"I will leave you now, but you must get well quickly, yes?"
"I'll do my best," Mira promised.
After Evie left, Kit crawled out from under the bed.
"What are you doing? She nearly discovered you."
Kit grinned. "Your foot was irresistible."
"Really." She crossed her arms. "I'm not in the mood for this."
"I see you're not. I shall cease tormenting you, then."
"Yes, you should. I am very angry with you and in no mood for silliness."
"What was it you wanted to tell me?"
"Assuming … things had been different," she began haltingly. "Assuming something had happened, something important but entirely unexpected, completely out of your control, something that would have changed your entire life, not just yours, but mine … forever. Would your world have still been too small? Would you still have left? Would you have made the same choices?"
He looked at her with a tilt of his head.
"Assuming things had been different," he countered. "Assuming something unexpected had happened, something important, something life changing and entirely out of your control; assuming I were no blacksmith, and I took you to a grand ball, in a grand house, would you dance with me then? And if you did, would you see me as the man you knew before? Would you treat me the same? Would you still love me the same?"
"What kind of a nonsensical question is that?" Mira whispered.
"Precisely. What kind of a nonsensical question is that?"
They stared at each other.
"Kit—" she began.
"I'd better be going. It is late, and Lady Evangeline is right, you look pale and have dark circles under your eyes. I don't want you to fall ill."
He planted a hard kiss on her lips, opened the window and swung out.
"Kit!" Mira called softly after him. She looked out and saw him sprinting across the snow-covered lawn.
She closed the window and leaned against it with a sigh.
She'd wanted to tell him about Clare.
Evie had instructedthe footmen to hang the mistletoe in the middle of the room, where everyone would be standing or sitting for tea.
Kisses would be inevitable.
Lady Randolph and Princess Florentina discussed the upcoming Christmas dinner and ball. "People will be arriving in the next few days and the house will be quite full. It will be quite amusing to see everyone scrambling to attend the Atherton Christmas Ball. It is quite a thing," Princess Florentina said.
"Oh!" Evie put down her teacup as an idea struck her. "Do you think Atherton will allow the waltz? I have heard it is such a sublime dance, but I have not had the opportunity to dance it."
Lady Randolph sniffed. "I hear it is quite a scandalous dance."
Princess Florentina looked pensive. "I have danced it, of course. There is nothing indecent about it at all if you have a partner who can dance it with verve and vigour. I suppose we could ask Lindenstein to teach it to the ladies. He's Viennese, it's in his blood. They have been dancing it for years. With your permission for Miss Cullpepper, of course."
Evie clapped her hands. "Oh yes, let's do it! Please!"
Lady Randolph nodded. "Of course I will not withhold my permission in this case. If you say it is not inappropriate, and that you have danced it yourself, I will trust your good judgement."
"Wonderful!" Both Rose and Evie were delighted with the news.
