“Where are we?” Nancy asked curiously.
“This is one of Thomas Drake’s lumber buildings. He’s the one I told you about who’s interested in leasing our mill.”
Nancy’s heart sank at those words. So tonight was going to be about business as well. Her hopes for a romantic evening were quickly dashed at the thought. She extended her hand, expecting Hal to grasp it and allow her to step down from the carriage. Instead, he clasped her waist and swung her down from the carriage, whirling her in a full circle before placing her on the ground. Her heart raced and she stared at him in surprise. “That was rather enthusiastic,” she quipped.
With a wide smile on his face, he extended his elbow to her. “Shall we?”
Nancy tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. Hal placed his over hand over hers and together they said hello to neighbors and friends and introduced themselves to several members of their community. Nancy met ladies in stylish hats and women with ribbons woven through their coiffed hair, all of them friendly and welcoming her with such warmth she had to swallow tears of gratitude.
The men quizzed Hal about his mill output and the women complimented him on the beautiful furniture he was making for Edwards. They confessed their envy of Nancy because, being married to Hal, she must surely have a house full of magnificent furniture. Hal grimaced, but Nancy merely smiled and pointed out the hairpin that Hal had carved for her. The ladies oohed and begged their husbands to solicit such a piece from Hal’s skilled hands for their anniversary or for Christmas or some other special occasion. The husbands rolled their eyes and headed for the beverage table. Hal took advantage of the moment and escorted Nancy through the open doors of the barn.
Lanterns hung everywhere casting a warm golden hue inside the barn. The center of the barn was completely cleared and a floor of wide pine planks was scrubbed to a rich luster. Nancy assumed it was the dance floor and found it surprisingly suitable. The enormous barn wasn’t full of people by any means, but it was filling quickly as many of the couples from the yard made their way inside. Outside the perimeter of benches sat four long tables and more benches.
The barn felt cavernous as Nancy gazed up to the loft above and rows of thick square rafters extending high into the ceiling. The barn wasn’t dirty and musty as she had expected. It smelled of wood and food and a mixture of colognes and perfumes from the many guests.
Intrigued, Nancy turned slowly to take it all in. From the back side of the barn, just beyond the dance floor, the discordant strains of instruments being tuned reached her ears. A group of four gentlemen sat on overturned wine barrels, two of them tuning their fiddles and one tuning his banjo. She surmised that the man without an instrument must be their caller. Looking towards the opposite side of the barn, she spied a long table draped with colorful linens. Bustling around it were a dozen ladies and young girls arranging dishes and platters of an abundance of food. The savory scents from the warm dishes wafted through the barn and made her mouth water — and made her stomach drop to her feet. She should have brought a dish to pass!
Mortified, she turned to Hal. “Why didn’t you tell me they would be serving food here? I should have brought something, Hal.”
“I know, but I wanted to surprise you so Mary Tucker has brought an extra dish that she’ll say is from you.”
“What?” Nancy’s stomach dropped yet again. “I know you wished to surprise me, Hal, but you shouldn’t have asked Mary to do this.”
“I didn’t ask. She suggested it to help me keep all of this as a surprise. But don’t fret, darling. We are going to repay her kindness by having her and William over for supper and to play cards next weekend. I thought you’d like the chance to entertain in our home.”
Hearing him refer to his house as their home thrilled Nancy. “I would love to have our friends over. May we invite Tom and Martha as well?”
“Already done. Not stop fretting over this. Mary was thrilled to do this for you.” He smiled down at her. “Happy birthday, Nancy. I thought it only appropriate for you to celebrate your birthday at a dance. Think of this as your own personal birthday ball. And as your husband, I have the added bonus of showing off my beautiful wife for the evening.”
Nancy shook her head, overwhelmed by all she was seeing and hearing, but mostly by her husband’s devoted attention.
“Happy birthday, Nancy!” Mary said, greeting her with a wide smile and warm hug. She was stunning in her dress of deep rose. The hem, sleeves, and collar were trimmed with cranberry colored ribbon and the fitted bodice was accented with pretty pearl buttons. Mary had also opted to forgo a hat and had pinned her shiny black hair in a stylish twist and added a sprig of pink baby rosebuds that complimented her dress. Her emerald eyes sparkled as she clasped her husband’s hand and drew William to her side. He immediately wished Nancy a happy birthday and begged a dance with the birthday girl.
Before Nancy could return their warm welcome, Hal slipped his arm around her shoulders and said all dances with his wife were his. And so the four of them spent a minute laughing and joking, and then Hal and William stepped away for a moment, giving Nancy and Mary a chance to chat.
“I’m so sorry that we didn’t join you on Sunday afternoon,” Nancy said to Mary. “It had just been a long week and I was feeling a bit maudlin thinking about spending my birthday without my sister.”
“No need to apologize. I do hope, however, that your day improved.”
“Oh, it did, and in the most surprising way,” Nancy said. “Hal took me out to the creek and you’ll never guess what happened. We both fell in!”
“You did? Truly?” Mary asked with a smile that became a full laugh as Nancy described how Hal had slipped on the bank and pulled her in after him. She didn’t share with Mary the heated moment that followed. She wasn’t ready to share those intimate details of her marriage with anyone yet. Besides, they likely thought she and Hal had a traditional marriage and Nancy’s excitement over a kiss would seem unusual. But as she told Mary about their afternoon together, she smiled at the thought that she had really gotten to know her husband better during their time at the gorge. “And so we ate our lunch with our shoes off and our clothes dripping.”
Mary clasped her hands together in front of her chest and said, “It sounds like a wonderful day.”
“It was,” Nancy said, her gaze turning to her dashing husband, who was deep in conversation with William and another man.
“I’m so pleased Hal decided to bring you to the dance. William and I have been anticipating this evening for weeks. It’s been an age since we’ve been out dancing,” Mary said. “Wait until you see William on the floor. He’s quite the dancer and I imagine Hal is as well.”
Nancy shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.” But as she imagined Hal taking her in his arms and turning her about the dance floor, her breath hitched in anticipation. She glanced at Hal and found him looking at her. He winked one dark-lashed eye at her, and Nancy’s stomach fluttered so wildly she thought she might swoon.
“The dance is about to start,” Mary said, and they quickly joined their husbands.
As the players made their final adjustments to their instruments, the caller greeted everyone and bade them take their positions on the floor for a welcome quadrille. He announced that the evening would begin with nine dances, a set of five quadrilles, a waltz, then two more quadrilles followed by another waltz. They would break for supper and then finish the evening with a set of five more quadrilles and end with a waltz.
Hal extended his hand and executed an exaggerated, sweeping bow.
With a laugh, Nancy placed her hand in his and he escorted her to the dance floor behind William and Mary. There they exchanged hugs with Tom and Martha Fiske, and Hal quickly introduced Nancy to Thomas and Victoria Drake, a couple about Hal’s or William’s age. Victoria was a stunning lady with her high cheekbones and elegant silver dress, her ears sparkling with emeralds that matched her green eyes. Thomas was equally attractive in his black suit, starched whit
e shirt, and black shoes buffed to a mirror shine. Within that short span of minutes, Nancy found the Drakes such friendly, wonderful people she felt she’d known them as long as the Tuckers and Fiskes.
Realizing she was among friends, Nancy eagerly lined up in a rectangular formation with Hal and the other three couples. She was intimately familiar with the dance from her many lessons in preparation for her birthday ball. Tonight, however, she would be dancing in a barn — with her husband.
As the musicians played one final note on their instruments and then fell silent, Nancy felt the excitement level rise around her. That moment of silence was their cue that the dance was to begin. In the next instant the musicians opened with their first song, and Nancy and the other dancers launched into a variety of rapid, skimming steps filled with grace and gaiety that left them laughing and breathless and set the tone for the evening.
“You are quite accomplished, Mr. Grayson,” Nancy said with a bit of coquettishness as her eyes met his and they circled one another.
“It is my graceful and most beautiful partner that makes me appear so, Mrs. Grayson.” Eyes twinkling, he gave her a gay spin. As she came back to face him, he greeted her with a warm smile and a wink. She laughed as they each moved on to the next partner in the formation. Each time she and Hal met, the great room felt warmer, her breath shorter, her stomach lighter.
Until this evening, she’d had few occasions to touch her husband’s hands. But she had studied those long-fingered artist’s hands many times. And as she and Hal danced, images flashed through her mind of his tanned hands beneath the cuffs of his white shirt, the precise movement of his fingers and flexing of his muscled forearms as he used his woodworking tools, the relaxed curve of his fingers around a knife and fork while he ate his supper, the manly strength of his hands as he moved timber and stacked firewood and repaired the barn roof, the way he would playfully hand-wrestle Captain, the surprising gentleness in his hands when he cupped her face and kissed her. And now she was experiencing the exciting feel of his firm grip as he spun her out and back several times during the set of five lively quadrilles, each time exchanging flirtatious comments with her and keeping perfect time as the musicians played.
He gave her one last spin as the final strains of the upbeat song echoed into the rafters above. “I don’t want to let you go,” he said, giving her a playful bow.
Nancy didn’t want to let go of his warm hand either, but she stepped back and applauded with the rest of the dancers. Her eyes locked with Hal’s and she knew that tonight was different for them. They both wanted to be here, together, as husband and wife.
The first waltz of the evening began and Hal fit his strong, warm hand with hers and placed his other hand at her waist. Her stomach twirled just as he swung her into their first sweeping step. She wished to be rid of her gloves that kept her from truly touching him, but it wasn’t the place for such intimacy.
Other couples swept past, some conversing politely, some laughing into each other’s faces, some simply enjoying the music and the dance. But they all faded away as she fell into Hal’s dark eyes and he carried her away in his arms.
The warmth of his gaze made her steps falter. He pulled her close, improperly close, and swept her into the next step as if she’d never stumbled. But it wasn’t only her feet that had felt the jolt of his hungry gaze. Her heart beat erratically. She was out of her depths now, adrift in an ocean of feeling. All sense of play was forgotten as his eyes seemed to drink her in.
In that moment she could see that he was vulnerable, that he cared about her and that he wanted her in the way a man wants his wife.
The knowledge thrilled her — and terrified her.
Because in that moment she knew with sudden clarity she was deeply, desperately in love with her husband. And though he made it clear he desired her, she wondered if that smoldering passion in his eyes held embers of love.
On their next turn he pulled her close again and whispered, “If you don’t stop looking at me with those beautiful eyes, I’m going to sweep you right out the door and carry you home to our bed.”
Nancy gasped so loudly it drew the attention of two couples twirling past them. One couple even apologized as if they’d cut too close.
That made Hal laugh. But Nancy’s face flushed so hot she felt faint.
“I hadn’t meant to shock you,” he said, but his smile was back and he seemed to be enjoying her loss of composure.
“Well you did.”
His wide, white smile let her know he wasn’t at all remorseful. “I was merely stating a fact.”
Gracious, she hadn’t been prepared for this flirtatious side of Hal. If he was this bold with her here in the midst of all these people, what could she expect when they were alone?
Every glance from his dark eyes was filled with heat. Outwardly, he appeared to behave himself for the duration of the waltz, but Nancy felt every private squeeze he gave her hands, every brush of his body when he pulled her too close. He disguised his flirtation well, but Nancy was in a near-swoon by the time the waltz ended.
It was time for the musicians and dancers to take an intermission to enjoy a light supper and much-needed refreshments.
“I’m famished,” she declared in a desperate attempt to shift her husband’s attention to food.
"Hal bent down and whispered near her ear, “So am I.”
Gooseflesh covered Nancy’s neck and she sucked in a breath. “I have no idea how to respond to that,” she whispered back.
Hal released a delighted laugh and escorted her to the food table.
The overhead lanterns reflected off the stacks of dishes. Hal selected a plate for Nancy, and when he handed it to her, she again noticed his tan, manly hands beneath his white shirt cuffs. A wild thought filled her head, and she imagined how it would feel to have them caress her. The brazen thought made her gasp and scorched her cheeks.
“Are you all right?” Hal asked.
She nodded and tugged at the neckline of her dress. “Just overly warm from dancing.”
“Would you like to step outside for a minute?”
She shook her head because she didn’t trust herself to be alone with him. One heated look from his dark-lashed eyes would make her forget all sense of propriety.
Together they followed friends and neighbors down the long tables of food. Nancy selected a juicy slice of pork and a small breast of chicken and added a spoonful of roasted vegetables to her plate. She topped it off with two sliced pickle halves and a fluffy roll with a perfectly buttered brown top.
When they reached the end of the table, Nancy gawked at her plate. “I didn’t think I’d taken much, but there’s enough here to feed both of us.”
“I’ve discovered the same thing, but I still intend to have dessert,” he said, and gestured toward a table in the corner loaded with pies and a cake and other sweets.
Nancy glanced at the plates of cookies, cakes, and pies, not one item of which she’d prepared, and felt a pang of discomfort for coming empty-handed. But there was nothing to be done about it now. And really, only she and Hal and Mary knew the truth, thankfully.
They found a spot at a back table where Tom and Martha Fiske were reserving bench space for them and the Tuckers. Hal put his plate on the table and excused himself to fetch their beverages. Nancy placed her plate next to his and then sat beside Martha. While situating her skirts around her section of the bench, she said, “What a wonderful night!”
“It is, indeed,” Martha readily agreed.
Nancy took in Martha’s flushed cheeks and sky blue eyes, the same shade of blue as her dress. “You are absolutely glowing this evening. How are you feeling?”
“Like I can’t breathe,” Martha said with a laugh. “I’m afraid if I eat anything my dress seams will burst. This will be the last I wear this gown until after the baby is born.”
Hal returned with two glasses of lemonade. After he sat, Nancy turned to him. “Thank you for this evening, Hal. I’ve discovered tha
t I quite enjoy dancing in a barn… and with you.”
“Likewise,” he said, his words quiet and for her ears only. “When I saw the flyer in the mercantile earlier this week, I knew you would enjoy it. Seemed a perfect way to celebrate your birthday, and so here we are.”
“I’ve never been so happy,” she said. “Truly, Hal. Not ever.”
He slid his hand over and gave hers a brief squeeze. “I want to make you this happy every day.”
She smiled, wanting to turn her hand over and link fingers with him. Instead, she turned her attention to the safety of eating her meal. They enjoyed their supper and chatted gaily with their friends throughout supper. The Fiskes and Tuckers were eagerly anticipating the upcoming weekend and their dinner at Hal and Nancy’s home.
Nancy gave up halfway through her meal and watched Hal scoop the last of a buttered sweet potato slice onto his fork. “I see you made quick work of eating your supper.”
“I’m eager to get you back in my arms,” he quipped.
She was eager, too, but they took time to eat a slice of pie, apple for her, mincemeat for Hal, before the musicians signaled the dancing would begin again.
Martha patted her slightly rounding belly and said that she and Tom would sit out the rest of the quadrilles, so Nancy and Hal followed Mary and William onto the floor.
This time they formed a square with three couples they didn’t know, which gave them an opportunity to make more friends. Nancy found herself laughing and smiling as the four couples danced the compilation of quadrilles. As the lively songs came to an end, she pressed her hand to her heart, hoping to calm its beating and catch her breath before the last dance.
But less than a minute later the musicians filled the cavernous barn with the last song of the evening, and all couples danced alone. As the flowing strains of the waltz filled the air, Hal clasped her hand and pulled her close, perhaps a little too close, and swept her across the floor.
Nancy followed his lead through the sweeping steps and across the floor. This waltz was a popular dance at many of her parent’s parties. She and Elizabeth used to watch from the top of the stairs when they were children, but as they got older their parents would allow them to attend for a while and her father would always dance a waltz and a quadrille with each of his girls.
When I Fall in Love Page 20