“Not anymore.” He fixed her with such a stare, too perceptive by half. It felt as if the room grew degrees hotter as people turned in their direction with curious stares, as if to say,Yes, that’s him, the American from Baltimore. I heard she married him after a courtship in Southampton. Indeed, it’s all very sudden. He is in a trade of some sort. Dry goods or something equally dull.
If Lizzy strained her ears, she’d be able to hear the cogs turning in their brains, gazes cast toward her middle, rooting out any telltale sign of pregnancy. Alas, all they were going to notice was the poached salmon with dill sauce and fruit tartlet she’d enjoyed for lunch.
“Go on, ask me another question. I’m positive you have them. And that keeps me distracted from the fact that we are clearly a topic of minor interest.”
“People have been staring since we entered. What is that card women keep pulling out of their bags for men to sign?”
“Bags? Oh, you mean their reticules. Ah, yes, those are dancecards,” Lizzy remarked, crossing her arms with an air of authority. “Returning to my earlier point, that’s the proper manner to request a dance.”
“Okay, I get that. And then who are these people on the side watching and not talking?”
“Chaperones. Silent guardians of virtue, observing like undercover agents. Their presence ensures that while love is in the air, it’s kept strictly within the boundaries of propriety.”
“And so everyone stands around and gossips if they’re not dancing?”
“It’s a perilous business. Conversational choices could secure alliances or lead to a polite but firm dismissal. One must choose words as if crafting a masterpiece. And on the dance floor, restraint is the cornerstone of your choreography. Be close enough to converse or flirt, but avoid scandalous contact as if your reputation depends on it—because, rest assured, it does.”
“Why is there chalk all over the floor?” He pointed at the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and stars drawn across the wood.
“That’s very fashionable. Of course, by the end of the ball it will all be gone, but that’s not the point, is it? It’s there now and rather lovely. Plus, it helps people not to slip.”
“And what’s over there?” He pointed to a space hidden by screens and palms.
“That clandestine hub? That’s the women’s retiring room, a den of more gossip and strategic retreats. Light refreshments are the snacks of espionage. The retiring room is where social maneuvers unfold like a covert operation.”
“Do men ever, I dunno, take one of the ladies’ fans and go somewhere quiet to wait for them to come to them? That’s what I’d do.”
“You’re not the kind of man who would ruin a woman. Presentcompany excluded, of course.” She took another sip. That was when it hit her, and she realized with a jolt of alarmed observation that she’d drunk too much punch.
“Don’t look now,” Tuck muttered, “but there’s a man across the room who has been staring at us for more than ten minutes.”
Lizzy glanced over to spot a man with dappled silver hair and pointed sideburns. He noticed her gaze and quickly busied himself with examining his fingernails.
“I said don’t look,” Tuck admonished.
“I never promised to obey. I’ve seen the man before, though. He is a history scholar of some type. I believe he is at Oxford. Or is it Cambridge? I can’t recall the specifics or his name. But if you’ll excuse me, I must take leave to freshen up.”
Tuck jerked in alarm. “You can’t leave me here.”
“Well, I can’t take you into the women’s dressing area either.” She petted his head. “You must be brave. And do not put your name on another woman’s dance card because I’ll become quite jealous. If anyone is going to have the pleasure of you trodding on their toes, it should be me.”
He snorted. “Very well. I’ll try to memorize a few steps while I watch.”
Lizzy made her way to the ladies’ room. It was already half full of acquaintances needing to freshen up from the dance. It didn’t take long for them to turn their attention to her.
“Married? Lizzy Wooddash—or is it Taylor now?” Cornelia Witt said, turning to adjust a curl in a mirror her lady’s maid held. “Isn’t this unexpected? What secrets you keep! Everyone is quite abuzz.”
Cornelia was Lizzy’s age but had been married since she was eighteen and had already given birth to two children. Thoughamiable at social functions, their connection lacked intimacy. Nevertheless, they found pleasure in brief exchanges.
“I was wondering about your rush to wed until I laid eyes on the man. My goodness. American or not, who gives a fig about his reputation when he’s got a form like that?”
“Where is he?” inquired Dorothea. “I am curious.”
Theodosia, her twin sister, pointed toward a large potted fern. “If you peer through the foliage, you’ll have a splendid view. His chin is by far the most distinguished in the room. It could cut precious jewels.”
“Goodness. Let me see again too!” Cornelia laughed, craning her neck.
“You know what they say about men with big chins, don’t you, Lizzy?” Dorothea said.
