Danny raised his brows. “Not much she doesn’t tell me. You know that.”
“I do.” The letter was still in her pocket, she realized, and she pressed one hand against it, feeling the paper crinkle through the fabric. Danny hadn’t given a time, which meant there was no knowing when their guest would turn up. She’d have to arrive at the beginning of the night and wait to see what happened. “Tell Honor I’ll be there.”
“Then I’ll see you tonight, kitten.” Danny gave Florence another smile. “Nice to meet you,” he said, putting his hat back on and giving the brim a jaunty little tip.
“Likewise,” Florence said. Her voice still came out a little strangled, but there was a smile pulling at the corners of her lips.
That smile made Vivian pause after she closed the door behind Danny. Maybe Florence wasn’t as immune to fun and flirtation as she seemed. Vivian cast a sideways glance at her sister. “Did you make up your mind, then? You coming with me tonight?”
“What?” Florence asked, looking baffled for a moment before her eyes grew wide. “You’re serious, aren’t you? Didn’t that Mr. Chin just say you have a meeting with someone?”
“That’ll only take a few minutes out of the whole night. Come on, Flo,” Vivian wheedled, her voice sweet and persuasive and a little mocking. “What are you scared of?”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. Therewerethings to be scared of. Pearlie’s death was a reminder ofthat. And depending on how the meeting that Honor had arranged for her went, she could end up a lot more involved in that than she wanted.
But before she could say anything, Florence had lifted her chin and nodded. “Fine. I’ll go out with you tonight.” The pink was back in her cheeks, but that hint of a smile was still there. “If you say it’s safe, I trust you.”
I trust you. The words were so welcome that Vivian didn’t have the heart to take back her challenge.
THIRTEEN
“Here you go.” Danny slid two glasses of champagne across the bar to them. He gave Florence a wink. “On the house tonight. Welcome to the Nightingale.”
“Thanks, Danny. You’re a peach.” Vivian smiled back at him, then spun around on her stool before taking a long drink. The bubbles struck the back of her throat like a jolt of electric light in a dark room, and she sighed with pleasure at the bright rhythm of the music. Florence, copying Vivian’s movement, took slow, careful sips of her drink as she eyed the dance floor.
Bea had met Vivian for the walk to the Nightingale that night, eyebrows raised when she saw Florence coming along with them in a borrowed dress, nervously touching her hair, which Vivian had pinned up in a faux bob. But she didn’t say anything aside from telling Florence that she looked nice.
She had held back from the rest of the staff, not ready yet to be her usual, outgoing self. But her act was still top-notch. She was, at the moment, up on the bandstand, belting her heart out for the foxtrot.
Vivian couldn’t help tapping her heels against the rung of the barstoolin time to the song. But Florence stared around, looking uneasy. Her eyes grew wide as one man stopped dancing just long enough to strip off his jacket, wider as a group of well-dressed young men crowded the bar next to them and shouted orders for drinks, then wider still as she spotted two women foxtrotting with their cheeks pressed together.
“This was a bad idea,” Florence whispered, her own cheeks crimson, her fingers fluttering against her glass. “It’s not the sort of place for someone like me.”
“Flo, it’s a place for everyone,” Vivian said, trying to sound encouraging enough to convince both of them. She didn’t want to admit that she was thinking the exact same thing.
“Not for folks who like to keep their clothes on in public,” Florence retorted. Her voice rose just enough to draw curious glances from a few patrons crowding around the bar, and her blush deepened when she saw them tittering. “I should go.”
“But you haven’t even had a dance yet,” Vivian pointed out, starting to feel desperate. She didn’t need her sister to love the Nightingale the way she did. But she wanted Florence to understand, to see why it meant so much to her. She wanted Florence to have a moment of fun, an escape of her own, even if it was only for one night. It felt like a gift that Florence had decided she didn’t deserve, and Vivian wanted to prove her wrong. “Let’s find you a fella before you call it quits for the night, okay?”
“Vivi, I can’t dance like these people,” Florence whispered as the song ended with a flourish and the dancers applauded.
“Sure you can,” Vivian said. “See, they’re starting a waltz next. You know how to waltz.”
“I can do a one-two-three just fine, but nothing fancy. I’d be terrified if I had to follow any of those men.”
“Well, then we’ll find you someone who likes to keep things simple.” Vivian gave her sister’s hand a squeeze. “Don’t be scared, Flo. It’s just for laughs.”
She glanced around the room, hoping to catch someone’s eye. Maybeone of the older gentlemen who frequented the Nightingale? Their manners would go a long way to setting Florence’s nerves at ease. They could always find her someone younger once she was feeling a little calmer.
But the dance floor was crowded, and there were too many bodies around the tables for Vivian to spot any of the familiar faces she was hoping for. In the moments she spent looking, Florence was already shaking her head, her shoulders drawing together in discomfort and disappointment. “No. This was a nice thought, really, but I should just go home before I spoil your fun.”
She spun her stool back around, but before she could set her drink down on the bar a cheerful voice spoke up.
“Care for a waltz, miss?”
Danny had just come around the bar and stood by them, leaning one elbow against the counter. He was clearly eavesdropping on their conversation but looked so friendly that it was hard to hold it against him. His suspenders cut sharp black lines down his chest, emphasizing the fact that he certainly wasn’t wearing a coat, and his shirtsleeves were rolled up over muscular forearms. For a moment Vivian thought her sister would refuse, but Danny continued before Florence could gather her objections.
“My break’s just about to start, and I’d be honored to take a turn around the floor with you.” Danny gave Florence another smile, one that almost had a hint of shyness to it. Before Vivian could decide whether that was an act for her sister’s benefit or the real deal, he was holding out his hand. “How ’bout it?”
