Page 20 of Under the Seductive Ladys Charm
Charlotte did not know what to do and froze. He gave her a smile and Charlotte, against her better judgment, slid her hand into his. He drew her away from the safety of the spinsters and out towards the dancefloor.
She was trembling by the time they reached the smooth floors where the dancers were assembling. Lord Easterly leaned over slightly and whispered, “Why do you tremble so?”
“I have not danced in some time,” Charlotte whispered back as she glanced at the poised couples around them.
Lord Easterly lifted his shoulders in a careless shrug. “It is a simple waltz. I know that you learnt that during the lessons you took with my sister.”
Charlotte looked at him in surprise. “You knew it was me.”
“Of course,” Lord Easterly told her with a smile. “What are you doing here?”
Charlotte stilled as Lord Easterly slid his hand into position at her side. She had forgotten how intimate a dance the waltz was. It did not seem so as a child when she had learnt the dance. Yet when Lord Easterly held her, she had to fight the flush of heat that came to her face.
She realised he was waiting on her reply. “Your sister thought it would be fun for me to see a ball.”
“I see,” he said simply. The music began and they stepped off into the dance. The steps came back to her thankfully, and with Lord Easterly leading she found she began to relax.
When she did not have to concentrate on where her feet were, it left her an uncomfortable amount of time to focus on how Lord Easterly’s hand felt against her back as they went around in the dance. They stepped back, their arms linking. Lord Easterly was mere inches from her, and they gazed at one another as they twirled around.
They stepped away from each other, their hands slipping along the other’s arms. For just a moment it felt as though they might truly separate, but they grasped hands and he pulled her back into his embrace. Charlotte was quite a willing captive to this dance.
She now understood why her instructor had been reluctant to teach Amanda and herself this dance. She was thankful that Amanda had been so annoyingly persistent and won the day. Yet, part of Charlotte agreed with the instructor in that the dance was far too intimate.
The smell of the Earl of Atcham was a sweet and spicy scent that Charlotte rather enjoyed. She had never truly noticed the smell that clung to the man, or how strong he was. His strong arms guided her easily through the motions of the dance.
“The dress suits you well,” Lord Easterly whispered as they came together once again.
Charlotte did not know what to say. She just stared at him as they separated again and circled each other. He smiled as he pulled her back to him.
Her hand on his shoulder slid down just a little more than was proper. Charlotte did not do this on purpose, but she saw his eyes and knew he had noticed. She looked away but glanced back at him.
“Not all women consent to dancing the waltz,” he said conversationally, his voice low enough for just her to hear.
Charlotte looked away and smiled. She whispered, “I did not know it was a waltz until you had me on the floor.”
“So I trapped you?” Lord Easterly seemed quite amused by this.
Charlotte cut her eyes to him as they separated briefly in that teasing way the waltz has. Their arms still linked, they circled each other as they gazed at each other. Charlotte enjoyed the interplay with Lord Easterly. It was easy to forget herself with him.
He gave her a challenging look and she answered by staring right back at him. His fingers slid over her wrist and Charlotte wondered what game they were playing. This world was not her own, but she could pretend for just the moment.
The music was slowing down and Charlotte was sad as reality returned. Lord Easterly stepped out of the dance and gave her a bow. She remembered to curtsey before he led her off the dancefloor. Charlotte let him guide her through the crowd.
“Refreshment?” he asked as Charlotte noted the table before them.
Charlotte smiled. “That would be lovely.”
She gladly took the glass of punch that he offered her. “I daresay you shall be busy dancing now that you have made your debut,” Lord Easterly said with a gentle smile.
It dawned on Charlotte that he had danced with her so that she would not be stuck along the wall simply watching the ball. She blushed. “I do not know if that is a good thing. I am not as good a dancer as everyone else.”
Lord Easterly scoffed, “You seemed to do quite well for yourself.”
Charlotte whispered, “I do not belong here. It is beautiful, though.”
“I can see nothing that sets you lower than those here as far as manners go.” Lord Easterly gave her a light shrug.
Charlotte frowned. “I just do not feel at ease. Despite your faith, Lord Easterly, I do not know how my betters behave, as you do.”
