called out corrections, could never have prepared her for what it felt like to dance with a man who knew how to waltz. It took only a few moments before she was allowing him to lead her around the room, sweeping past Diane, who looked on with approval as her fingers flew over the keys.
Melissa quickly responded to his slightest pressure, following his lead, feeling herself become part of the dance, part of her partner. It was glorious, to be held like that, to move around the floor in complete unison with another human being, to feel his breath upon her forehead, and then, when she lifted her face, upon her cheek. He smiled down at her.
“You are amazingly good for a girl who’s never done this,” he said. “Marvelous, really.”
Melissa flushed, feeling happier than she had in memory. How wonderful it would be to be wearing her prettiest ball gown, to dance in a room full of people, all swirling about, laughing, talking. She would not grow fearful, not if John was with her, looking down at her and smiling the way he was now.
Diane stopped playing and was positively beaming at her. “You, my dear, are certainly ready to dance at your first ball,” she said. “Now we must get you used to crowds and social interactions, and our work will be done. But I’m afraid those lessons will have to wait ’til tomorrow, if you don’t mind. My correspondences are much overdue, and I really must dedicate some time to that this afternoon. But tomorrow I suggest we meet again, my lord, so we can practice the various social interchanges that might occur.”
“I see no reason I cannot handle that now,” John said affably. “I have some estate business I must attend to tomorrow and will have little time to dedicate to Melissa. But I certainly don’t want to keep you from your correspondence.”
Diane seemed to pause, then nodded, and Melissa had the distinct feeling her chaperone felt uncomfortable allowing John to handle this aspect of her education. When Miss Stanhope was gone, he noted the chaperone’s hesitancy.
“I believe Miss Stanhope is taking your education as a personal mission and would be very displeased with herself if something should go wrong.”
“As happened at the opera?” Melissa said, suddenly feeling dejected.
“Precisely. But that won’t happen again. I’ll stay by your side until you feel comfortable, I promise. In the meantime, you can practice with my friends and me. They’ll be here in two days, you know.”
Melissa wrinkled her nose. “I shall feel like a horse being inspected.”
“And so shall they, I’ve no doubt.”
Melissa hadn’t thought of it that way and suddenly felt better about the whole thing. “I suppose I hadn’t thought that young men of the ton often feel the same pressure to marry as women. You don’t think they’ll find me too old, do you?”
“While you are rather long in the tooth, I do believe you do not yet qualify as a spinster.”
Melissa knew he was jesting, but until recently hadn’t fully understood that twenty-three was quite old to make one’s debut. Most girls were married and had children by her age—or else were considered on the shelf, according to Miss Stanhope. She would know, Melissa reasoned, because her chaperone was definitely a spinster.
“All right, then. Prepare me for my first ball.” Melissa was aware she sounded very much like a green recruit preparing for his first battle—a bit frightened but with a courage that was likely misplaced. She stood before him very much like a soldier before a commanding officer, back straight, arms to her side.
John rested his right elbow against his left arm, and tapped his index finger against his mouth as if deep in thought. “Ah, I know. We’ll go through different scenarios and see how you respond. Let’s see. A spotty-faced young man with an overgrown Adam’s apple who smells strongly of sausage approaches you for the first waltz of the night. What do you do?”
Melissa nodded, as
Melissa quickly responded to his slightest pressure, following his lead, feeling herself become part of the dance, part of her partner. It was glorious, to be held like that, to move around the floor in complete unison with another human being, to feel his breath upon her forehead, and then, when she lifted her face, upon her cheek. He smiled down at her.
“You are amazingly good for a girl who’s never done this,” he said. “Marvelous, really.”
Melissa flushed, feeling happier than she had in memory. How wonderful it would be to be wearing her prettiest ball gown, to dance in a room full of people, all swirling about, laughing, talking. She would not grow fearful, not if John was with her, looking down at her and smiling the way he was now.
Diane stopped playing and was positively beaming at her. “You, my dear, are certainly ready to dance at your first ball,” she said. “Now we must get you used to crowds and social interactions, and our work will be done. But I’m afraid those lessons will have to wait ’til tomorrow, if you don’t mind. My correspondences are much overdue, and I really must dedicate some time to that this afternoon. But tomorrow I suggest we meet again, my lord, so we can practice the various social interchanges that might occur.”
“I see no reason I cannot handle that now,” John said affably. “I have some estate business I must attend to tomorrow and will have little time to dedicate to Melissa. But I certainly don’t want to keep you from your correspondence.”
Diane seemed to pause, then nodded, and Melissa had the distinct feeling her chaperone felt uncomfortable allowing John to handle this aspect of her education. When Miss Stanhope was gone, he noted the chaperone’s hesitancy.
“I believe Miss Stanhope is taking your education as a personal mission and would be very displeased with herself if something should go wrong.”
“As happened at the opera?” Melissa said, suddenly feeling dejected.
“Precisely. But that won’t happen again. I’ll stay by your side until you feel comfortable, I promise. In the meantime, you can practice with my friends and me. They’ll be here in two days, you know.”
Melissa wrinkled her nose. “I shall feel like a horse being inspected.”
“And so shall they, I’ve no doubt.”
Melissa hadn’t thought of it that way and suddenly felt better about the whole thing. “I suppose I hadn’t thought that young men of the ton often feel the same pressure to marry as women. You don’t think they’ll find me too old, do you?”
“While you are rather long in the tooth, I do believe you do not yet qualify as a spinster.”
Melissa knew he was jesting, but until recently hadn’t fully understood that twenty-three was quite old to make one’s debut. Most girls were married and had children by her age—or else were considered on the shelf, according to Miss Stanhope. She would know, Melissa reasoned, because her chaperone was definitely a spinster.
“All right, then. Prepare me for my first ball.” Melissa was aware she sounded very much like a green recruit preparing for his first battle—a bit frightened but with a courage that was likely misplaced. She stood before him very much like a soldier before a commanding officer, back straight, arms to her side.
John rested his right elbow against his left arm, and tapped his index finger against his mouth as if deep in thought. “Ah, I know. We’ll go through different scenarios and see how you respond. Let’s see. A spotty-faced young man with an overgrown Adam’s apple who smells strongly of sausage approaches you for the first waltz of the night. What do you do?”
Melissa nodded, as
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