AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her heart leaped, and she checked his expression for any sign that he was only teasing. There were no signs. Had Oliver just…flirted with her?
She didn’t have time to dwell on it. Lord Belper had spotted her, and he was making his approach. Oliver retreated to the outskirts of the ballroom, wishing her luck with a smile.
From the corner of her eye, she watched Lord Belper weave his way through the crowd. He stopped when he was just a few feet away. His legs came to an abrupt halt. He seemed to take a moment to compose himself, his nose wrinkling with distaste. He walked closer, staring at her gown with growing displeasure.
“M-miss Reeves, how do you do this evening?” His nose was still wrinkled. The rosemary must have been even stronger than Julia had thought.Already, a sheen of perspiration glowed on his brow, making the dark curls stick to his skin.
“I am quite well. How are you? Is something amiss?” She raised her eyebrows, keeping her expression serious.
“There is a certain…aroma.” He cleared his throat in what might have been a gag.
Julia gave the high-pitched laugh she had been rehearsing, to which he responded with wide eyes. “You must be smelling my perfume. It is my favorite. I use a great deal of it, so I ran out, you see. I was finally able to purchase a new bottle today. Now I’ll be able to resume wearing it every day.”
Lord Belper adjusted his cravat. “Ah. Perhaps you should use a little less of it.” His eyes were still examining the green fabric that she wore.
“Why should I do that? I adore the smell of rosemary.”
His upper lip curled as he met her gaze again. His throat bobbed with a swallow.
“Did you enjoy the refreshment table?” Julia asked in an innocent voice.
Lord Belper seemed to shake himself of his distractions for a brief moment, though his nose was still wrinkled. “Yes. In fact, I might return there for a drink of water.”
Perhaps he truly was going to vomit at the smell of her.
“While you are there,” she said, “will you look to see if there are any cucumber sandwiches? Cucumbers are most refreshing in a hot ballroom. I did already eat my breakfast cucumbers and my luncheon cucumbers, but I can never have enough of them.”
Lord Belper’s eyes rounded even more. He walked away in silence, muttering under his breath.
Julia exchanged a glance with Oliver, who stood near enough to overhear their conversation. It was going quite well.He seemed to be suppressing a smile, but he did well to hide it. She took a deep breath, relieved to have a short break from her act.
When Lord Belper returned, he held a small cucumber sandwich on a serviette, staring at it as if it might sprout legs and lunge at him. Julia took it and ate the entire thing in one bite. “I feed my dogs cucumbers,” she said, wiping her lips with the serviette. “They love them as much as I do.”
“Dogs?” Lord Belper raised his eyebrows. There was more perspiration on his brow than there had been before.
“Oh, yes. Have I not mentioned them? They are housed in the stables here at Reeves Manor. Three large, strong hounds. I adore them. They are like children to me. I shall never be separated from them.” She sighed in contentment.
The first dance was soon to begin, and Lord Belper was growing more pale and sweaty by the second. He gave a very fake, stiff smile before offering a slight bow. “Well, then, Miss Reeves. That is very nice.” He inhaled sharply, nose wrinkling again. He looked down, taking a step backward. He was silent for a long moment. “I hope you enjoy the rest of the ball.”
Julia gave a polite smile. “You as well.” She could hardly believe her luck when Lord Belper crossed the ballroom and asked a different young lady for a dance. Julia watched as he escorted her to the center of the ballroom, his grimace still present.
Oliver stepped up behind Julia, his voice close to her ear. “That was perfection. You should be an actress.” Laughter hovered in his voice.
She turned around, stifling a giggle of her own. “I cannot believe it worked so easily. My mother was certain he was in love with me.”
Oliver shook his head slowly, holding her gaze for a long moment. “Love is not as fickle as that.”
Her stomach flipped.
“Since Lord Belper failed to claim your first dance, may I?” he asked. The question was light, but his eyes were heavy and intense. It stole her breath.
Her words were suddenly evading her, even after she had just spoken so many ridiculous ones to Lord Belper. So instead of speaking, she nodded, following Oliver to the line of dancers.
The music led them into a slow rotation, stepping together, stepping apart. Her hand touched his as they turned, and then broke away. The music was slow, plucking at her heart, as if the musicians had somehow chosen it as their primary instrument. She listened to the music that came from her heartstrings, the whisperings she had come to recognize so clearly. They told her again and again what she already knew—she loved Oliver. His eyes bore into hers, gentle and strong at the same time. Reliable and safe. She could hardly breathe with each brief touch, wishing each moment could last longer. She held Oliver’s bandaged hand gently, hoping to somehow assure him that it did not scare her. He was whole and perfect in her eyes, and he always would be.
Their dance ended, and Oliver’s chest rose and fell with a heavy breath. He met her gaze with a smile, one that she returned without any reservation.
They returned to the side of the room, and Oliver soon asked her for a second dance. The next was far more exhilarating, a lively tune with rapid steps. She laughed until she could hardly breathe. She had always wanted to dance with Oliver. It was something she had dreamed of as a young girl, and now it was happening. He was smiling as she hadn’t seen him smile since returning from sea, and it was utterly contagious.
