Page 34 of Leap of Faith
Lady Westwood began fanning herself.
“Now is not the time for the vapours, Mother,” Lord Westwood teased. “We will simply hire a dancing master to make sure they are up to snuff.”
“Now is not a time to speak in such a vulgar manner, Dominic! You cannot imagine Monsieur Dubois will have any availability at this time?”
“I generally find that for the right sum anyone has availability,” he mumbled wryly.
“You and your friends will make yourselves useful. In fact, gather them now, and we will begin today!”
“You should have kept your thoughts to yourself, my lord.” Faith was definitely trying to smother laughter now, but it tumbled out.
“Do you think my friends will make themselves available at a moment’s notice?” he asked.
“I find that for the right sum anyone can be available!” His mother intoned his own words back at him.
He barked an appreciative laugh. “Touché. Very well, I will round ’em up!”
* * *
Dominic should have foreseensomething like this. He had fallen right into that trap. Nothing could be more tedious than dancing lessons. But first, he would have Satterlee contact the dancing master, and send him to wait upon Lady Westwood. His mother was wrong. Everyone, including Monsieur Dubois, could be bought.
Now, how to find suitable partners? He doubted if there were any, but at least his friends could be trusted not to step over the line. They were neither ones to bother young innocents nor on the lookout foreligible partis.
Besides, he never asked for favours, and he knew they liked the sisters. Montford was predictably at White’s. Sometimes, Dominic wondered if he had been forced to let the family Town residence, but it was more likely that he was avoiding his mother and sisters who were there.
“Dancing? You know I’m not over-fond of the past time, Dom.”
“Neither am I, old chap, but if you asked me to help because your sisters were in desperate straits for a ball in a fortnight, I would oblige you.”
Montford scowled. “At least your wards are a dashed sight prettier than my sisters,” he said with brutal frankness. But he came along anyway.
Freddy was at home and only too delighted to help.
It was another thing to track Rotham down. Dominic finally found him at Tattersalls.
“We need one more. Perhaps I could send for Ashley, but he has Guard duty.” Dominic’s younger brother was always a favourite with the ladies, but he hated to trouble him for such a tedious matter.
Therefore, the last partner proved to be more difficult to find. They stood admiring some black horses being led around the ring while contemplating. Dominic had not heard back from Sir Reginald about the girls’ mounts. What a sight they would be on black horses…
“What about Worth?” Rotham asked, interrupting Dom’s machinations.
“Too high in the instep, not to mention old.” Dominic dismissed the suggestion.
“Sudley was at White’s,” Montford said.
“Isn’t that Carew over there?” Freddy asked.
“The Irish rogue?” Dominic lifted his brows at Freddy. Though Dominic had no issue with their old friend from school, he was hardly one to dance attendance on débutantes. Mamas hid their young from his devastating charm. Freddy had already hailed him over.
“Carew, are you engaged this afternoon? Westwood has five new wards that need help learning to dance.”
Dominic attempted chagrin to keep Carew from taking the bait. As long as Freddy didn’t…
“Five great beauties. Will set thetonby storm.”
“Five, eh?” Carew pretended to consider while Dominic smothered a groan.
The Whitford sisters were a vision even in their mourning dresses. The girls were standing in formation and performing the steps without partners, Monsieur Dubois circling them with a critical eye, adjusting postures and calling out corrections.
