Miriam felt a sudden warmth at the sight of his slow smile. Really, she had no idea what was the matter with her. She smiled back at him. “Indeed, I am enjoying myself. I was saying to Lucy how much like the social gatherings we attend in Derbyshire this is. I know I should maybe not admit this, but I much prefer these informal occasions to the formal balls at the Assembly Rooms.”
Once again, Vincent was struck by how unaffected Miss Knightly was. He couldn’t help noticing how her eyes sparkled as she seemed to be truly enjoying herself. The sudden tenderness he felt took him aback, and he quickly dismissed it. “I must admit, I am in agreement with you,” he responded amiably. “I’ll keep your secret, if you’ll keep mine.”
They both laughed at that, then sat in comfortable silence until the dance finished and Lucy and Robert returned. At this point, Aunt Beatrice came to sit with Miriam and the gentlemen took their leave. Miriam felt a pang of disappointment at their leave-taking, and Lucy did not seem too happy about it, either.
Wistfully, Lucy reminded Miriam of how when they were children Miriam would watch her and her sisters dancing and act as their instructor, telling them where they went wrong. “Remember how you used to learn all the steps just so you could help us?”
“It was my hardest task,” Miriam laughed. “I can recall that none of you ever listened to me. I am surprised that you and your sisters managed to become such accomplished dancers.”
“We all did because of your hard work and patience with us. You would walk us through the steps time and time again until your legs hurt and you had to sit down,” Lucy reminded her.
Miriam and Lucy were soon so engrossed in their conversation that Aunt Beatrice said she would return to the card room as it appeared that Miriam was not lacking company.
It would seem that Robert could not keep away from Lucy, and Miriam teased her friend about this as he crossed the room towards them. They were laughing together by the time he joined them. He smiled at their merriment but was not put out by it. When he asked Lucy if she could waltz, Lucy admitted that she had learned the steps but had never danced the waltz because it was disapproved of in the Assembly Rooms both at Matlock and here in Bath.
“This is a private, informal gathering and I am sure it would be permissible to dance the waltz here. Shall I ask my parents if they will allow it?” Robert suggested, a twinkle in his eye.
“Please do.” Lucy’s eyes were shining with excitement at the prospect.
“Do you think you should?” cautioned Miriam even though she could see that Lucy had every intention of dancing a waltz with Robert should he ask.
Robert went off to find his parents and the two friends next saw him in conversation with the pianist. After this he returned to them smiling.
“I have done it, Lucy!” Robert sounded triumphant. “My parents agree that there can be no harm in the dance as we are amongst friends here; I just had to promise I would waltz with every young lady who wished to do so.” He laughed.
Lucy was nearly jumping up and down in anticipation, and Miriam and Robert laughed at her. Eventually the pianist struck up a waltz and Lucy dragged Robert into the middle of the room.
At first only two couples were dancing but gradually more and more joined in. Because the waltz was new and not considered acceptable at formal dance rooms, most people were not well versed in the steps. It made for an interesting spectacle, and Miriam smiled as she watched couples dance, some having more success than others. People were laughing when they made mistakes or trod on each other’s toes and everyone seemed to be having great fun.
She was so busy watching that she failed to notice Lord Chantry until he made a bow in front of her. She was surprised; it looked as if he was going to ask her to dance. But that could not be so—he already knew she did not dance. She quite clearly remembered how he had referred to her as a cripple.
“Miss Knightly, I was wondering if you would join me for this dance?” he asked.
Miriam swiftly reminded him that she did not dance. This did not, however, deter him.
“I am aware that you do not normally dance, but the waltz is already half way through and I thought that, as most people on the dance floor are tripping and falling, you may dance without looking out of place.” Vincent felt his ears burning. Good Lord, had he just said that? He quickly tried to recover. “By saying that, I do not mean to give offence and my offer is kindly meant.” Goodness, he thought, it seems I give cause for offence every time I open my mouth to speak to her!
“I do thank you for asking, but I am afraid that my legs are quite weak and they have the embarrassing habit of giving way underneath me if I get tired.” Miriam smiled as she said this. She did not want him to feel sorry for her.
“I assure you, Miss Knightly, that I will not allow you to fall and that I will return you to your seat the minute you tell me you are tired. Do you not trust me in this?” He again held out his hand to her at the same time wondering why he was persisting with this. He should have been relieved when she had declined.
Miriam was tempted; she knew the steps for the waltz but had never in her wildest imaginings supposed she would have the opportunity to dance it. As she looked up at Lord Chantry, she saw he was regarding her in earnest and she did truly believe he would not let her fall. She suspected he was only asking her because he felt sorry for her and if she refused there would be any number of young ladies in the room who would jump to take her place. And when would she ever again have the chance to waltz in the arms of a handsome young earl? In the end the temptation was too great.
“I will then take you up on your offer,” she replied softly, “but you have only yourself to blame if I trip up, or even if I trip you up. I am warning you that I stumble frequently even when walking.” Miriam looked down at her feet as she rose and saw she was wearing boots and withdrew her hand from his.
“Oh, I will have to change my mind. You see, I am not wearing dance shoes and it would not be proper to dance in boots.”
Vincent laughed. “My lady, I am sure it is considered improper to dance the waltz in any type of footwear, but I am willing to try if you are. Your boots may even save your toes should I accidentally step on them.” Saying this, he re-took her hand and, her heart pounding, she allowed him to lead her onto the makeshift dance floor.
Once there, Miriam placed her left hand lightly on Vincent’s shoulder and he placed his right arm around her waist, his large hand flat on the small of her back. She could feel herself start to blush as she felt the heat from his hand at her back radiate through her body. She looked up at him in surprise, but it seemed that he did not appear to have felt anything untoward.
“Are you ready to give this a try?” He smiled down at her.
Miriam could only nod as she did not feel capable of speech. Her mind seemed only to focus on where his hands were touching her. She was already realizing why the dance was considered improper and she had not moved even one foot as yet. She felt him gently put pressure on her back and moved her foot forward in response, and for the first time in her life she experienced dancing with a proper male partner. She had been worried that she might forget the steps, but she need not to have, as it appeared that Lord Chantry was an excellent dancer and was obviously no stranger to dancing the waltz. Her toes were certainly not at risk.
Gradually she began to relax and found that not only was she enjoying the experience, but that she did not really care, in this company, if she was not the most graceful dancer in the room. As this might be the only opportunity she would ever have to waltz in public, she decided that she might as well enjoy it. If Lord Chantry was upset or offended by her lack of dancing ability, then it was his own fault for asking her.
They had not been dancing for many minutes when she felt her legs beginning to ache. She was just about to ask the earl to return her to her seat when her worst fear came true—her left leg gave way from under her.
Lord Chantry must have also felt this, and keeping his promise, he did no
t let her fall. He closed his arm around her and pulled her against him. Miriam gasped; she could feel the length of his body through her thin gown, from the firmness of his chest to the muscles on his thighs as he held her. Every part of her body tingled and she found she could hardly breathe; not because he was holding her too tightly but because of the sensations running through her. Continuing to hold her closely to him, he carried on dancing, and her feet, which followed his steps, only had to bear the slightest fraction of her body weight.
“Thank you,” Miriam gasped when she found her breath. “I think I may need to sit down now, but if you let go of me I think I shall fall.”
Lord Chantry looked down at her from what seemed to Miriam a great height. “I have already promised that I will not let you fall, and if you are not in pain, I would very much like to continue to the end of the dance.”
Miriam knew that she should insist on being returned to her seat and was aware that his holding her so closely was absolutely incorrect. If her Aunt Beatrice saw her, she would be severely scolded, but she did not want to give up this experience, especially as she might never have its like again. She therefore wound her arm more closely around Lord Chantry to give herself further balance and support and they continued to dance. She forgot her limp—she was carrying so little of her own weight that it was no longer an issue—and began to relax again. She closed her eyes as she rested her head gently on his chest just under his shoulder and gave into the pleasure of dancing.
For a time she was not conscious of anyone else in the room besides the two of them as they moved together through the dance, but much sooner than she wanted, the music came to a stop. She found herself still held in Lord Chantry’s arms, and although she was aware that other people had separated from their partners and were bowing or curtsying at the end of the dance, she found that, however much she willed it, her body seemed incapable of independent movement.
She was grateful when her dance partner continued to keep a firm hold on her arm as he parted his body from hers, because otherwise she knew she would have fallen.
She looked up and found he was smiling at her as he cautioned, “I believe our dancing may have caused tongues to wag, but I was enjoying the dance too much to relinquish you.” He added gallantly, “I do apologize if I have caused you any discomfort or embarrassment.”
Miriam could not tell him that the last few minutes had been the most enjoyable she had ever spent in her adult life, so she made a polite reply. “You have caused me less embarrassment than if you had allowed me to fall and I am very grateful to you for giving me the opportunity to dance.”
Vincent kept hold of her arm as he guided her back to her chair, where Lucy was waiting, and ensured that Miriam was safely seated before he let go of her. He bowed to her and Lucy and then left them, presumably, Miriam thought, to go in search of a partner who could dance without collapsing.
“Miriam, I have never seen you dance in public before. How on earth did Lord Chantry persuade you to do this?” Lucy raised her eyebrows.
“He promised he would not let me fall,” said Miriam, blushing to her roots. “The dance was already halfway through and I thought I would be able to manage to the end without my legs collapsing.”
“He was holding you so tightly that I could not see air between you!” Lucy exclaimed. “I thought some of the matrons in the room were going to have an apoplexy.”
Miriam continued to blush. “My leg gave way, you know how it does, and Lord Chantry pulled me close to stop me from falling. Lucy, I know it was wrong of me to allow it, but I was so enjoying dancing that I could not bring myself to pull away from him and insist that I sit down.”
“I don’t blame you in the slightest!” Lucy declared. “I think most ladies in the room were envious of you. I would love Robert to hold me so closely.”
“You must not say such things,” Miriam warned her friend. “It is bad enough if people talk about me, but my marriage prospects will hardly be affected by it, whereas your reputation would be in ruin if you did such a thing.” Miriam paused for breath. “I know I will never do the like again and so I would not have missed the experience for the world.”
Just then she saw Aunt Beatrice striding towards her with a grim look on her face.
“How could you dance like that, making a spectacle of yourself?” Aunt Beatrice hissed as she sat beside Miriam. “Everyone was watching and they were scandalized. If Sir Thomas gets to hear of this, and it is likely that he shall, I would not be at all surprised if he withdrew his attentions.” Her aunt was trembling in righteous indignation.
Before Miriam could respond, the angry lady continued, “It was disgraceful that Lord Chantry should dance with you in such a manner but even worse that you allowed it. All my hard work to find you a suitable husband has been ruined. You must apologize to me immediately.” She stood up, hands on hips, waiting.
Miriam had no intentions of apologizing because she had no regrets whatsoever, and she certainly would not shed a tear if Sir Thomas withdrew his attentions.
“Lord Chantry merely stopped me from falling when my leg gave way, and as we were in the middle of the dance floor, it would have been difficult to stop dancing at that moment.” Miriam defended his actions. “He would have most certainly allowed me to sit down had I asked to and so the blame is all mine, Aunt Beatrice.”
“That does not make the situation any better. I think we had best go home before you ruin your reputation completely and bring further shame on me.” As she spoke she was dragging Miriam to her feet. “My friend Lady Pelham is leaving now; I think I will ask her if she has room for us in her carriage.”
Fortunately there was room in the carriage, which pleased Miriam in two ways: one, her aunt had to stop lecturing her on her behaviour; and two, she was so tired she did not think she could have managed to walk home without being in a great deal of discomfort.
On returning to the house Miriam excused herself and called her maid to help her get ready for bed. Sleep, however, did not come easily and nor did she want it to. She wanted to relive those few minutes in Lord Chantry’s arms while the experience was still clear in her mind. She knew she would treasure those moments for the rest of her life.
When she and Lucy had been children they had dreamed of dancing at grand balls when they were grown up. By the time they reached adulthood Miriam had come to the realization that for her this would never happen, but now, just this once, it had. Not only had she danced, she had danced the waltz, and she danced it very improperly and with a most handsome young lord.
Miriam knew she could cope with the scoldings she would get from her aunt over the next few days; her only concern was how she could face Lord Chantry if she met him again. Because he had felt sorry for her and asked her to dance, people would now be saying he had not acted in a gentlemanly manner. She was aware, however, that for him this would not affect his quest to find a wife, as his title and fortune, together with his good looks, made him one of the most eligible bachelors in the country.
Chapter Seven
The Candidates
The day after the Brights’ social gathering Vincent found himself alone in the house, with the exception of the servants, as the family had gone to visit a relative. After a late breakfast he retired to the library and, selecting a book from the shelf, settled into a comfortable leather chair.
He found he was unable to concentrate on the book as his mind was occupied with what he should do next. He was due to leave Bath the following week, and as he did not have the funds to go back to London, it appeared he’d have to go back to Yorkshire. He still considered that getting married would be the quickest way out of his financial predicament, so he went back over in his mind all the young ladies who had been in his company during his short time in Bath.
Lady Constance Sharpe had paid him a flattering amount of attention; she was pretty enough but seemed incapable of carrying on a sensible conversation about anything other than the latest fashions. Miss Constanc
e Grey was reasonably attractive but she seemed to flirt with all the single men—and the married ones, as well, now he thought about it. He did not think she was at all ready to settle down.
Lady Barber had been thrusting her daughter, Emma, at him but Emma did not show the slightest interest. Miss Jane Cleverly, Sir Thomas’s daughter, would bring him a fair fortune, but although she was attentive to him, she seemed to have a peevish nature and was always making derogatory comments about other people. Lady Lucy Spencer was extremely pretty and charming, but Robert was very taken with her and she appeared to return his affections.
That left only Miss Harper, and although she did appear to have a modicum of sense, his horse was better-looking and he could not imagine being married to her for the rest of his life.
He stood up and, after pacing the room for a few minutes, went to stand by the window and gaze out. As he looked down the road he remembered the Honourable Miss Miriam Knightly; until this moment she had not been on his list of possible brides. He had been impressed with how pretty she had looked when he first noticed her at the Pump Room, seated with all the old people like a rose between thorns. However, his introduction to her at the Assembly Rooms had been a disaster; he could recall the look of shock on her face when he clumsily referred to her as a cripple. He still cringed at the thought of that; she must have been very hurt, yet had remained polite in her response.
At the Theatre Royal he had noticed her during the intermission walking towards the stairs on her own. She was making very slow progress and he had realized that he had never seen her walking without someone to support her, and he admired her independence. He had crossed the hall quickly as the bell had been rung to indicate the start of the second act and everybody was returning to their seats.
He was approaching the stairs to his box when he noticed Miss Knightly in front of him. As he watched her slowly negotiate the stairs, someone in the press of people brushed against her and she lost her balance. Instinctively he had put his arms around her to stop her falling backward. He had felt the heat of her firm little body through her thin gown and felt her heart beating fast. Her breathing was rapid as she turned around in his arms to thank him for catching her; she obviously had feared for her safety. He had then offered her his arm and helped her up to her box.
In Pursuit of Miriam Page 5