The voice was feminine with a gentle cracking that spoke of the age of its owner, and Melissa half-turned to see the widow, Lady Beaufort, coming to stand between them.
Both Melissa and Daisy cleared their throats, and Melissa’s friend’s cheeks grewslightly red as though she was concerned that the lady might have overheard what she said.
If she did, she did not appear interested. Instead, she asked, “How are you, Lady Belmont? I do not believe I have seen you since your dear husband’s passing.”
At the mention of Thomas, Melissa couldn’t help growing tense. It was not because of the thought of him but because people so often blamed him for her rebellious nature, and she had never been one for liking it when people spoke ill of the dead, especially her Thomas.
“It was a great shame for us to lose such a bright and caring young doctor,” Lady Beaufort continued, shaking her greying head. “I would need him were he still here.”
The way she looked at Melissa out of the corner of her eye while supposedly surveying the dancers on the floor told Melissa all that she needed to know. Discreetly, she stepped a little closer to the older lady and whispered, “Perhaps there is something I might be able to help you with, My Lady?”
As if to put anyone eavesdropping off, Lady Beaufort took her time sipping wine from her glass before responding,“I would be very grateful, Lady Belmont, if you would.”
“Please, feel free to call upon me at any time,” Melissa said, offering her a half-smile so as not to alert those still eyeing her suspiciously. Only Daisy’s presence along with them likely stopped any gentleman from stepping forward to break the two of them apart as though they were conducting some illegal business during a ball.
“I shall take it under advisement, thank you, Lady Belmont,” Lady Beaufort said, dipping her head in farewell. Melissa couldn’t blame the lady for her quick exit from her side. If she were indeed to call upon her, it would be best for them not to be seen socialising too closely for too long in public, what with all the pressure the men of thetonliked to put upon Melissa’s business and sometimes her clients were they to find out their identities.
Melissa was just about to suggest to Daisy that she might retire to the refreshments table when she heard a discreet throat clearing behind her. Even before she started to turn, she smelled an oddly familiar scent. Though it was hard to detect over her own lavender perfume, she sensed it well enough, and the musky, masculine odour caused her skin to tingle and her heart to race. The butterflies buzzing in her stomach were quite thrilling indeed, and she turned to find Lord Spurnrose stepping up to join them.
“My Lord!” she exclaimed, startled at how she had recognised him from his mere scent even though she hadn’t really taken note of it beforehand. Curtseying more out of surprise and to hide the rush of heat to her cheeks, she rose slowly to her feet, oddly feeling as though her knees might buckle beneath her if she moved too fast.
“Please, forgive the interruption, Lady Fenchurch, but I was rather hoping I might ask Lady Belmont to dance?” Lord Spurnrose said, a smirk on his face that suggested he had noticed the discomfort he had placed upon her just with his presence.
“My Lord, I fear it has been quite a while since I last took to the dance floor,” Melissa said hesitantly. “I fear I would not be the best partner.”
“Nonsense!” Lord Spurnrose declared. “I suspect you are as graceful a dancer as you are a wondrous healer.”
Melissa glanced quickly around, her heart hitching in her throat as she came to wonder whether anyone might have overheard him. With only a glance, she recognised several doctors in attendance from London, those who despised her and claimed her a charlatan and a witch.
Deciding it was best to risk dancing with him rather than have him say anything else that might incite chaos, Melissa placed her hand in the one he had already offered her.
“Have fun!” Daisy hissed after them, and when Melissa glanced over her shoulder, her friend looked absolutely thrilled at the change of events.
As he guided her out onto the dance floor, Lord Spurnrose surprised her by leaning in and whispering into her ear, “Forgive me for speaking so loudly. I did not mean to put you on the spot like that.”
Surprised by his willingness to apologise, Melissa smiled back at him, placing her free hand upon his shoulder when they turned towards each other to begin their dance.
The way he placed his hand upon the small of her back and urged her just a little closersent a pool of warmth filling up her insides, and it overwhelmed the butterflies she had felt since he arrived at her side.
“I do hope you are well, Lady Belmont,” Lord Spurnrose said as the music began and he started to lead her around the dance floor.
“I am.” Melissa barely noticed the people all around them, the way they watched them as they danced. Though several other couples were out on the dance floor, it seemed she and Lord Spurnrose had caught the attention of everyone. “I hope that you are feeling better.”
“I am. Thanks to you.”
At his words, Melissa’s heart fluttered, and her cheeks blushed. She could not stop the smile that spread further across her face.
Together they danced in near silence, and oddly, Melissa found it was not at all awkward. In fact, she rather enjoyed dancing with the viscount. She had never really been one for dancing, always feeling like she had two left feet, but dancing with Lord Spurnrose felt easy and natural. She felt as though she did not need to worry an ounce.
That was until towards the end when the viscount began to cough. It was almost inconspicuous at first with him pursing his lips around the convulsions of his throat and chest. But as it grew harder to hide, his hands seemed to grip her tighter, and concern swelled within Melissa’s stomach, making her feet a little more clumsy.
“My Lord? Are you well?” she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.
“I…I am fine,” Lord Spurnrose assured her, clearly trying to bite back more coughing. When it was clear he couldn’t, he suddenly paused in their dance, released her without warning, and grabbed his handkerchief from his breast pocket. “Forgive me, My Lady.”
He had barely said the words past the handkerchief he pressed to his mouth before giving a curt bow and just as suddenly exiting the ballroom, leaving Melissa feeling even more flustered than ever.
Had she not been quite so concerned for his well-being, she might have been annoyed that he had spoken too highly about her healings and left her alone on the dance floor during the middle of a dance for all to see. Had she been a proper lady, she might have felt scorned.
