“We need to get back,” she urged through the laughter. “The dancing will begin soon, and I can’t let your dance lesson go to waste. Will you please dance with me?”
“I would love to,” the Duke replied.
CHAPTER28
The Opening Dance
Bridget wanted to hold the Duke’s hand as they walked back into the main hall, but it would not be right. It was Margaret’s day, and she did not want to draw any attention away from that. Still, she wanted to cling to the Duke in case he was taken from her again.
There were other things on her mind. They had been outside, and while the Duke had left two footmen with her father, she worried it would not be enough to stop him from doing something foolish.
“There you are!” Margaret gasped. “I have been looking all over for you. I thought you had disappeared.”
“I’m right here,” Bridget told her sister. “What has happened? Is it…?”
“The dancing is about to begin,” Margaret informed her. “Oh, I thought everything would be ruined. We could have found someone else, of course, and then—oh! You are with His Grace.”
“We were taking a walk,” Bridget said softly.
Margaret stood staring at the couple without saying a word.
“Margaret, the dancing?” Bridget prompted.
“Yes, yes, of course,” Margaret said, snapping out of her daze. “We are about to dance, and no one is able. Mother and Father were supposed to dance together, but Father had injured his leg or perhaps his arm—I don’t recall exactly what he said. He can’t dance, and that is that, and then your partner was waiting for you, and His Grace’s partner was waiting for him, but the two of you were missing. How are Michael and I expected to dance the quadrille when we have no other couples to dance with? And I know this is a small detail, and everything else has been splendid, but I want the dance to be splendid also. That is not too much to ask, is it? Is it, Bridget? Am I being pedantic?”
“No, you are not being pedantic,” Bridget assured her. “Everything should be perfect, and everything will be perfect. You and Lord Michael shall dance the quadrille, and His Grace and I will partner for the dance.”
“Oh,” Margaret breathed. “Oh!”
“We have no time for that, and we can talk about it later,” Bridget told her. She turned to the Duke. “You and Lord Michael have five cousins in attendance, and two were recently married, were they not?”
“Yes, I believe so. Rachel and Stewart,” the Duke replied.
“Go and find them, Your Grace. They will have danced recently at their weddings, and I am sure they will be overjoyed to dance with our foursome. That will make four young couples all dancing together. That will work, won’t it?”
“Yes, I believe so,” Margaret confirmed.
Upon the confirmation of the bride, the Duke went off to find his cousins.
“Are… what happened on your walk?” Margaret asked.
“We shall talk about it later,” Bridget promised. “I shall instruct the musicians to get ready for the first song.” She was about to complete that task when she stopped and turned back to Margaret. “Did Father come and congratulate you?”
“Oh, yes, he did,” Margaret confirmed. “I am so glad he could make it. However, I worry that he is not taking care of himself if he sustained an injury when he was away on business. Still, it is kind of His Grace to order his staff to help Father should he need it. His Grace is a good man, isn’t he?”
“We will talk about it later,” Bridget said with a smile. “Go back to Lord Michael and be ready to dance when the other couples arrive on the dance floor.”
Margaret nodded and smiled before returning to the head table to talk with Michael.
Bridget studied the head table as she went to converse with the musicians, who were playing some light music while everyone ate.
She did not think at any point during the day that her mother and father would be sitting together at the table, but there they were. Penelope listened to Ralph’s words and rolled her eyes the entire time. Behind them, the two footmen stood like soldiers stationed to protect. Neither of them took their eyes off Ralph.
Bridget instructed the musicians to play the first dance song once the four couples were on the dance floor, and then she met the Duke as he arrived back with his cousins and their partners. The three couples were soon joined by the married couple, and cheering and applause rang out as Margaret and Michael made their way to the dance floor.
Margaret looked at Bridget with tears in her eyes. Bridget was only glad that she could help make the day perfect for her sister with a little help from the Duke.
The introduction to the song began, and the four couples took up their positions in a square formation.
