“Indeed,” Harrison said before he extended Gertrude his arm. “Nevertheless, since I do believe you are a lady of bravery as well, shall we join our friends on the floor to distract the crowd from Permilia’s ... unusual exuberance for dancing?”
Far more pleased than she should have been that Harrison thought her brave, even though she couldn’t fathom how he’d come to that conclusion, Gertrude accepted his arm and fell into step beside him as he drew her onto the ballroom floor. Facing him, she heard the first note of a new song ring out and then she was twirling around the room, dancing as she’d never danced before, and to a waltz instead of a polka.
“The orchestra seems to be trying a new tactic,” Harrison said with a grin.
Gertrude looked over his shoulder and found Asher and Permilia gliding along, Asher evidently having more success guiding his fiancée in the steps of a waltz.
“I think she might have just trampled his foot, though, because Asher’s wincing again,” Harrison said before he suddenly pulled her close and spun her around, the action leaving her slightly breathless.
Looking over his shoulder again, she smiled as she realized he’d resorted to the spin to protect her from a collision with Permilia. Her friend, for some unknown reason, was attempting a flamboyant twirl, one that certainly took Asher by surprise since he was now standing without a partner.
She couldn’t help but grin when Asher suddenly dashed after his fiancée, presented her with a bow, then took her arm and off they went again toward the opposite side of the ballroom, where no guests were standing.
“He’s trying to minimize the damage,” Harrison said before he swept Gertrude into a perfect twirl, his proficiency with the steps taking her by surprise.
“I never knew you were such a wonderful dance partner,” she managed to say after she’d sucked in the largest breath her tightly laced corset would allow.
“My mother insisted I learn the basics when it became clear that to grow our business, I, being the only son, would need to mingle with society gentlemen on occasion. I wouldn’t go so far as to claim I’m a wonderful partner, though, since I just now realized you’ve begun wheezing. Shall we sit the rest of the dance out?”
Gertrude waved that aside, unwilling to abandon the first time she’d ever taken to the floor with such a compelling gentleman. “A little wheezing isn’t going to kill me, Harrison. But to distract me from my condition, tell me more about your dance lessons. Did your sisters take them with you as well?”
“I had a private instructor, whereas my two younger sisters learned to dance at a school for young ladies that catered to families not of society, but of industry. Edwina, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn, feels that school did an inadequate job of teaching her proper etiquette, which is why she’s often seen perusing numerous books dedicated to that very subject.”
“And what of your older sister, Margaret?”
Harrison pulled her close to him again to avoid Permilia, who was now practically galloping in their direction, sending Gertrude a cheeky grin as she passed while Asher flashed a smile before wincing yet again.
“Margaret received her education through numerous governesses, but she was a nightmare for those women, preferring to study science over the feminine arts—and she was quite vocal about her preferences. My mother finally relented and brought on board a tutor after Margaret scared off governess number seven. But then, when she came of age, she decided she wanted to have a debut, although not within highest society. Even though my mother was somewhat taken aback by the idea because Margaret had never shown an interest in anything most young ladies of the same age did, she arranged for Margaret to be brought out, even holding a few balls at our home.
Unfortunately, word was getting around the city, unbeknownst to my parents, that marrying into the Sinclair family was certain to be financially beneficial to the gentleman able to win Margaret’s hand. She soon found herself courted by not one but two fortune-hunters, and when their duplicity was finally revealed, Margaret swore off gentlemen forever, vowing to spend the rest of her life immersed in the family business.” He shook his head. “I think her preference for wearing black is somehow symbolic of her vow, but don’t quote me on that since Margaret’s always been an unpredictable sort.”
“Margaret was the victim of two fortune-hunters?”
“I’m afraid so, and that right there is why my mother is so suspicious of society members, because those fortune-hunters were actually from somewhat respectable society families.”
“And explains why Edwina has yet to achieve her goal of becoming introduced to society.”
“Exactly, but enough about my family. Tell me something about you.”
“There’s not much to tell.”
Harrison pulled back and caught her eye. “I’m sure that’s not true. I imagine there’s quite the story behind how it isyou’reso proficient at dancing, because in case you’ve neglected to notice, you’ve not stepped on my foot even once.”
“There’s not much of an interesting story there except to say that while I attended boarding school, I was told time and time again it’s beyond the pale to trample a gentleman’s foot while taking the floor with him.”
Harrison frowned. “You attended boarding school?”
“I did, sent there by my relatives after my parents died.”
Twirling her effortlessly past the orchestra, Harrison’s brows drew together. “How old were you when your parents died?”
“My father died when I was seven, and then my mother followed him about three years later. My relatives then stepped in and arranged for me to attend Miss Porter’s School, located in Farmington, Connecticut.”
He brought them to an immediate stop. “Am I to understand you were sent away to boarding school directly after you suffered the loss of both of your parents?”
Urging Harrison back into motion with a bit of push, Gertrude smiled. “My Cadwalader relatives are not what one could ever call the overly warm or sentimental type. And I enjoyed boarding school and was thankful to my relatives for arranging my education at Miss Porter’s. It was pleasant there, with plenty of people to speak to whenever I wanted, something I missed after my father died.”
“You didn’t speak with your mother?”
