going to work."
"You won't know unless you try." She stood up and smoothed down her
dress. "I think it's agreed that Emma at the piano
is not an option, so I suppose I'll just have to sing."
"Can you?"
"Sing?"
John nodded.
"Probably about as well as you can dance."
"In that case, my lady, I think we may be in dire straits, indeed."
"I'm only teasing. I'm no diva, but I can carry a tune."
How much could it hurt to pretend—if only for an afternoon—that she
could be his, that she /was /his, that he could possibly deserve her? He
stood, determined to taste just a bit of heaven. "I hope you will have
the courtesy not to wince out loud
when I trod on your feet."
"Oh, don't worry, my lord, I shall wince very softly, indeed." On
impulse, she leaned up and quickly kissed John's cheek, whispering, "My
feet are very sturdy."
"For your sake, I should hope so."
"Now, which dances do you know?"
"None."
"None? What did you do in London?"
"I never bothered with the social whirl."
"Oh." Belle nibbled on her lower lip. "This is going to be more of a
challenge than I anticipated. But have no fear, I am sure
you are up to the task."
"I believe the more appropriate question is whether or not /you /are up
to the task."
"Oh, I am/' Belle said with a jaunty grin. "Believe me, I am. Now, I
think we should start with a waltz. Some of the other dances might be a
bit too taxing for your leg. Although perhaps not. You yourself said
that you are able to move with reasonable speed."
John bit back a smile. "A waltz would be lovely. Just tell me what to do."
"Put your hand here like this." Belle picked up his hand and placed it
on her slender waist. "And then I put my hand on your shoulder, see?
Hmmm, you're quite tall."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Of course it is. Although I wouldn't like you any less if you were
shorter."
"That is certainly gratifying to know."
"Are you poking fun at me?"
"Just a bit."
Belle shot him a teasing glance. "Well, just a bit is all right, I
suppose, but no more than that. I'm terribly sensitive."
"I shall try to refrain."
"Thank you."
"Although you sometimes make it very difficult."
Belle poked him in the chest and resumed their waltzing lessons. "Hush.
Now, take my other hand like this. Wonderful.
We're all set."
"We are?" John cast a dubious eye over their position. "You're rather
far away."
"This is the correct position. I've done this a thousand times."
"We could fit another person between us."
"I cannot imagine why we would want to."
John slowly tightened his grip around Belle's waist and pulled her to
him until she could feel the heat from his body.
"Isn't this better?" he murmured.
Belle's breath caught in her throat. John was barely an inch away, and
his nearness was making her pulse race.
"We would never be allowed in any respectable ballroom," she said huskily.
"I prefer dancing in private." John leaned down and let his lips brush
gently against hers.
Belle swallowed nervously. She enjoyed his kisses, but she couldn't help
but feel that she was getting herself into a situation she could not
handle. So with more than a few regrets she stepped back, loosening
John's grip on her until there was a respectable distance between their
bodies again. "I can't very well teach you to waltz if we aren't in the
proper position," she explained.
"Now then, the key to waltzes is that they are in three-four time. Most
other dances are in common time."
"Common time?"
"Four-four. Waltzes go 'one-two-three, one-two three, one-two-three.'
Common time goes 'one-two-three-four.' "
"I think I see the difference."
Belle glanced up sharply at him. Tiny lines around his eyes crinkled
with humor. Her own lips tugged upward at the corners
as she tried to suppress a smile. "Good. Therefore a waltz might sound
like this." She started humming a tune which had
been very popular in London during the last season.
"I can't hear you."
"You won't know unless you try." She stood up and smoothed down her
dress. "I think it's agreed that Emma at the piano
is not an option, so I suppose I'll just have to sing."
"Can you?"
"Sing?"
John nodded.
"Probably about as well as you can dance."
"In that case, my lady, I think we may be in dire straits, indeed."
"I'm only teasing. I'm no diva, but I can carry a tune."
How much could it hurt to pretend—if only for an afternoon—that she
could be his, that she /was /his, that he could possibly deserve her? He
stood, determined to taste just a bit of heaven. "I hope you will have
the courtesy not to wince out loud
when I trod on your feet."
"Oh, don't worry, my lord, I shall wince very softly, indeed." On
impulse, she leaned up and quickly kissed John's cheek, whispering, "My
feet are very sturdy."
"For your sake, I should hope so."
"Now, which dances do you know?"
"None."
"None? What did you do in London?"
"I never bothered with the social whirl."
"Oh." Belle nibbled on her lower lip. "This is going to be more of a
challenge than I anticipated. But have no fear, I am sure
you are up to the task."
"I believe the more appropriate question is whether or not /you /are up
to the task."
"Oh, I am/' Belle said with a jaunty grin. "Believe me, I am. Now, I
think we should start with a waltz. Some of the other dances might be a
bit too taxing for your leg. Although perhaps not. You yourself said
that you are able to move with reasonable speed."
John bit back a smile. "A waltz would be lovely. Just tell me what to do."
"Put your hand here like this." Belle picked up his hand and placed it
on her slender waist. "And then I put my hand on your shoulder, see?
Hmmm, you're quite tall."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Of course it is. Although I wouldn't like you any less if you were
shorter."
"That is certainly gratifying to know."
"Are you poking fun at me?"
"Just a bit."
Belle shot him a teasing glance. "Well, just a bit is all right, I
suppose, but no more than that. I'm terribly sensitive."
"I shall try to refrain."
"Thank you."
"Although you sometimes make it very difficult."
Belle poked him in the chest and resumed their waltzing lessons. "Hush.
Now, take my other hand like this. Wonderful.
We're all set."
"We are?" John cast a dubious eye over their position. "You're rather
far away."
"This is the correct position. I've done this a thousand times."
"We could fit another person between us."
"I cannot imagine why we would want to."
John slowly tightened his grip around Belle's waist and pulled her to
him until she could feel the heat from his body.
"Isn't this better?" he murmured.
Belle's breath caught in her throat. John was barely an inch away, and
his nearness was making her pulse race.
"We would never be allowed in any respectable ballroom," she said huskily.
"I prefer dancing in private." John leaned down and let his lips brush
gently against hers.
Belle swallowed nervously. She enjoyed his kisses, but she couldn't help
but feel that she was getting herself into a situation she could not
handle. So with more than a few regrets she stepped back, loosening
John's grip on her until there was a respectable distance between their
bodies again. "I can't very well teach you to waltz if we aren't in the
proper position," she explained.
"Now then, the key to waltzes is that they are in three-four time. Most
other dances are in common time."
"Common time?"
"Four-four. Waltzes go 'one-two-three, one-two three, one-two-three.'
Common time goes 'one-two-three-four.' "
"I think I see the difference."
Belle glanced up sharply at him. Tiny lines around his eyes crinkled
with humor. Her own lips tugged upward at the corners
as she tried to suppress a smile. "Good. Therefore a waltz might sound
like this." She started humming a tune which had
been very popular in London during the last season.
"I can't hear you."
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