Lord Kingston helped Minta move through the backward steps, followed by the forward ones. They repeated them several times.

“I like this,” she said. “It is not nearly as difficult as I had imagined.”

“We should concentrate now on being light on our toes. It is toe and heel action.”

He released her hand and demonstrated to her, speaking aloud as he did.

“Toe, heel, toe-toe, heel. Then heel, toe, toe-toe, heel.”

Minta frowned. “Could you do it again, please?”

“Yes, but only with you. Come.”

He offered his hand again and she took it, thinking how right it felt to hold this man’s hand.

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