Page 30 of The Swindler’s Daughter

“About the dance?” I closed the door behind me.

She nodded as she grabbed a brush. “It’s such a fun idea. I was sweeping up in the parlor when the boys started hounding Beatrice about it. John had been telling Oliver how they did this over at Bridgefield on a regular basis, and Oliver was adamant that he needed to take a turn around the dance floor with a lass or two.”

I smiled, my nerves somehow receding in the face of Nellie’s excitement. I sat on my bed and worked to release my hair from the thick braid at the back of my head.

“Do you think John will dance?” Nellie asked in a voice barely loud enough for me to hear.

I furrowed my brow. Hmm. It seemed Nellie had an interest in Johnny. Though it was odd to hear her call him John. Rowan was the only one who’d ever called him that. “I would imagine,” I answered. “He’s the one who was so keen to convince Beatrice, and he doesn’t even live here.”

“Maybe there’s a girl he wishes to dance with,” she suggested.

“Maybe he’ll ask you.” I grabbed my brush and ran it through my curls.

She turned to face me fully and sank down onto her bed. “Do you think he would?”

I shrugged. “I don’t see why not.” I was careful not to laugh at the idea. She clearly held a love candle for Johnny, and I had no wish to either get her hopes up too much or crush them entirely. “You’ve known him much longer than I have,” I pointed out.

“Yes, but we don’t speak,” she said, toying with her bedpost. “He likely doesn’t know my name.”

“Well, I think a barn dance is a lovely chance to get to know someone,” I said casually. “Don’t you?”

“I hope so.”

I squeezed her hand before crossing to the tiny mirror propped on our table. I didn’t want to have my curls confined in a braid. This barn dance was a new and exciting prospect, filling my belly with nerves and making my heart beat a little too fast. Such an opportunity left me with a distinct desire to feel pretty. My hair was a hassle and often a disaster, but I loved it. Each time I wrestled it into submission, I wondered if my mother had done the same with her own locks.

I grabbed one of my kerchiefs and folded it a few times before tying it around my hair. That would keep my hair out of my face without confining it too much.

The lacing at the side of my dress took only a few moments to undo, and I happily stepped into a freshly laundered one. I only had three dresses, so it was fortunate that one had just been cleaned.

“Are we ridiculous?” Nellie asked from behind me.

“What do you mean?”

“We’re dressing as though we were going to have tea with Her Highness.”

I chuckled as I laced up my dress. “When really we’re just going out to the barn.”

“Yes.” A blush stained her cheeks.

I shrugged, trying to hide just how excited I was. “It’s an occasion. A bit of frivolity. I think it’s only natural that we want to make the best of it.”

She smiled in relief, her nerves showing again.

“Should we go down and see if there is anything to be done in preparation?” I suggested, not knowing how else to proceed. It wasn’t as though there were a formal arrival time set or a fancy servant to announce us.

“Yes, let’s,” Nellie agreed.

After leaving our room, I linked my arm with hers and we went down together.

Stepping through the back door and out into the night, we could see that several of the servants had already gathered out at the barn. It was lit with far more lanterns than were ever used on a normal evening, and the murmur of excited voices could be heard across the yard.

As soon as we entered the barn, Johnny jogged over, his face just as excited as it ever was over wielding his staff. “Miriam. Nellie. Are you ready for a fun evening?”

Nellie let out a squeak beside me.

“Yes,” I said in an attempt to cover it up. “And I expect you to sing and juggle for us if need be.”

He waved off the suggestion. “Dancing will be plenty of entertainment, you’ll see.” He backed away with a grin.