At the table, she filled the glass, but took another as she felt that she would need it—then turned and almost ran into Benedict. The Marquess’ lips twitched as he took the glasses from her.
“I do think we need to stop meeting like this, dear Alice.”
Humored, she curtsied. “How have you been these past days, my lord?”
“Tired, overworked, anxious about another paper I may or may not have written intelligibly at midnight,” he said as they approached the seating area, and his eyes landed on Penelope. “Miss Penelope, how do you do?”
Smiling softly, Penelope replied, “Very well, my lord. His Grace surprised us with such a strange way of engaging his guests.”
“Edward has his moments of genius,” Benedict nodded. “But ask him to give me some pointers on my essays and he is suddenly a blank board.”
“Ivery muchtake umbrage to that statement,” Edward’s cool tone fell over the side of Alice’s neck and her hand tightened over her glass. “If I had to suffer through those ungodly long lectures and find a hundred and one books to write papers, you should too. How else are you going to learn?”
One-handed, she managed to curtsy. “Your Grace.”
He inclined his head. “Miss Alice.”
“Does anyone see the irony here?” Benedict asked, drawing her attention to the flower on his lapel—a white rose.
“T’is simple happenstance,” Edward shrugged. “And the rule is only for the first dance, not the whole night.”
“Speaking of dances—” Alice’s head angled to the eight-piece orchestra who were tuning their instruments. “—I think the first one is beginning-oh—”
Edward had swiftly swiped her glass and settled it on a passing waiter’s tray before he held her hand. “Will you join me on the floor, Miss Alice?”
Edward felt unrepentantly selfish holding Alice in his arms and did not hide his smirk when she realized the nature of the waltz they were about to dance when the first notes sounded.
Her expressive eyes widened. “This—this is the Viennese waltz!”
Gently taking her hand, he placed one on his shoulder and reached for her waist. “Are you unfamiliar with the faster-paced version?”
“Yes,” she said worriedly.
“Be calm.” Edward’s tone instinctively dipped to the one he used on nervous submissives. “Watch my eyes and follow as I lead. You will be fine.”
Pulling her bottom lip in, she glanced behind him at the orchestra, whose members were starting to play. The tempo of the authentic Strauss waltz was much faster than the other forms, but Alice did as he’d ordered and kept her eyes on him.
His grip on her hand had the same control, pulling her into the steps as his hand on her waist pushed her through them. Their steps broadened as the music picked up speed, but his eyes never left hers and his command of her body never wavered.
He liked the excuse the new waltz gave him to put his head close to her ear. “Good girl,” he whispered.
Alice’s lips parted as her cheeks warmed and his lips curled with delight while his fingers on her waist slid an inch lower, resting just above the dip of her hip.
The mad whirl of the waltz carried them away and with him being a physical man, Edward enjoyed dancing but hardly had found a woman who kept up with him. As the dance sped on, Edward drew her closer with each turn and it was not until their hips grazed, that he realized how scandalous the closeness was.
Briefly, he spotted her sister Penelope gazing at Benedict with pure wonder on her face.
Is something going on there?
He added more pressure on her waist, his hold firm and unerring, the heat of it searing through the silk of her gown. The smooth but fast-paced three-quarters melody soared around them, and Edward guided her into many turns with ease.
The music crescendo, reaching its climax with an abrupt flourish of brass, soon faded into nothing. He still held her hand as he stepped back, bowing while she curtsied.
He heard her discreetly pulling air into her lungs and he offered her his arm.
“After that, I think,” she gasped, “I need some water.”
Sweeping her off to the nook with the beverage fountain, he filled a glass with water and handed it to her. “You followed beautifully.”
