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His answering grin was brilliant. ‘So, may I expect that you will do some more jumping about with me later tonight, Miss Linton?’
‘With you, I’d even make cartwheels and jump about on one leg!’
‘Ha! I doubt ballroom dances will develop so far as to include either of those. Though it is a pity.’ His eyes, glinting with mirth, fastened on a particularly corpulent duchess dancing not far away. ‘Cartwheels… that would certainly add considerable entertainment value to the average ball. It might be sufficient to draw away audiences from the music hall.’[5]
‘We should do this again - not just tonight, but when the next ball comes along! I never before considered the possibility of actually having fun at a ball. I feel like a girl dying of thirst in the middle of the Sahara, in front of whom suddenly a hand appears with a glass of water and a voice says “Want a sip, dear?”’
Captain Carter grinned, but then he winced as if he had remembered something, and shook his head.
‘I’m afraid I can’t be your glass of water in the desert, Miss Linton.’
‘Oh.’ My face fell. I thought he had enjoyed our galoping just as much as I had, but maybe I had been mistaken.
He seemed to read my thoughts on my face. ‘It’s not that I don’t want to. I’d like nothing better. But, you see, I’m leaving London in a few days. And I’m not likely to return for some time.’
‘Really? Leaving? Why?’
He hesitated
‘Is it a secret?’ I teased.
‘Well, yes, it is actually.’
‘My lips are sealed. Well, actually they aren’t, because I hate the taste of sealing wax, but you can tell me anyway.’
‘Blast you!’ He fought the grin, but it spread over his face anyway. ‘I shouldn’t even be thinking about telling you this! Why the heck am I?’
I waved my fan like I thought a proper lady would. ‘Because I’m so irresistible?’
He studied my face for a moment. ‘That must be it.’
‘So, why are you going?’
‘The fate of a soldier, I’m afraid. We’re always going, going, going. Usually away from places where there are balls and pretty young ladies, and towards places where there are wars and people trying to stab you in the kidneys.’
‘Is that so? And are your kidneys still intact?’
‘Luckily, yes. But I don’t know whether they still will be after this little adventure.’ His face became uncommonly serious. ‘We’ve had reports of a series of vicious attacks on traders in one of the eastern protectorates.[6] There’s pressure on the Admiralty and the Commander-in-Chief to get quick results. The Navy has already dispatched several vessels, and if they can’t root the bandits out from the sea, we’ll probably be sent in.’
My eyes gleamed. ‘That sounds dangerous!’
He looked at me, one corner of his mouth twitching. ‘And that just makes you want to come along, doesn’t it?’
‘Why on earth not?’ I demanded.
‘Didn’t you ever think about saying “Oh, that sounds terribly dangerous!” while clutching my arm in fear, staring deeply into my eyes, beseeching me to be careful and return to you in one piece?’
In answer to that, I stomped on his foot. Seeing as I had been restrained during the dance, I was entitled to give him at least one bruise.
‘Ouch!’ he laughed. ‘You’re no proper young lady, you little beast!’
‘If I were a proper young lady I wouldn’t have danced the galop with you,’ I pointed out.
‘True, true. Then, don’t be proper, please.’
‘That won’t be a problem.’ I rose to my feet and extended my hand to him. ‘Since you’ll be leaving soon, we have no time to waste. Would you do me the honour of dancing another galop with me, Captain?’
‘I’m the one who is supposed to ask you!’
