“I’m surprised to hear that,” Lucien said, taking a step closer to her. “That’s not what I just saw.”
She shrugged, as if trying to affect nonchalance, but he could tell she was still upset.
“It’s okay if you are not the greatest dancer,” he said, hoping that his tone was comforting, rather than condescending. “But Monsieur Souverain is known far and wide as one of the most difficult-to-impress dancing instructors.”
“I just…” she hesitated, then looked down again, at her toes. “I just don’t want to let everyone down. Everyone is working so hard to make sure that Leah isn’t ruined by what happened--by my selfishness, my lack of thinking in others in deciding to end my engagement the day of the wedding.”
“You are not letting anyone down,” Lucien said, so firmly and with so much authority that she looked up at him, a little surprised. Tentatively, he reached out and touched her chin, tilting upward to look directly into his eyes. “And what did we say about not laying blame anymore?”
She smiled slowly, then nodded. “You’re right,” she murmured.
“I am,” he said, smiling at his own arrogance, and she laughed. Then he released her chin and held out his hand. “Perhaps you’d feel more confident in the waltz if you tried it with a partner.”
“Really?” she asked, sounding astonished.
“Really. May I have this dance, my Duchess?”
Smiling, she curtsied, and then took his hand. “I would be honored.”
Slowly, he raised his hand, then took her waist with his other hand and pulled her closer. There was no music playing, but it didn’t matter. The rhythm came to him, and as if by instinct alone, they began to dance, him leading, her following effortlessly. She was light in his arms, and she moved with the gracefulness that he had seen when she was dancing by herself.
“I’m sorry about Monsieur Souverain,” he said after a moment. “I know he’s tough because he was my instructor as well. That’s why I employed him for the girls, as well. I don’t mean to brag, but I am known in London as a very accomplished dancer.”
“Really?” she laughed softly. “It’s hard to imagine you dancing much. Too much fun, isn’t it?”
“It’s my duty to dance with young ladies,” he said, trying to hide his smile. “Single, unattached gentlemen who don’t dance at balls are abominably cruel, if you ask me. There is already an imbalanced gender ratio at these things, and many young ladiesare left to stand in corners, hoping for someone to fill their dance cards. It makes me sad to see that, so I always make a point to dance at balls, although yes, strictly speaking, it is not my favorite activity.”
She smiled up at him. “That is very thoughtful of you.”
“And it is very thoughtful of you to take these dancing lessons, and all these etiquette lessons, in order to make Leah’s debut perfect. I don’t want you to think you’re selfish. Not for a moment.”
She raised a sardonic eyebrow at him. “You called me selfish yourself, Your Grace. That first night when I accidentally snuck into your room. You said,"Your behavior tonight has been reckless, foolish, and selfish.”
Lucien flushed slightly. “Well, that was before I knew you. Now that I know you a little better, I can understand why you behaved as you did. And I don’t think you’re selfish. Reckless, perhaps. But not selfish.”
“Well, thank you,” she said. “And thank you for dancing with me now. You know, this is only my second time dancing with a gentleman.”
He started, shocked by this revelation, and almost misstepped. “How is that possible?” he asked, finding the rhythm again. “You didn’t attend any balls when you were engaged to my brother?”
“One time my parents took me to the local Assembly Rooms,” she said, looking down in sadness again. “But even then, only one gentleman asked me to dance, and whenever anyone else would come near, my parents would tell him I wasn’t dancing.”
“What? Why?”
“I think they were terrified of me developing feelings for someone that wasn’t Henry. Which they must have known was likely, considering that Henry and I really have always acted like brother and sister.”
Lucien felt a flare of anger at her parents, and he shook his head, scowling darkly. “Your parents have a lot to answer for! Only taking their daughter to a dance once in her whole life?”
“Yes. And it certainly wasn’t a waltz that I danced there, although Georgina and Henry were good enough to teach me the steps.” She looked up at him shyly through her eyelashes. “Actually, I was a bit surprised that you wanted to dance this with me. It doesn’t seem like the kind of dance of which you would approve.
“I don’t mind it, though strictly speaking it is not the most proper of dances,” Lucien said with a resigned sigh. “But it is all the rage in London now, and it’s important for you to know it. Anyway, I had an idea that we should dance it together at one of the opening balls. The intimacy of the dance will give us a chance to prove to thetonthat we are in love.”
“That makes sense,” she said, and while her voice sounded neutral, he noticed that she was blushing again, and that she once more couldn’t meet his gaze. At the same time, she became stiffer in his arms, and over the next minute, she trod several times on his feet, muttering apologies each time.
It’s not that she can’t dance,he realized.It’s that she gets stiff and clumsy whenever she gets too much in her own head.
“Try to relax,” he said lightly, looking down at her. “You’re a natural dancer, but you doubt yourself, and then you become stiff. Just remember: I think you’re a tremendous dancer.”
“It’s hard to relax when I have to count my steps,” she said doubtfully.
