“But we never did have a dancing master at all,” Frances said.
“Indeed?” Sir John looked down at her along the length of his nose. “You amaze me, Miss Wilson. You must have a natural sense of rhythm.”
“Oh, we did learn all the steps of the various dances,” she said. “Mama taught us some, and Theodore taught us others. Sir Theodore Perrot, that is. He was in his grace of Wellington’s army, you know, and attended many assembles in Spain and Belgium.”
“Ah, yes,” he said. “One of our noble heroes. And he has doubtless been using the glory of his military past ever since to ingratiate himself with such a lovely lady and one of such superior manners.”
“I don’t know about that, sir,” Frances said, a trifle disconcerted. “Theodore has always been our friend since childhood. I was almost sick to death with anxiety all the time he was gone, especially when news came of the Battle of Waterloo. That is, sir, my family was very worried. We are all very fond of him. Bella is too. You may ask her.”
“Quite so,” he said, looking around the ballroom, an expression of some boredom on his face. “Almack’s is quite a tedious place to be, is it not?”
“I am surprised at its fame after seeing it,” Frances said. “There is nothing so very special about the assembly rooms. But nevertheless, sir, I am sensible of the honor of being here.”
“Quite so,” he said. “Will you be attending Farraday’s house party next week?”
“I know nothing about it,” she said.
“You will probably be invited,” he said, “Astor being such a great friend of his. And Lady Astor too, I might add. It will doubtless be tedious. Farraday has the most amiable of good natures, but he does not always cultivate elegance, I fear. I shall be positively reluctant to accept my invitation if you are not to be there.”
“Oh.” Frances blushed deeply and could think of nothing else to say.
“It would give me the chance to show you my own home,” Sir John said. “It is only four miles away from Farraday’s, you know. We are neighbors, you see. That is the connection between us. You might have thought it rather odd that we are sometimes seen together, since we are vastly different in, ah, manners, shall we say?”
“I would love to see your home,” Frances said.
“It has a certain elegance,” he said, “as you will see for yourself. Of course, when I become the Earl of Haig, I shall also inherit the mansion which my new position will demand.”
“Of course,” Frances said.
“We will ride over to my home when we are at Farraday’s,” Sir John said. “Alone, if possible. I believe it is time you and I had a chance to get to know each other a little better, is it not, Miss Wilson?”
“Yes,” Frances said, blushing again. “I mean, I will probably need to take a maid or a groom, sir.”
“Oh, quite,” he said. “You showed some shyness at Vauxhall, if you remember. And that is to be commended. A reserve of manner is a necessary element of elegance in a young lady. However, prudishness is not a mark of an experienced lady of theton. And I am sure you have been in town long enough to realize that country manners are not always town manners.”
“I . . . er . . . yes,” Frances said, “I have been in town for a month, sir. One learns a great deal in that time.”
He looked down at her with narrowed eyes. He never smiled, Frances thought, and a thrill of something like excitement crept down her spine.
“I shall look forward to Farraday’s house party after all, then,” he said. “I shall be leaving for my travels abroad in July. I would wish to know you quite well by that time, Miss Wilson, so that I might look forward the more eagerly to returning home. Or should I say, to returning to Parkland Manor?”
“Oh.” Frances flushed yet again.
Arabella was dancing the second waltz with Mr. Hubbard. They danced in silence for a few minutes until he looked down at her and coughed in some embarrassment.
“I owe you an apology, Lady Astor,” he said.
“Whatever for?” she asked, looking up at him wide-eyed.
“I understand I was somewhat, ah, foxed at Vauxhall,” he said. “In fact, I know I was. I was not so far gone that I cannot remember. That was quite unforgivable in your presence, ma’am.”
“No, of course it was not,” she said. “You did not say or do anything offensive. And I like to think that at that particular time you needed someone to listen to you. I was happy to be the listener. Please do not apologize.”
He smiled. “You are more forgiving than your husband,” he said. “He ripped up at me the next morning about letting you run about the Gardens unaccompanied. But no more than he was ripping up at himself for allowing you to go without him in the first place. It does my heart good, you know, to see two friends of mine happy together. It helps restore my faith in marriage.”
Arabella bit her lip and continued to look up at him. She felt an alarming urge to confide in him and pour out all her woes.
“But you do not need all this sober talk about marriages when you are celebrating your first visit to Almack’s,” he said. “Are you going to be at Farraday’s house party?”
