Page 54 of Escape for Christmas
‘Probably for the best. It looks as if we’re snowed in,’ Nico replied and there were other murmurs of agreement.
‘How is the family doing?’ Agatha asked.
Word had obviously got round.
‘They’re fine. I’ve given them my room.’
‘That’s very generous of you,’ Nico said, looking intensely at her.
‘It’s fine – I have a very comfortable sofa. Now I was saving the quiz for tomorrow, but perhaps we can do it now?’
She was met with less enthusiasm than she’d expected.
‘We could …’ Una said quietly, ‘though I was rather looking forward to watching the dancing. It’s such a shame the troupe couldn’t get through.’
‘Can’t be helped,’ Agatha replied. ‘But I know what you mean. A quiz feels rather a comedown, compared to the allure of a handsome Spaniard in Cuban heels shaking his maracas.’
Sophie slid a suspicious glance at Nico, wondering what on earth he’d put in the sangria while she wasn’t looking.
‘Well …’ Hugo began, exchanging a knowing look with his wife, ‘we could suggest an alternative.’
‘As long as it doesn’t involve us all throwing our car keys in a fruit bowl.’
Everyone under fifty looked nonplussed, apart from Una, who turned bright red and squeaked, ‘Certainly not! I was thinking that Hugo and I could teach you all a bit of dancing. We can’t flamenco, but we did win the Stratford Stompers Veterans’ Salsa contest last year.’
‘Salsa?’ Nico grinned. ‘That sounds very … exotic. I’m happy to partner up,’ he said, looking at Sophie again.
‘It’s divine! Do any of you have dance experience?’ Una asked.
‘Not of the salsa. Ron and I used to enjoy a bit of disco in our youth,’ Agatha piped up.
‘How about you, Suzanne?’ Hugo asked. ‘Can you dance?’
‘Mum made me and my sister go to ballet lessons, but I wasn’t keen,’ Suzanne said disdainfully. ‘I wanted to do street instead, but she wouldn’t let me.’
‘You’d still have a sense of musicality, though,’ Una said reassuringly. ‘Amber?’
Everyone looked towards the doorway, where Amberhad materialised. She didn’t answer for a moment, then she murmured, ‘I did ballet lessons too.’ She shot a glance at Suzanne. ‘Iloved it …’
Sophie realised that Amber must have been there long enough to overhear and now shot her own barb at her half-sister.
‘That’s excellent!’ Hugo declared and turned to Nico, ‘Nico? What about you?’
He jokingly held up his hands in surrender. ‘I have two left feet.’
‘I’m sure you’d be brilliant,’ Una encouraged him. ‘We can teach everyone the basics.’
All eyes turned to Sophie, like a pack of dogs about to be fed. ‘What about you?’ Nico asked.
‘M-me?’ she hesitated. ‘I can’t dance, either. Last time I did anything to music was in a club years ago, before I met …’ she was about to say ‘Ben’, but stopped, ‘when I was younger. I don’t think that counts as dancing.
‘Everything counts,’ Hugo said. ‘Now, all we need is some music. Let’s create a space in here and we’ll show you some easy steps.’
Half an hour later everyone was hot, sweaty and in fits of giggles. The Gipsy Kings were blasting out, and all of them got to know each other better as they kept changing partners, although Suzanne and Amber had managed to avoid dancing with each other.
Una beckoned Sophie. ‘Do come and join in.’
She shook her head. ‘I can’t dance. I definitely can’t do a salsa,’ she went on, trying to sound breezy about it, butdreading the thought of having to join in. ‘And I need to look after my guests – fetch the drinks and more tapas.’
