‘Of course, I do not mean you two. You are obviously what all men should aspire to be like.’ Emily winked at her and Kate bit the inside of her cheek.
Contrary to the impression she had just given, Kate had spoken to many men from different walks of life. Some were loquacious and some silent like the duke. Chorley had used words to terrorise. However, she could make conversation if she had to.
She glanced at Edward, who was shuffling through sheets of music. He was different from other men she had met. When he was with her, she felt she was the centre of his world, as if he was not only listening to what she was saying, but also to what she wasn’t. It was only when they weren’t together that she doubted his interest in her. If she could get up the nerve, she would ask Emily what Edward was like with her, whether he was interested and then not. So far she had failed to find out whether Edward treated her differently from others.
Emily walked around the centre of the Blue Lounge, which Kate now realised contained the rug she had been so sure she had damaged irreparably. From where she was standing, it didnot look like the carpet had ever been doused in tea. ‘If you stand here…’ Emily pointed to a spot ‘…and Freddie stands there, we can start with the basic steps.’
Oh. Of course, she was going to dance with Freddie and not Edward. Edward was here for the music. There was no need for the pang in her chest; Freddie was a pleasant man and it was good touching him did not set off fireworks in her chest. She noticed Freddie was wearing gloves and Edward was not. It had never been the plan for her to practise with Edward.
Kate pasted a smile on her face and stepped towards the centre of the Blue Lounge. Freddie held out his hand and she took it, glad of the gloves; it would be strange to touch her friend’s husband without something covering her skin. They bowed to one another and then Emily talked her through the basic steps. It seemed easy, although there was a funny little skipping-hop in the middle of the dance that made Kate giggle every time she attempted it. It didn’t help when Emily and Freddie both started to grin as the step approached, anticipating her amusement.
Edward played the music for them, patiently starting again whenever she got the giggles. He may have turned to watch them as they moved around the lounge, but if he did, she did not see him do it.
After Kate had performed the moves what felt like hundreds of times, Emily clapped her hands together. ‘I think you have got it. Well done. That was quicker than your take-up of the piano.’ She grinned wickedly. ‘Perhaps I am a better teacher than Edward. Speaking of which…’ Emily turned to her brother-in-law ‘…you need to come and join us for the next bit, Teddy.’
For the first time, his fingers fumbled, the notes he’d been playing softly tumbling together awkwardly. ‘I do not respond to that name,’ he said, turning to face them, proving his words a lie.
‘Very well. Please forget I ever thought to call you by it.’ The tone of Emily’s voice suggested the exact opposite. ‘Edward, please come and join us. We need you to show Kate the next part of the dance.’ Emily waved at him, emphasising her point. Before he stood, Edward’s dark eyes turned to her, something unreadable lurking in their depths. ‘Hurry up or I will call you Teddy all the time.’
‘To think I once thought you meek,’ Edward commented, slowly standing. ‘You are a harridan.’
‘I would ask Freddie to defend my honour but we do not have time.’
Edward rolled his eyes, making his way over, walking like there was a heavy weight draped over his shoulders. He moved towards her, his eyes fixed on a point on the wall. If Emily or Freddie picked up on his attitude towards her, they did not comment.
‘Now,’ carried on Emily, addressing Kate as if the world were carrying on as normal and Kate’s fingers weren’t trembling against the folds of her dress. ‘You will have been dancing in a square formation. With the other couples here, here and here.’ She moved around, demonstrating the positions, as if Kate had no idea what a square was. ‘Edward and I will stand to the side of you but offset, like this. We can run through the steps one more time and then we will practise swapping.’
Kate found it harder to complete the movements without the music, or perhaps it was the way Edward’s large presence seemed to take up the space to her side. Roughly the same height as Freddie, he somehow seemed twice as big. Where she had been able to do the steps with moderate ease before, she stumbled a few times, tripping over her own feet. Freddie made no comment, only giving her a reassuring smile every time she did it.
‘At this stage of the dance, Edward will lead me forward until we are standing opposite you,’ Emily said, moving into the position she wanted to demonstrate.
Then Edward was standing in front of her and she forgot how to breathe.
‘We all perform the little jump you enjoy so much,’ Emily continued, seemingly unaware Kate had no way of moving due to the lack of air in her lungs. Rather than look at Edward’s face, she fixed her eyes on his cravat, giving herself a moment’s respite. Somehow, she managed to get through the strange little sideways skip, this time without laughing.
‘This is where we swap partners,’ said Emily.
Edward held out his hand; she reached out and took it. He was not wearing gloves. His fingers curled around hers and a blazing heat whipped through her, burning through her veins, setting her alight. Her gaze snapped to his face. Surely he had to be feeling the same, but the look he gave her was impossible to read.
They danced, her feet moving through the steps without her thinking as she held eye contact with the man who took up most of her waking thoughts.
When she tried to turn to the left, his grip on her hand tightened. ‘The right?’ she whispered. He nodded, amusement softening his features. ‘How do people manage to talk and concentrate on the steps?’ she asked.
‘Ah, well, you could just ask one question at the start of the dance and then let your partner ramble on.’ He smiled his lopsided grin and her heart skittered.
‘I think even one question is beyond me. I will have to hope for talkative partners.’
‘Perhaps ask your question before you start and go from there.’
He dropped her hand and they performed the skip-jump. ‘I do not understand how anyone can take it seriously,’ she told him.
‘I have never thought about it before, but you are right; it is faintly ridiculous. I doubt I shall be able to perform it again without thinking of your laughter.’
A thrill raced up her spine at the knowledge that this dance would always remind him of her, even when she was gone from his life. When he passed her back to Freddie, his brother’s touch was nowhere near as warm. They went round again and Kate found she had the rhythm of it, or perhaps the joy bubbling up inside her was because she would soon be holding Edward’s hand once more.
His touch was as shocking as the first time, and when they locked eyes, she was sure she could see some of the fire burning in her reflected in his face. But then he blinked and the look was gone again.
It was all going well until her forehead connected with his chest.
