None of it seemed funny anymore.
Nicolai led me toward the wide dance floor, where he used our joined hands to swing me into his arms, the skirt of my dress billowing out behind me. His arm slipped around my waist tocatch me and stop my trajectory, and the orchestra started up a new song as he bent his head and whispered in my ear, “Back-side-together.”
With just that cue, I got it. The rhythm of the music made the steps feel obvious, and I moved in his arms in a simple waltz, but he made me feel like I was a princess at the ball.
Being with him was so glorious and easy that I didn’t notice the time passing, the songs changing, just the one-two-three of dancing in Nicolai’s arms in the waltz.
A tiny tremor ran through Nicolai, a slight adjustment of his shoulders and turn of his head, and the tremor flowed from his hands into my arms.
“May I cut in?”
Nicolai and counting the 1-2-3 of the waltz had so thoroughly occupied my thoughts that all the rest of the waltzers’ black tuxedos and white dresses around us had faded into the background, swaying like a swarming herd of zebras.
However, that voice, so alike in timbre to Nicolai’s and yet a lighter tone because he was years younger, was all too familiar as I looked up.
Konstantin was standing next to Nicolai, his age-shifted twin, wearing a similar white-tie and black-tails tuxedo. His expression was solemn, as if he had to explain his actions to a priest.
“I’m not sure this is appropriate,” Nicolai said, releasing my waist but pulling me slightly behind himself.
The change of his voice to an acidic monotone startled me, and my fingers tightened around his in a reflex.
Konstantin’s eyes fluttered upward. “I’m not going to make a scene. This is the first time I’ve seen you two since yesterday morning.”
Nicolai stared straight and level into his brother’s eyes. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Geez, Nico. I want to apologize. Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
“And that’sall?”
Konstantin leaned forward and whispered, “I watched the video a few more times. You didn’t appear to be under duress in the slightest. Lexi kept looking around the church for somewhere to hide or to bolt out the doors. If you say it was all your idea, I believe it.”
Nicolai swiveled toward me and leaned down near my ear. “If you are not okay with this, I’ll tell him to talk to us later. There’s no reason this has to be discussed now, in public, on a dance floor. Kostya is young and can be impetuous.”
Konstantin leaned down, too, and suddenly my head was in the middle of a Romanov sandwich. He whispered, “I really am sorry about yesterday morning. I just want to discuss it with you for a minute. I swear to God, I just want to apologize.”
I turned my chin a little bit toward Nicolai. “It’s okay. I think we’re becoming the center of attention by standing here. Maybe just let him cut in for the rest of the song, and then come find me.”
Nicolai straightened, but he growled at Konstantin, “Do this right.”
He walked into the crowd toward the nearest sideline.
Konstantin bowed slightly from the waist and offered me his hand. “May I have this dance?”
I didn’t know if I was supposed to curtsy like they did on The Ridgertons, so I just dropped a small curtsy. “Surely, my fine sir.”
I had no idea if that was how Regency people spoke, but it seemed better than “Yeah. Sure. Whatever.”
Konstantin chuckled, and his low laugh was so similar to Nicolai’s that I felt more at ease. He lifted my right hand andstepped in to put his arm around me, and that’s when things got a little weird.
He was as tall as Nicolai. Looking up at him, I had the same parallax view as of Nicolai. His eyes were the same amazing ice-teal blue as Nicolai’s. His step toward me was as fluid and graceful as his brother's.
But he smelled wrong.
He didn’t smellbad.It wasn’t B.O. Indeed, Konstantin smelled a little soapy. He had obviously freshly showered and was wearing deodorant.
But the scent that emanated from him was sharper, fresh but acrid, an aggressively citrusy lemon that itched in my nose.
His cologne wasn’t unpleasant in the slightest, justwrong.
