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“Immensely,” she whispered back, not caring that she was probably grinning like a fool.
“Me too,” Florent replied as his gaze ensnared hers and his head began to lower toward hers.
She had been right! Her suspicions that he might try to kiss her had been correct. She could barely breathe she was so constricted in her lungs from the wonder of it all.
“Ahoy there!”
Constance blinked and nearly groaned at the interruption. And her blood began to congeal to ice in all her limbs. That was Wagner’s voice. Bile started to turn in her stomach, and she had to swallow hard not to vomit on Mr. Alcott’s shoes. Perhaps all the fluttery feelings she had been experiencing before really had been the onset of illness, she thought rather weakly as she stepped away from Florent and turned toward the intruder.
Florent stepped in front of her in a show of protection. Constance was torn between finding that truly endearing and taking offence. She had never had a defender before. It was quite an unnecessary but novel experience. It brought a smile to her numb face.
“Mr. Alcott, is it? How do you do? We haven’t yet had a chance to become acquainted. But I cannot allow you to be out here compromising my dear friend, Lady Constance.”
She wasn’t touching him, but Connie could feel Florent stiffen before her. She wasn’t sure if it was at the suggestion that he would compromise a lady or the inference in Mr. Wagner’s words about her being his dear friend. Either way, she felt her very new and nebulous dreams crumbling around her feet. With a sigh she stepped out from behind Florent’s broad back.
“Mr. Wagner,” she said in a less than pleasant tone. “I was surprised to see you here.”
“So surprised that you could barely greet me, I noted,” he replied in an aggrieved tone. It would have been amusing if it weren’t so terribly disturbing.
“We are not friends,” Constance explained in what she was trying to keep a patient tone. “And it was only days since we last spoke. I didn’t find myself in any need to converse with you.”
“That hardly sounds like the polite soul I have come to know, my dear lady.” His tone made her feel the need to bathe it was so obsequious and set her teeth on edge.
“What are you doing here, Mr. Wagner?” She reworded her question to be more direct this time, hoping he might be more forthcoming.
“I was invited,” was all he would say.
“Perhaps we should all return inside. As you said, it would not do to risk her ladyship’s reputation.”
Florent sounded so formal that Constance felt like weeping, which was an unusual reaction for her, but everything about the sojourn at Everleigh was unusual so she oughtn’t be surprised. Still, she felt despondent as she accompanied the two gentlemen back into the ballroom. She couldn’t even find within herself to care if others took note. As Florent seemed to imply, being in the company of both gentlemen was sufficient to protect her reputation from much damage.
“Thank you for the dance,” Florent murmured politely but distantly as he took his leave of her. At least he did her the favour of keeping himself between her and Wagner so she could make good her escape.
Or perhaps it hadn’t been intentional, she couldn’t be sure. In either case, she was highly uncomfortable, but she was determined that no one else would know from looking at her.
Peggy, of course, could tell.
“I’m so sorry, my lady. I saw Wagner interrupted your littletete a teteand I was too far away to do anything about it.”
Connie appreciated that Peggy was doing her best to keep her word to stay by Connie’s side. But since she had been dancing just before the interruption, she couldn’t possibly be expected to have done anything to help. She hoped her smile wasn’t as sad as it felt.
“Thank you, my dear Miss Smith. There was little you could have done.” She swallowed her disappointment and tried to brighten her smile. “I have been distracted so haven’t been paying attention. Have you been enjoying your evening?” Connie then lowered her voice and leaned closer. “Has your swain been entertaining you?”
Peggy blushed. Connie had never seen her do such a thing before. It made her look lovely and young and in that moment, jealousy swept through her. But Connie quickly dismissed the unwelcome and terribly unkind sensation. She was happy for her friend. She refused to be jealous. Connie had made her choices and would stand by them whether others changed their own minds or not.
“He’s not my swain,” Peggy insisted in a low voice that did nothing to hide her delight over the prospect, making Connie laugh.
“Very well, whatever you’re telling yourself, have you been kept occupied this evening, my dear?”
“Occupied yes, but some of it has been preoccupation with your whereabouts, I’m afraid.”
“Oh dear, I suppose we should have discussed that in the ballroom I was most likely safe. Although, as it turns out, that wasn’t entirely true.”
Peggy bit her lip and looked around the room. “Perhaps we ought to leave after all,” she said, disappointment sounding as though it were nearly choking her.
“I will not allow the likes of that weasel to make me run away. What good would that do me, after all? I’ll then be running for the rest of my days. Hardly a comfortable way of life, to my way of thinking.”
“But what else can you do?”
