Caleb nodded his agreement before he exited through the window.
Roswell followed suit and it wasn’t long before they both were back on the other side of the wall. After he closed the window, he said, “Kendrick won’t be happy with how little we discovered.”
“Kendrick is never happy with us. Why should that change now?” Caleb joked.
As they turned the corner of the building, they saw Lady Oxley and Anette standing on the veranda, looking up at the night sky.
Caleb let out a slight groan. “So it begins…” he muttered.
When Lady Oxley caught sight of her son, a frown formed on her lips. “There you are,” she said. “Where have you been?”
“I have been busy,” Caleb replied.
“With what, may I ask?” Lady Oxley asked.
Caleb gestured towards his friend and said, “Roswell wanted to tour the garden and I was more than happy to oblige. But I assure you that I was keeping my eyes open for available ladies to marry.”
Lady Oxley did not seem to find her son amusing but decided not to press him. Instead, she shifted her gaze towards Roswell and smiled. “Good evening, Roswell.”
He bowed. “Lady Oxley.”
“I wish that you would call me Elizabeth. After all the time you have spent at our homes, I consider you family.”
Roswell returned her smile. “Thank you, Elizabeth. I feel the same way.” He snuck a peek at Anette and saw that her eyes were downcast. He wished that he had the power to fix what had gone wrong between them, but he was unable to do so.
Placing a hand on Anette’s sleeve, Lady Oxley directed her next question at him. “Would you mind terribly if you danced with Anette on the next set?”
Anette’s eyes shot up as she rushed out, “Mother, I do not think that is such a good idea.”
“Pray tell, why is that?” Lady Oxley asked. “Neither one of you appear to have a dance partner for this set.”
“I am sure that Lord Roswell has other things he must see to,” Anette attempted.
“I can’t think of one,” Roswell said. The thought of holding Anette in his arms, even for a moment, was much too appealing to turn down.
Anette pursed her lips in response. “You are not helping, my lord,” she said.
Roswell held his gloved hand out. “Come now, it will be enjoyable. We haven’t danced together in ages.”
She stared at his proffered hand but made no effort to take it.
He wiggled his fingers. “I promise that I won’t let you trip.”
That got a reaction out of her. “That was one time,” she asserted, “and a gentleman wouldn’t bring that up.”
“I never said I was a gentleman,” Roswell teased. “Besides, it is only one dance.”
When their eyes met, he recognized that what he had just said was not completely accurate. This wasn't only a dance- but what it meant, he couldn't say.
Hesitantly, she brought her hand up and placed it in his. “Very well.”
Roswell led her towards the dance floor and he couldn’t help but notice a few gentlemen admiring Anette from afar. That didn’t surprise him. Anette was a stunning woman, almost unaware of her own loveliness.
They came to a stop on the dance floor and he saw Anette’s eyes widen as she noticed the other dancers’ close proximity to one another. “This is to be the waltz,” she whispered.
“It is,” he confirmed.
“The waltz is the dance of love,” she said in a hushed voice.
