Page 21 of The Ungainly Wallflower
Chapter Ten
The thought of dancing with Miss Fairley had been one thing, but taking her into his arms and sweeping her around the floor had been quite another. Frederick was rather surprised at just how well she danced, given what she had told him. They danced with ease, with the lady following his lead without a single hesitation and a light smile on her face which, Frederick hoped, meant that she was enjoying the dance as much as he was. His breathing a little fast from the dance, Frederick continued to spin her around the floor in time with all of the other couples until the music began to slow, signaling the end of the dance.
With a small smile, Frederick slowed his steps until, finally, they came to a stop. Stepping back from her, Frederick inclined his head into a bow just as Miss Fairley curtsied, though this was done perfectly and without a single wobble or tremble. To his mind, Miss Fairley was not at all ungainly or clumsy. In fact, she had as much poise and elegance as any young lady of his acquaintance! As Miss Fairley rose, she let out such a long breath of relief that Frederick could not help but smile, only for color to flood through her face.
“You are relieved, yes?”
“Yes, I am.” Miss Fairley took his arm the moment that it was offered and, much to Frederick’s surprise, he felt her trembling just a little. “You cannot know the extent of my nervousness, Lord Yeatman.”
“But why should you feel any such thing?” he asked, finding himself rather concerned for the lady. “You have danced many times before, I am sure.”
“Yes,” she agreed, glancing at him, though her face was still filled with color, “but I have also fallen on some occasions, or stepped on the foot of another.”
Frederick chuckled, bringing her back to the gathered crowd who had made space for the dancing, though there was no one there waiting for her, no parent or friend. Miss Simmons had stepped out to dance with another gentleman – much to her delight – though Frederick presumed she would come in search of Miss Fairley thereafter. For the moment, he had the lady all to himself.
“I would be lying if I said that I had not done the same, Miss Fairley.”
She smiled then, relief ending the trembling within her frame.
“Though perhaps not with as much frequency, Lord Yeatman?”
“I could not say.”
A small sigh escaped her, though the smile remained.
“I have always told my parents that I cannot take responsibility for all that has happened, though I certainly have been willing to accept some of the blame on some occasions. Unfortunately, however, they appear to be quite unwilling to believe that which, in a way, I can understand.”
A little confused, Frederick frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that, if it appears thatIam the one who is responsible for all of these accidents and mishaps, then why should they not blame me? To them, I am sure that it appears that I am simply doing what I can to make myself appear a little less guilty than they think me to be. Does that make sense?”
Frederick nodded slowly, finding that the swell of sympathy in his heart was growing all the more with every word that came from her mouth. For whatever reason, he found himself believing that she was not entirely responsible for all that had happened in her past, even though he had no real knowledge of everything that had taken place. His mind drifted back to the dinner they had enjoyed some days ago, recalling what had happened with the footman. A frown settled over his features.
“You recall what happened at Lord and Lady Pleasance’s dinner as regards the footman?”
Miss Fairley looked at him sharply.
“Yes, of course I do. I did thank you for that and–”
Frederick shook his head no.
“I do not seek any further thanks, Miss Fairley. It is only that I wondered if you had any thoughts on what might have happened on that occasion?”
“With the footman?” When he nodded, Miss Fairley shook her head. “No, I confess that I do not think I do. I am very confused, truth be told, for I do not know what I did to upset his hand from the plate and–”
“I do not think that you did anything.” Without meaning to do it, Frederick reached out and took Miss Fairley’s hand, grasping it tightly. “I do not think that you did a single thing. And if it is as you say, if you are not responsible for the other things which have happened, then might there not be something there which could suggest that…” Seeing her eyebrows lift, Frederick trailed off, heat burning its way up his chest and into his face. He was saying too much, he realized, speaking withoutthinking, without truly considering what it was that he wanted to say. He cleared his throat and dropped her hand. “Forgive me.”
“No, please.” Miss Fairley’s eyes fastened to his, unrelenting in their steady gaze. “What was it that you were going to say?”
Frederick hesitated, then shook his head.
“It is nothing. We are not particularly well acquainted as yet; Miss Fairley and I do not want to say anything which would upset you.”
She held his gaze and remained silent. Frederick swallowed hard, aware that she was not about to let him say anything more. Whether he wished to or not, he would have to speak the words that had come to him, regardless of whether they were wise or not.
“Very well, though I pray that, if what I say upsets you in any way, you will not hold it against me,” he said, with a half-smile as she nodded fervently. “Miss Fairley, I do not know if you have any enemies – I would guess that you do not – but I do wonder if someone is attempting to do these things to you.”
