Page 22 of Tutoring a Lady into Sin
“But I do not want him just to notice me,” Christianna explained. “I want him to seek me out. I want him towantto be with me.” She paused and took a deep breath. “I should very much like it if he preferred my company to that of the other ladies.”
“I do not know what to say, Lady Christianna,” Phineas said quietly as he walked further into the room.
“If you were a gentleman…what would attract you to a lady during a ball?” Christianna asked.
Phineas stopped walking away from her, and as he spun back around, his eyebrows arched in faint surprise. “Iama gentleman, Lady Christianna, lest you have already forgotten.”
“Oh,” she grumbled. “You know what I meant.”
“I think I did,” he replied as he tapped his finger to his chin thoughtfully. “The trouble is, in order to make you Percy’s ideal companion, I must think like my brother.”
“So do that,” Christianna said encouragingly.
“If only it were so simple,” Phineas replied as he did a bit of a spin. “I like dancing, maybe not as much as Percy, but I do enjoy standing up with a lovely young lady from time to time.”
“Very good,” Christianna prompted, “And what do you find attracts you to any one lady? What is it about her that makes you want to dance with her?”
“I suppose I seek out amiable partners,” he admitted. “I like to have a fair bit of conversation during a dance.”
Christianna laughed. “Of course you do. But if you were the duke, what would you want in a partner?”
Phineas did several more fancy steps, then paused just short of running into an armchair. “I think Percy might like it if a woman were to tease him a bit. To show a bit of leg while dancing.”
Christianna gave a scandalised gasp. “You mean…I should reveal my ankles?”
Phineas shrugged. “Maybe just a little bit.”
“I do not know if I can…or even if I should,” Christianna whispered as she lifted the hemline of her skirt off the floor experimentally. “What will people say if they see me behaving in such a way?”
“Let us practice,” Phineas suggested. “I do not think you need to do anything so very drastic, and I understand you would not want to draw the attention of others—”
“Only the duke,” Christianna interjected. “He is the only one I want to see me in that light.”
“Fine,” Phineas nodded. “Then let us practice a few dances. I will keep an eye on you and let you know what is appropriate and what is just a smidge too much.”
“Oh, thank you, Doctor Radcliff,” Christianna said as she heaved a sigh of relief. “I feel so much better knowing that you are here, willing to help me.” She very carefully lifted the hem of her skirts, pulling it just high enough that it no longer trailed on the soft carpet.
Phineas shook his head. “That will not do. Ladies’ ball gowns are already cut a little shorter to allow for dancing, are they not?” He paused, and Christianna nodded. “So, that means you must gather even more material in your hands now.”
She clutched at the folds of the simple white muslin dress. “Is that better?”
“Quite,” Phineas replied as he averted his gaze.
“Doctor Radcliff, you must look at me,” Christianna said as she skipped a little so that she was standing in front of him once more. “This will not work if you always behave as a gentleman.”
His forehead scrunched in consternation. “But you deserve to be treated like a lady, Christianna, and I am a gentleman—one who respects you greatly.”
“I thank you for that, Doctor Radcliff, but I fear this is a necessary evil.” She inched her skirts even a bit higher and scooted very near to him so he would not have the chance to look away. “The best thing…the only thing you can do for me is to help me with this endeavour.” Phineas nodded his head stiffly.
“I understand, Lady Christianna. Shall we begin practising then?”
“Yes,” she said, then she began to hum a lively tune. It was rather freeing to dance with her skirts tucked as they were, as she did not feel as if she might trip over the hem. When they reached the end of the number, Christianna beamed up at Phineas. “Well, Doctor Radcliff,” she prompted. “How did I do?”
“You are just as accomplished as you were before,” he said as he bowed politely to her.
“But did you notice my ankles? Did you…were you…attracted to me because you could see that little bit of skin?”
Phineas smiled kindly at her but did not answer her question directly. “I think you will do very well tonight, Lady Christianna.”
