“I’ll have to ask her to dance.” Blackmore followed her into the ballroom.
Strains of music reached Lucy’s ears. The musicians had started a quadrille and the ballroom filled up quickly. Ashmore stood with his sister and the dowager by the ballroom entrance, greeting the guests. Arabella herself looked fetching in a cornflower blue gown that brought out the colour in her eyes. When acting in social functions, Arabella behaved with a natural, charming grace combined with a certain inborn pride that all Ashmores seem to be born with.
But Ashmore! He took her breath away. He looked sinfully handsome. He was dressed smartly in a black tailcoat, knee breeches, white linen and an intricately tied neckcloth. He looked tall and proud, yet as he bent down to listen to Arabella tell him something, one of his rare smiles flitted over his stern features. Lucy’s heart squeezed.
As if he’d read her thoughts, he looked up and their eyes met. The entire ballroom faded away and there was only him. Rooted at the spot,a sudden feverish flush spread through her. Her heart pounded, and her inside somersaulted. Lucy caught her breath and almost sat down on the bottom stair.
He nodded at her and she felt a happiness flush through her that left her confounded.
Then a vision in icy white approached him. Lady Louisa. He turned to her and held out his hand for the minuet.
She looked proud and triumphant. What a beautiful pair, Lucy thought.
“We’re expecting an announcement tonight,” Lucy heard the Duke of Tilbury, Louisa’s father, mention to another guest.
Lucy exhaled shakily. She used all her willpower not to watch Ashmore and Lady Louisa.
“May I have this dance?”Mr Gabriel stood in front of her. She nodded and placed her hand in his. He was courteous and seemed to enjoy dancing with her. However, he didn’t talk very much. Was he the man Arabella had lost her heart to? Arabella was always unusually animated in his company. She wondered why. Mr Gabriel seemed nice, but his character seemed somewhat mellow.
“Lady Arabella is very pretty tonight.” She watched him closely.
“Indeed, she is.” Mr Gabriel took her hand and led her around him in a circle. He’d not even looked at Arabella, who danced not too far away.
“I would say she is almost glowing with beauty.”
“Very much so. I find all ladies here very beautiful.”
Bah. She almost preferred Finbar’s superficial flirtations over this.
“Yes, but Lady Arabella seems to exude something special tonight? I wonder what one could call it.”
“It must be the light. This ballroom is fairly sparkling with all the candles that are lit.”
Lucy gave up.
The dance ended, and Mr Gabriel bowed. Relieved, Lucy curtsied. She wanted to go to the refreshment room, but another gentleman stood in front of her for the next dance.
Lucy danced every single dance. Somehow, she never lacked a partner. Once, she saw Arabella dance with Mr Gabriel, and there were stars in her eyes and red spots on her cheeks. He looked at her with the polite interest that he gaveall the other ladies.
Oh, no. Arabella was setting herself up for a heartache, Lucy thought.
Out of breath, Lucy curtsied to her partner, when Lord Blackmore asked her for the next dance. Lucy had never really liked him; he had a coarse sense of humour and his hands felt clammy and oily at the same time. She resisted the desire to let go of his hand and wipe it on her gown. Lord Blackmore gripped her hands too tightly and talked the entire time. Lucy had difficulty paying attention. Her mind was with Ashmore, who stood with Lady Louisa by the terrace doors. They looked so perfect together. A cold knot formed in her stomach. She knew Louisa expected a proposal tonight. She knew that Ashmore had intended to do precisely that. Until she came along.
She didn’t know how she’d take it if Ashmore were to revert to his original plans and propose to Lady Louisa. The sharp jab twisting deeply into her heart impliedthat she probably wouldn’t take it well at all.
“….five of them. She died with the sixth and alas, it didn’t last beyond three days.”
Goodness, what was that man talking about? She jerked her attention back to the present as she twirled about Blackmore’s corpulent figure.
His wife. He’d been talking about his wife. And that she and the sixth child had died at birth. Poor thing.
“I’m terriblysorry.” What an inane thing to say in the middle of a dance. But she did feel sorry for him. He was a widow with five children. That can’t be easy.
“Therefore, it seems expedient of me to remarry as soon as possible. A mother for the children, you see.” The dance ended and Lucy sighed with relief. She wanted to curtsy and leave, but he kept holding on to her arm and propelled her towards the veranda. The doors were open and a fresh night breeze cooled Lucy’s overheated cheeks. She hesitated, but a gulp of fresh air would be good for her. Ashmore was talking earnestly with Lady Louisa. What were they talking about? Lucy shifted uncomfortably.
“…. don’t you agree?”
Goodness, what had he said, again?
