Page 36 of The Gentleman's Seduction
Martin approached her and the beast, eyeing the elephant nervously.
“Elephants are gentle,” the Indian handler assured him.
“My experience tells me otherwise,” Martin muttered. He put an arm around Livvy’s waist, and with the other hand, he touched the elephant’s trunk. He tensed when the elephant swayed again and made a soft trumpetlike sound.
“Take off your glove,” Livvy encouraged. When he did, the elephant lightly tapped his shoulder. The Indian man handed him a peach.
“Give him this.”
Martin accepted the peach and held it up. The elephant deftly plucked the fruit from his palm, lifted it to its mouth, and ate it in seemingly one bite.
“Isn’t he the grandest thing you’ve ever seen?” Livvy pressed her cheek to Martin’s shoulder. She’d made him conquer his fear, and she was glad. He had done it for her.
“He certainly is.” Martin patted the elephant’s front leg, and then he and Livvy stepped back to allow the handler to take charge of the elephant. Martin paid the handler a few coins for his patience.
“Shall we go have a drink?” Martin offered.
“Yes, please.” Livvy waved goodbye to the handler as they pushed back into the crowd. When they found a pub on the ice, Martin order two pints of ale and handed her one.
“Drink it slowly,” he cautioned.
She sipped and made a face. The bitter taste was not to her liking. She much preferred wine or sherry.
“Not for you, eh?” He chuckled. “I’ll drink it then.” He waved one of the barmen down. “A glass of wine for the lady.”
Martin carried his two pints to a small table, and Livvy sat beside him. They drank in pleasant silence while watching the crowds and the games being played out on the ice. The frost fair was truly amazing.
“Can you believe this hasn’t happened since 1814? There have been times where part of the river has frozen, but never so much that it was safe enough to walk on.”
She leaned against him. “Why doesn’t it happen more often?”
“It has to do with the speed of the river flow and the depth. Shallow rivers freeze more frequently. The king has been improving the waterways by deepening the river. It won’t freeze easily now.”
“What a pity,” she sighed. “I find this quite magical.”
“As do I, but magic always fades in the wake of progress.”
They both fell into a quiet silence as they finished their drinks and observed the fair around them. Livvy wanted it to last for hours. She noticed a large dancing area where a group of men were playing a few violins and people were twirling to a jig.
“May we dance?” She’d always loved dancing, loved the way it felt to fly in the arms of a handsome partner. She had attended only two balls this year, but each one had been breathtaking.
“I suppose we could.” Martin finished his second pint and stood. He offered a gloved hand, and she accepted.
When they reached the dancing area, they found the ice covered with a layer of sand, just as the walkways had been.
“Be careful,” he cautioned as they joined the other couples queueing up in a line to dance. The musicians started up a lively tune, and the couples facing each other took turns dancing down the row, then they all broke apart to dance in pairs of wide circles. Livvy giggled as she and Martin twirled about, doing their best not to slip on the ice.
After three dances, Livvy was flushed and panting, her corset sitting a little too tight.
“Let’s rest for a bit.” Martin led her away from the dancers and walked down a row of impromptu shops. They paused at a stall selling canes.
“Oh, these are lovely, Martin. Do you have a cane?”
“No, but I don’t have need of one.” She was aware of that, but a man with a cane was, well,distinguished.
“I think you would look very dashing with one,” she said as she went to the shopkeeper who lingered close by, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.
“Dashing? Trying to make me the hero of one of your Gothic novels?” he teased. She grinned cheekily.
