The Countess by Catherine Coulter

you dance with me?”

I said nothing at all, just drew a deep breath and turned into his arms. He was

a marvelous dancer, smooth and graceful. He was still too big and too tall, but

he did lead very well, and I felt safe, which was surely a strange thing, given

he was a man, but it was true nonetheless. I was now getting used to it.

He dipped and whirled me about in big circles, and I laughed and enjoyed myself

so much that I never wanted it to end. But it did, of course, and then I waltzed

with my husband.

He was graceful and smooth and held me at exactly the right distance, and I did

smile a good deal. He told me he was proud of me. He also mentioned that I was

the most beautiful woman present, and he was very pleased that I was his wife.

He never once looked overlong at my bosom. Did he even want to look overlong? I

sincerely hoped not.

“Thank you,” I said. “You are very kind.”

He kissed my check when the waltz was over and told me he particularly liked the

way I had arranged my hair. And I said, “Didn’t you once tell me that you very

much liked all the mix of different colors?”

“I’m sure that I must have,” he said, all smooth as honey, “for I have never

before witnessed such harmony on a woman’s head.” He flicked a fingertip over my

cheek. I grinned. My husband always knew when to say exactly the right thing. He

left me smiling to attend the marchioness, whom, he said to me, had told him

that I was an audacious chit?ignorant as dirt?but audacious. I did not think

this could be much of a compliment what with the dirt thrown in.

There was a portly gentleman waiting to take his place on the dance floor with

me. He was on the tipsy side, but no matter. By the end of the evening, I had no

doubt that I would be adept at avoiding trodding feet. I was pleased to see that

there were gentlemen littered everywhere, all of them thankfully disposed to

dance. I suppose they were so amiable because it was, after all, the holiday

season and they were on their best behavior, also I knew that Lawrence had told

all the gentlemen that there would be no cards or gambling tonight. And so, no

lady went without a partner. My bosom got ogled more than was proper, but I didn’t

have to say anything nasty. There was one skinny gentleman, though, who looked

at me and actually licked his chops. I simply laughed, he was so ridiculous,

which didn’t please him at all. I think he would have preferred for me to act

affronted by his behavior. When I mentioned this to Lawrence, he laughed. The

skinny gentleman, he told me, wore quite a bit of padding. He was relieved that

I hadn’t hit him. The padding just might have slipped.

As for poor Lady Elizabeth Palmer, I feared she would surely wear holes in her

slippers she danced so exuberantly, with such an inexhaustible supply of grace,

the wretched too beautiful woman. Three times she waltzed with John. That was

scandalous, at least that is what I told both Miss Gillbank and Miss Crislock,

both of whom were doing a great deal of laughing. Miss Gillbank danced at least

twice with the young baronet, Christopher Wilkins, whom I had seated next to her

at dinner both evenings.

I drank more champagne punch than I should have, and finally, at nearly three o’clock

in the morning, the guests began to take their leave.

I fell, literally, into my bed, making George growl because I landed on him, at

four o’clock.

Chapter Twenty-four

The next four days were an education for me. I learned how to gossip. I learned

how to keep my face perfectly blank when I didn’t understand something

scandalous. I learned how to flirt with men without being perfectly terrified,

and I fancy that by the fourth evening, I wasn’t bad at it. Still, I knew not to

trust any of them. I made certain that I was never alone with one of them.