Love, Unmasked by Vivian Roycroft

Author:Vivian Roycroft
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: ARe only
Publisher: Dingbat Publishing
Published: 2014-12-08T00:00:00+00:00

7

Blue Tailcoat eased her into position and took his place in the line opposite. At his encouraging smile, her heart lifted, if not back to its usual position within her chest, then at least to somewhere around her midriff. Yes, he was charming, and kind, willing to overlook both the indiscretions Brightenburg had rained upon her and the unthinking rudeness she’d returned. She couldn’t get a second chance to start the ball, but like a true gentleman, Blue Tailcoat was perfectly willing to pretend the first start had never happened.

For that small mercy, she’d be grateful. Even as Brightenburg, the beau that got away, offered his arm to a glittering beauty wearing that expensive green silk. Arm in arm, they joined the line’s end.

Was that Clarissa? It certainly looked like her, height, figure, casually graceful carriage, coils of auburn hair gleaming in the chandeliers’ blaze. The amber cross looked like hers, too, and the simple gold chain. She’d never said she’d indulged in any green silk. Of course, Fidelity had never mentioned buying the cerulean, either.

An unwanted, startling thought stilled her in place. Clarissa had worn a new and gorgeous gown, a different hairstyle, plain and simple jewelry. Had she…? Had she too planned…? No, surely not.

Before she could finish the thought, the music whirled away, taking the dancers with it, and Fidelity’s feet chose to follow Blue Tailcoat’s lead, leaving her conjecture behind. Of course she missed the beat, and no matter how much extra energy she put into her balancé and rigaudon, as usual she couldn’t catch up. Humiliating, and the heat blooming in her face gave her dead away. Even Blue Tailcoat couldn’t be so charming as to miss her embarrassment.

At the first turn she reached across for his hand, fully expecting it to be waiting, waving impatiently. Instead, her fingers met empty air. A fraction later, he completed his turn, flashed her a delighted smile, and closed his fingers around hers. They turned together, again a half-beat behind, and galloped between the lines, hurrying to catch up to the music.

Her heart felt as if it would burst with gratitude. Impossible to believe that such a polished gentleman couldn’t keep to the rhythm. No, he’d done that deliberately. He’d seen her tendency to fall behind and had fallen behind with her, rather than display his superiority to the watching crowd. A marvelous dancer, yes — and the sort who didn’t claim the spotlight alone but who made his partner seem equally excellent.

Or who let himself look silly with her.

She answered his brilliant smile with one of her own. Then they split apart at the line’s end, circling around the outside back to their places.

Brightenburg danced past with the woman who might be Clarissa — no, no perhaps about it, only Clarissa kicked up her heels in quite that decadent manner. He whirled past Fidelity without even a glance aside, his hand pressed against his new partner’s arm, his fawning, staring attention wholly focused upon her bosom swathed in green silk.

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