Page 108 of All For You

The open kitchen and living area were bursting with people. Jane and Wills, Mary and Charlie, Emma and Knightley, Tabitha and Tim, the Balfours, Trystan, friends from London, and locals. All in Regency costumes. Dancing…hip-hop. Led by my mother, who was in a full frock and wearing a tall white wig bobbing on her head, threatening to slip with every shoulder waggle. And—what? There was Dad in full regalia sitting on the side.

I stood in the doorway, stock-still, shocked.

“Pretty much everyone we know is here. It’s… What is this?” I asked

“They’re holding a Regency weekend,” he said. “Thought you might like it if we joined?”

I laughed. Athemedparty and Darcy seemed excited about it.

“When we met, you said themed should not be a word,” I reminded him.

He arched an eyebrow. “The bigger man admits when he is wrong.”

But how did everyone but me know about this party? I’d been busy with my writing, but that didn’t explain how I’d missed this invite. I spotted Jane and Wills dancing in the front row.

“Jane! Wills!” I called from the doorway. They both looked around but didn’t stop dancing or even greet me.

Odd.

“Mum?” I waved at her up on her little stage. “Dad?”

Mum gave me a little wave but didn’t stop her hip-popping routine. Dad stayed in his seat. A few others looked around and waved, probably noting her gesture, but kept on dancing too. This was a huge party. And everyone’s costumes were incredible. Satin dresses, long white gloves, pinned-up Grecian hair for the women, men in long coats and ruffled shirts like Darcy. Someone must have been planning this for a while.

Which took me back to that same glaring question.

“Darcy—”

“It’s the air walk.” Darcy raised a finger to indicate he’d be back in a minute. “The kids at the clubhouse taught me this dance.”

He hurried out onto the floor—right to the front—and did this athletic changing of feet thing. Then the whole group moved around the room, doing the same step. Back in their places, Mum led them into another dance, which Darcy seemed to know as well.

The man couldmove.

I’d seen that in another way and I’d seen him waltzing, but I didn’t realize he could dance like this too. And he was laughing with my mother. Over the past months, he’d thawed to her, and now often only discreetly rolled his eyes and took deep breaths when her back was turned. But tonight, they were actually laughing together.

A rustle at my side made me turn. Poppy from hair and makeup was in a long blue dress.

“Shall we?” she said. “I have a dressing and makeup room set up.”

Still completely confused, I followed her up the stairs.

“Why didn’t I hear about this?” I asked her the question I’d wanted to ask Darcy before he’d disappeared off to dance.

She shrugged. “Sorry, I’m not too sure. I think it was last minute, maybe? They got me in to supply the costumes. Darcy told me you’d be turning up after the others.”

She led me into an unoccupied bedroom. Makeup and hair appliances were set up in front of the full-length mirror. The rest of the room was filled with racks of colorful men’s and women’s costumes.

I loved all this. I wished I’d known sooner. “But what?—”

She held up a green Regency gown, cutting me short. I looked down and plucked at the dress I was wearing. “That Regency dress is the same material as the one I’m wearing,” I said.

“Ha! Similar—you’re right. Try it on and see if it fits.”

She hustled me behind a screen, and I quickly disrobed and pulled the gown over my head. I looked in the full-length mirror. The dress had a low, scooped neckline with an empire waist, puffed sleeves, and dropped all the way to my ankles. It was lovely. It was?—

“Where did you get this dress? I mean, it’s like it was made for me.” I ran my hands over my hips. The fit was beautiful.

“Isn’t it?” She stuck hairpins in her mouth, her hands dropped onto my shoulders, and she led me to a chair in front of a wall mirror and gently sat me down.