‘In London for a few weeks,’ he replied, bowed and placed his hand correctly just above her waist before sweeping her into the magical dance. ‘My regiment is home after some service overseas.’
It was as she was swept away across the floor that she chanced to see Captain Viscount Delsey enter the ballroom with a beautiful young woman on his arm. She was dressed in a gown of white lace and tulle embroidered with what looked like diamonds, her long fair hair piled on her head in curls that fell into one artistic ringlet over her right shoulder—and she was laughing up at her escort in a manner that spoke of intimacy.
Feeling a sharp pang of what Charlotte honestly named envy, she lifted her head and smiled up at her partner. Captain Young was a wonderful dancer and she had no reason to be jealous of the lovely woman who was now dancing with Captain Delsey. She banished the unworthy feelings and gave herself up to the enjoyment of a waltz with a truly talented partner.
‘Thank you, sir, you dance divinely,’ she murmured when their waltz came to an end, much too soon for Charlotte’s liking. ‘I do not think I have ever enjoyed a dance more.’
He clicked his heels, eyes dancing with mischief as he said, ‘I was lucky enough to be one of Wellington’s staff for a few months before the war ended. It is a requirement that we should waltz divinely.’
‘And you certainly do, sir. I could wish a few more gentlemen had learned in your school.’
‘What a very honest young lady you are, Miss Stevens,’ he said. ‘If you would like, I shall send some of my friends to beg for a waltz, for you also dance it divinely—and not everyone does.’
‘I should be delighted to waltz with any of your friends.’
He bowed his head and left her to the company of her companions.
Charlotte was soon claimed for another dance and it was not until she had pledged all but two of her waltzes that she discovered herself looking up into the unsmiling face of Captain Delsey.
‘I saw you had a queue of eager partners, most of them old comrades of mine,’ Jack said, one eyebrow arched. ‘May I hope that you have saved a waltz for me?’
‘Yes, sir. I pencilled in the one before supper and the one after, you may choose which you prefer.’
‘I am committed to Miss Julia Handley for much of the evening,’ Jack replied, ‘but I shall be greedy and ask for both those waltzes, if I may?’
‘Yes, if you truly wish it.’ Charlotte looked at him a little uncertainly.
‘Miss Handley is my cousin,’ Jack said, a gleam of devilry in his eyes. ‘May I bring her to you, Miss Stevens? Her mama was unable to accompany us this evening and I am duty bound to see that she is in good company—and to look after her.’
‘Ah, I see,’ Charlotte said, lifting her hand as her next partner arrived. ‘Excuse me, sir. I am engaged for this next...’ She turned to offer her hand to the good looking but rather pompous young man who had introduced himself as Lord Johnston and secured a set of country dances with her.
‘Johnston.’ Jack inclined his head. ‘Glad to see you up and about again, sir.’
‘Ah, Delsey.’ Charlotte’s partner looked slightly red about his neck. ‘Nice to see you. Yes, I am quite recovered from the, ah...accident now.’
Charlotte threw a puzzled glanced at Delsey as she allowed her new partner to draw her into the group of people forming the sets. Something was a little odd in the way the two gentlemen had greeted each other, but she could not quite fathom it, and her partner had no intention of enlightening her. He proceeded to talk about his estate in Norfolk, where he had a very special herd of Jersey cows, and his hopes of breeding from them in the future.
‘It is the quality of the milk, you see,’ he explained kindly, as Charlotte struggled to follow his flow. ‘They give so much more cream—and that’s where the money is. I have every intention of owning the biggest and best herd in the country.’
Charlotte murmured something that seemed to please him, though since his conversation, though turned from cows, was all of a rather bucolic nature, she was relieved when their dances ended and she rejoined her mama.
‘Ah, here you are, my love,’ Lady Stevens said. ‘You must be very warm. Will you not take a moment to eat one of these ices your brother has just procured for us?’
‘Oh, that would be nice, Mama,’ Charlotte said but even as she reached for a lemon ice, Viscount Delsey brought his companion to her and bowed before them.
‘Lady Stevens, Miss Stevens—may I present you to my cousin Julia Handley. I have explained that her mama entrusted Julia to my care this evening. She has friends here, but I thought she might keep company with you for a while? I was about to procure some champagne...if I could tempt you, Lady Stevens?’
‘Thank you, but we have these ices for the moment and more than enough for all. Will you not partake, Miss Handley? It is rather warm and they have already started to melt a little.’
‘I could fetch some fresh ices, if Miss Handley would care for it,’ Matt said, his expression, his sister thought, one of a man struck by lightning.
‘Oh, no, one of these would be delightful,’ Julia said and accepted a strawberry-flavoured ice from his hand.
Jack moved closer to Charlotte, murmuring in her ear, ‘You seemed puzzled just now by my reference to Lord Johnston’s health?’
‘I thought he looked quite fit and well.’
‘The matter of a little disagreement that ended with a duel,’ Jack said. ‘I stood his second since he could find no other willing to undertake it—and I fear he came off worse. The other fellow’s ball grazed his arm, but his own ball was way off the mark. He should never have been such a fool as to challenge Lord Harding over the matter of a dropped card.’
‘Lord Harding?’ Charlotte was chilled, a trickle of alarm sliding down her spine. ‘What makes you say Lord Johnston should not have challenged him?’
‘The card dropped to the floor from Lord Harding’s hand. Johnston swore it had come from his sleeve and Harding denied it—since it could not be proved, Johnston should have apologised, but he is rather stiff-necked and would not. Therefore, it was impossible to prevent the duel. I asked both if they would withdraw but...’ He shook his head and his eyes held an unfathomable gleam. ‘I have told you a secret no gentleman would disclose to a lady. Have I sunk beyond reproach in your eyes?’
‘Not at all,’ Charlotte replied seriously. ‘I hate it when gentlemen tell me that something I want to know is not suitable for a lady’s ears—as if we were children or too delicate to know the truth.’
‘Precisely,’ Jack said and smiled at her. ‘I believe I see a rather determined young man approaching. Your next partner, I imagine. I shall come to claim you later.’
Charlotte was duly claimed and once again found herself being whisked around the floor by a polished performer, another of Wellington’s former staff, she was reliably informed, though she thought him not quite as perfect a partner as Captain Young.
Glancing across the room, she saw Matt dancing with Julia Handley. They seemed to like each other well and were enjoying the dance, Julia looking very lovely as her eyes sparkled up at her partner.
Charlotte suspected that Delsey’s cousin might be a bit of a flirt and hoped that her brother would not fall too deeply in love with her too swiftly. However, next time she herself was dancing, she saw that Julia was once again dancing with her cousin and seemed to be enjoying herself just as much. Matt, too, had another partner, a quietly pretty young girl whom Charlotte only knew slightly. She saw Sir Percival dancing with Amelia Rushmore and Mr Rushmore was standing with a group of other young men watching the dancing with a brooding expression that might have been boredom.
As soon as Charlotte returned to her friends she was,