A bashful smile found its way to her lips. It was a nice touch, so typical of Alex at his best, that he was giving her the choice of dances.
‘Make sure you include a waltz, I want to show everyone just how well we move together on the dance floor,’ he added. His eyes sparkled with mischief.
‘Lord Brooke, I doubt if you and I managed a full turn of the ballroom that afternoon, but since you are so insistent, may I suggest you place your name next to a waltz and then perhaps choose another dance?’ she replied.
He stared at the card and she saw his brow furrow as he read the order of the evening. Then he sighed and offered her the pencil once more. ‘I cannot choose; if I do I am sure I will get it wrong. Let’s do it together, you choose the waltz and I shall choose the other dance.’
Millie ran her finger down the list. She stopped at the first waltz and as she placed her finger on it, Alex took the pencil and placed a small tick on the line next to the dance.
He spent the next minute or so running his finger up and down the list, always going back to the one dance he had already marked. Then he placed a small line under the W in every other waltz.
‘Just making sure I chose only one waltz,’Alex noted.
He took an inordinate amount of time choosing the next dance. Each time he placed his finger on a dance he would look up at her. When he finally pointed to a quadrille and she smiled, he placed a tick next to it on the card.
For someone who was dancing with her out of a sense of obligation, he was certainly trying not to make it appear so. Alex was not only being kind, he was being thoughtful. She was doubly cursed.
‘There you are; I have been wondering where you were,’ Lucy called out to them as she managed to fight her way through the growing party crowd. Millie gave her a wave.
Millie glimpsed Alex tucking the pencil back into his jacket pocket. She could have easily asked to borrow the pencil in case other gentlemen wanted to dance with her, but she didn’t.
‘Sorry we were late arriving – Mama insisted on reading me the riot act before we left,’ Millie replied.
Lucy’s eyes opened wide. ‘So you are here on your own, how thoroughly convenient. Our parents have also cried off, but I am pleased to say I did not have to push my poor dear mother down the front steps in order to do it.’ Alex’s eyebrows lifted in surprise and Millie shook her head as she gave Lucy a look of mock indignation.
‘Our mother had a fall on some ice outside the house and has injured her ankle; I was nowhere near her when it happened, and it was in the rear yard,’ she explained.
‘I do hope she will make a full recovery; please send her my very best regards,’ Alex replied. She looked at him, noting that he had an uncanny ability to change his behaviour to suit the moment. One minute he would be the fun-loving rascal known to his friends as Alex; the next he became the serious and very formal Lord Brooke. She had to admit that it was an admirable skill and one which she knew she lacked.
With Millie Ashton, what you saw was pretty well what you got, and as a result she knew there would always be people within London society who would not accept her.
‘Have you marked Miss Ashton’s dance card yet, Alex?’ Lucy asked. Her brother gave her a strange little smile and nodded.
‘Good. Then I can ask Mr Ashton to mark my card,’ she replied and stepping up to Millie’s brother, she boldly handed him her card and a pencil.
‘Two please, if you will, Mr Ashton,’ she said with a cheeky grin on her face. Charles gave her a bow and marked his name against the same two dances that Millie and Alex had chosen to share.
‘There, now all four of us shall be on the dance floor at the same time. Does that suit you, Lady Lucy?’ Charles replied.
She gave him a gentle touch on the back of his hand and nodded her head regally. ‘Excellent, thank you, Mr Ashton,’ Lucy replied.
Charles laughed and looked at Millie. ‘You two are so alike, it borders on witchcraft.’
Millie smiled and nodded her head. She knew exactly what he meant. She and Lucy would always be skirting around the edges of propriety. Often close to tipping over the edge, but somehow managing to pull back at the very last minute.
Lucy clapped her hands together and turned to Millie.
‘Well, that was a good start. Now, if you can just get your brother to mark your card for one of the more boring dances, I shall do the same with Alex and David and then we will only have to find a couple of other young gentlemen who are prepared to offer us a dance, and our cards will be filled for the evening.’
Alex and Charles shared an uncomfortable look, after which Alex cleared his throat. ‘About other gentlemen dancing with you, Lucy, remember what father said before we left. Either David or I have to approve any dance partners before they are allowed to put their names on your card. I expect Mr and Mrs Ashton also asked Charles to agree to any prospective dance partners for Miss Ashton.’
Lucy let out a tsk of annoyance, but held her tongue. Millie nodded her acceptance of the rules before Charles had the chance to add his piece.
‘Good, then let the evening begin.’ Lucy took hold of Millie’s arm and dragged her off towards the largest group of party guests. Millie barely had time to wave goodbye to her brother and Alex before they disappeared behind a throng of people. She glanced at Lucy who had a huge grin plastered across her face.
‘This is wonderful: none of our parents are here and all you and I have to do is make sure we avoid our respective brothers for as much of the night as we can. We are going to have a fabulous time.’
‘So, why didn’t your parents come to the party?’ Millie asked as they made their way toward Cleopatra’s dais.
Lucy stopped and let out a giggle. After looking around to make sure no one else was within earshot, she replied, ‘Mama and Papa had a huge fight an hour before we were all due to leave. Mama called him a thick-headed fool, as a result of which Papa refused to go to the party with her. Then she got angry and told him he could not leave her to go on her own.’ Lucy sighed, but Millie saw a sparkle appear in her eye.
‘Well, then Mama stormed off into her private sitting room, while Papa went to his study. Five minutes later he came out of his study and I heard the door of the sitting room open and close. At which point both Alex and David said we were leaving and made me get into the carriage.’
‘So your parents are at home having a blazing row? Millie asked.
Lucy gave her a knowing smile. ‘No, they are at home making up after their argument, and knowing my parents, will be “making up” for the rest of the evening.’
Millie’s mouth opened and then she closed it on a titter. ‘I see. What on earth were they arguing about?’ she asked.
‘Scotland,’ replied Lucy, who, having lost interest in the sexual exploits of her parents began to busily scan the room in search of eligible young men.
After several early dances, the sheen had begun to wear off the evening. Lucy had worn new slippers that pinched her toes, causing small blisters to appear on the sides of her feet. She hobbled over to a chair and toed the offending slippers off her feet. Millie took a seat next to her.
‘Oh, that is so much better. There is no way I can get through the rest of the dances this evening. Especially now that I have taken these horrid slippers off, I can feel my feet beginning to swell,’ Lucy complained.
‘You could go in bare feet, but somehow I think that might be taking the whole Roman theme to an extreme,’ Millie offered. Lucy sadly shook her head. There would be no more dancing for her this evening.
‘I think the next dance is the first waltz. Shame about that, I shall have to stand your poor brother up,’ Lucy replied. ‘I hope he won’t mind, but there is no way I can glide around the floor in these things.’
‘I am sure Charles won’t mind, I don’t think he is all that enamoured with dancing. Besides, your feet have suffered enough for one evening – you don’t need him stepping all over your toes with his big heavy feet.’
Lucy looked up and Millie saw an expression of pain cross her face as Alex approached. ‘You are not still upset with him over his row with David, are you?’ Millie asked. Lucy shook her head. ‘Since I don’t know what their ongoing argument is about, I cannot hold either one to blame. But that is not what bothers me.’
She turned to Millie and took her by the hand.
‘All I will say before Alex joins us is that you should take care with your heart, Millie. I should so hate to see you hurt.’
Alex arrived a moment later, sporting a large grin. He held out his hand to Millie and drew her to her feet.
‘The first waltz is about to commence, and I believe my name is marked on your dance card, Miss Ashton.’ He gave a brief nod to his sister, noted her lack of footwear and turned back to Millie. ‘Shall we?’ he said.
She smiled as he gave her a bow, her second for the night. She curtsied once more.
‘You really have got that deep curtsy perfected, Miss Ashton. It is worthy of a grand duchess,’ he said.
She laughed. ‘Practice, Lord Brooke, practice.’
He led her away towards the dance floor. ‘Do you think we should have stayed with Lucy, or at least gone to find Charles?’ Millie asked, concerned about leaving Lucy sitting alone.
He sighed and shook his head. ‘No, she will be fine. She worries every time I dance with one of her friends, but rest assured, you have nothing to fear.’
As soon as the music began, Alex swept Millie into his arms and they began to move with grace and skill around the floor. She shook her head. How gullible had she been? Alex Radley was as light of foot and smooth a dancer as his sister.
His clumsy, awkward moves during their dance lesson had been an act. She looked into his eyes and saw they were full of laughter.
‘I never said I couldn’t dance, Millie. I just wanted us to have some fun while you practised,’ he whispered.
‘I should stomp on your toes in punishment,’ she replied.
‘Just bloody well try.’ He tightened his grip and began to twirl faster with the music. All Millie could do was to hold on and try to keep up with him.
‘You are a devil, Lord Brooke, but I shall give you two points.’
‘Only two?’ he replied.
‘Yes, you can only score the maximum five swearing points if you use it with other non-players. Sorry, those are the house rules and they are set in stone,’ she replied with a grin. ‘And tell me, what weakness have you had to admit, Lord Brooke?’
He shook his head. ‘None, I haven’t yet lost. I would rather risk breaking my neck than face humiliation. Your brother could summon the devil and I would still outride him.’
She raised her head and from the look on his face, she could tell he wasn’t in jest. She silently wondered how he would cope if ever he were faced with failure. Would he be of resilient enough character to survive?
He spun her into another turn and pulled her close for a second. ‘Loosen your grip and enjoy the dance, I promise I won’t let you fall,’ he breathed in her ear. She relaxed and allowed herself to trust him, while he held her firmly and kept his word. She felt as if she were small again and dancing with her father around the rooftop garden of their house in Calcutta, knowing he would never let her go and that with him she would always be safe.
Finally, the music slowed and Alex pulled her through one last turn. Then, as the dance ended, Millie found herself right where she should be, in front of her partner and receiving his gracious thanks for allowing him the dance.
‘Shall I return you to Lucy?’ he said.
She managed a nod while a huge smile remained on her lips. She had never danced like that before in her life. He was strong and skilful as a dancer, but it was the way he held her that was so thrilling. Her whole body radiated heat and her heart pounded in her chest.
‘I had better go and see how she is faring with those sore feet,’ Millie stammered. At that moment, Lucy was in fact the furthest thing from her mind. Millie was too busy lamenting the fact that the next dance she had saved for Alex was not a waltz.
They walked slowly back to where Lucy sat. As they approached, Millie could see her friend’s face was still glum. ‘I shall leave you two to talk,’ Alex said and took his leave. He wandered off through the crowd, leaving Millie to stare after him. When Millie turned back to Lucy, she saw her friend’s sad gaze was still fixed on her brother’s back. A sudden realisation hit her.
‘Lucy, there is nothing to worry about. Alex and I are merely friends, nothing more. I am not so foolish to entertain the notion that he could ever be interested in me romantically,’ she said.
Lucy nodded. ‘I hope so Millie, I sincerely do. I love my brother dearly, but there have been times when he has behaved poorly towards my friends. I would be utterly devastated to lose your friendship because of something Alex did.’
She gave Lucy a gentle kiss on the cheek. ‘You won’t lose me.’
Millie stood up and took a deep breath.
‘Now I must visit the ladies retiring room; that dance has made my face rather flushed and I should like to cool down with a wet towel. Would you like to come with me?’ she asked.
‘No,’ Lucy replied. ‘My feet still hurt, so I will rest here until we are ready to go and get some supper.’ Lucy’s gaze fell upon on a young matron who approached them from the other side of the room. A big smile appeared on her face and she called out a friendly ‘Hello’ to the woman.
‘It’s all right, Millie, you can go. I see my cousin Eve is here and she is always good for the latest gossip. I will catch up with you later, and I can introduce the two of you properly. Don’t let my silly choice in slippers spoil your evening. You should circulate and try to meet some new people.’
‘Very well then, I shall see you in a little while,’ Millie replied, and went in search of the retiring room. She spent the next half an hour or so resting while quietly listening to all the gossip in the ladies’ room. One of the household maids applied a cold towel to Millie’s face and tidied up her hair.
After returning to the party, Millie took time to mingle with the other guests, exchanging small talk with some of Lord Ashton’s friends who remembered her from the gathering at Ashton House.
When she finally grew tired of relating how different she found England to India, she wandered away from the crowd and found a small alcove in which to sit quietly on her own. She decided to seek her mother’s counsel the next morning. She did not wish to drive a wedge between the Radley siblings, whose friendships she valued.
She stood and began to walk towards the main ballroom, intending to find Charles and see how his evening was faring. As she neared the end of the hallway, she noticed two girls standing with their backs to her. They were deep in conversation and so did not hear her approach.
‘He only danced with her because she is his sister’s friend. The silly thing is a fool if she thinks he likes her for any other reason. You know I am right, Clarice; no sane Englishman could fall in love with a girl who has a sapphire stuck in her nose,’ the tall thin one scoffed.
‘Don’t be unkind, Susan. I happen to think Miss Ashton’s nose ring makes her look rather exotic. But you are right, the poor girl wouldn’t be the first to think that Lady Lucy was the path to her brother’s heart. If she does, I fear she is in for bitter disappointment. Remember last year when Lucy threatened to become the most popular girl on the social circuit, and all because of her brother,’ Clarice replied.
Millie shifted to one side, closer to a nearby doorway. If the two girls turned around at this instant, they would see her standing behind them and know she had heard their every word. She recognised Clarice as the daughter of the Earl of Langham, whose family home was close to her own. Violet had known the late Countess of Langham and the two girls had been introduced when Violet and the Earl had exchanged greetings on the street one morning.
For a moment she pitied Lucy; was it any wonder she was so keen to claim Millie as her friend? Still, she f
elt a huge sense of relief in knowing she had not confided her secret affection for Alex to Lucy. Other girls might have laughed off a friend’s having a soft spot for their brother or perhaps think it sweet, but she knew it would devastate Lucy. The truth being that Lucy did have good reason to be wary of Millie and Alex’s friendship. She shook her head; why did it all have to be so complicated?
‘Then she went and turned down two excellent marriage proposals just to spite us all,’ Susan added.
Millie put a hand over her mouth, and stifled a gasp. Lucy had made mention of her romantic failures the previous season, but to hear them discussed in such a public place distressed Millie.
‘Well, you can hardly blame that on her two dreamy brothers,’ replied Lady Clarice. After the initial shock of hearing Lucy’s personal life critiqued by strangers, Millie quickly warmed to Lady Clarice; she at least appeared to have a modicum of decency, whereas her friend only seemed intent on tearing Lucy down.
Susan let out a sigh of disgust. ‘Yes, well, I don’t know about the other one, that Mr Radley, but Lord Brooke still has to be the most eligible bachelor in the ton. If he ever put his name on my dance card, I tell you, I would have the card mounted and placed in a gilt frame.’
‘And displayed on your front door,’ Lady Clarice added with a gentle laugh. ‘Come on, enough talk about men who we will never marry, let us go and see if we can find something decent to eat at the supper table.’
As Lady Clarice and her friend moved away, Millie remained near the doorway and mulled over their conversation. She looked down at her own dance card and smiled at the two ticks Alex had placed on it. It was charming the way he had made her choose the dances and point them out on the card before he would make his mark.
‘Well, you may think Lucy a jilt and me a fool, but I have had the pleasure of dancing with her brother twice and he marked my card as soon as I got here,’ she muttered. Of course, tonight might be the last time she danced with him, but at least she would have her precious memories.
Letter From a Rake Page 13