Lady Revealed (4 page)

Acker tossed the correspondence from the Home Office onto his desk and sat back. He was to finish his business and continue onto Prussia, now that they had sided against Napoleon. It would also be impossible to watch Juliette dance tonight because he was required to attend a supper this evening with those who supported the effort to defeat Napoleon. The dictator may currently rule Milan and the Kingdom of Italy but the people resented his authority and wanted the country to return to how it once had been, before Austria and France were fighting for the land.

At least he would see Juliette today, when she had finished with her students. He glanced at the clock and excitement stirred in his blood. In just a short time he could leave to see her again.

He picked up the missive and read the message from the Home Office again. Prussia turning against Napoleon was welcoming news yet Acker was not certain he was ready to leave Milan or Juliette.

He tossed the parchment into the fire and rose from his desk. He would not think about leaving now, but enjoy his time with Juliette, no matter how short it may be. He grabbed the great coat he had left folded over a chair and made his way outside only to be brought up short. When had it started raining and how long would it last? He had been so caught up in his work and writing reports to be delivered to London that he had blocked out everything, even the activity outside of his own windows.

Though Acker had no set plans for their outing, he assumed they would enjoy another pleasant day such as yesterday. The rain altered his plans greatly. Perhaps he could bring her back here?

A slow smile formed at the thought of Juliette curled upon his settee in front of the fire warming the damp room. Would she allow him to make love to her?

As much as he wished for that to happen, it was unlikely. They barely knew one another and Juliette didn’t strike him as the type of woman who easily shared her favors, regardless of whether she had lovers in the past or not. She was unlike any dancer he had met in the past.

Acker dashed from the doorway and ran to his carriage. The door was already held open by a footman and he launched himself inside. The drive was not far to the school and traffic was light today. It was probably due to the weather. They stopped before the old building and Acker glanced out the window. The rain hadn’t lightened and he weighed whether he should wait in the carriage for Juliette to emerge or go inside.

Young students came out from the building, their cloaks pulled up over their heads as mothers, or perhaps governesses, ushered them home. Surely Juliette was done and would soon exit the building.

He tapped his fingers on his thigh, watching the door, waiting for her to appear and then leaned forward to peer up at the building. She stood at a third story window, looking toward the corner where they met yesterday. Was she waiting until it stopped raining or until he appeared?

*

Juliette glanced out the window from the third floor where she taught ballet. It had been raining heavy since early afternoon with no signs of it ceasing. Would Lord Acker meet her today as promised or would he remain home? She strained to look toward the corner but nobody waited. Was he in a doorway or inside a building trying to stay dry?

She glanced back to the front of the building. The carriage that had been there when she first looked still waited. At first she thought it belonged to one of her students, but none of them entered the conveyance. Was Lord Acker inside?

Juliette bit her bottom lip and tried to see who was sitting at the window. She couldn’t very well approach it if she didn’t know who was there. And, even if it was Acker, dare she get inside? Her mother warned her about being alone with gentlemen and what they would try to do with her. Though she and Acker had been alone yesterday, they were outside, surrounded by other people. Such would not be the case inside a closed conveyance.

Nobody appeared at the corner and Juliette pulled away from the window and lifted her pelisse from the hook. If he did not arrive she would simply return home. She stepped out into the corridor and was surrounded by silence. The other classrooms on this floor were empty and as there was no music coming from below, she assumed all of the teachers, students and musicians were gone for the day. Only Signore Bianchi would be here at this time. He oversaw the building, saw to the cleaning at the end of the day and locked the door early in the evening only to return in the morning to begin another day.

Juliette started down the stairs when she heard footsteps leading up. Perhaps Signore Bianchi was beginning his rounds. Instead, she saw light brown hair, wet from the rain. Soon Lord Acker came into view and she stopped, waiting for him. She couldn’t help the thrill that went through her at the sight of him.

He paused when he saw her standing at the top of the stairs. “I don’t believe this a good day for an outing.”

She laughed, feeling light and free, happy that he had come inside.

He continued up the stairs. “Perhaps we can wait out the rain here.”

“I believe that is an excellent idea, Lord Acker.” She turned to return to her classroom and he followed. The back wall was lined with windows, each with water streaming down the thick panes of glass. On the opposite wall were mirrors and barres used for balancing and stretching. The room was devoid of any furniture except in a back corner across from the door where a settee and three chairs had been placed. This is where parents waited for the children to be done with lessons. The wide space, with an old scarred wood floor, is where the students learned and Juliette often rehearsed.

Upon entering the room, Acker removed this greatcoat and shook the droplets of water from it.

“I would offer you refreshments but all we have is water.” Juliette gestured to the small table where pitchers of water sat beside several glasses. It was not unusual for her or her students to be thirsty after working all afternoon.

“I’ve had enough water for one afternoon,” he laughed.

Juliette returned his smile and gestured toward the chairs. “Would you care to sit?”

Acker simply stood there staring at her. “Dance for me,” he said after a moment, his voice low and warmth spread through her body as heat stole into her cheeks. It was one thing to dance upon the stage before a crowd and with others and an orchestra feeding her movements. It was quite another to give a performance to a soul individual in silence.

“Dance with me,” she countered.

He chuckled and shook his head.

“I’ll teach you the art of ballet,” Juliette offered. What would it be like if Acker could dance like Carlo? How would it feel to have his hands about her waist, lifting, turning and spinning?

He looked down at his clothing, “I don’t believe I am properly attired.”

His clothing was a bit confining, but Juliette was not about to let that stop her. “Remove your jacket and waistcoat,” she suggested and then glanced at his feet. Those boots would never do, at least not at first. “And your boots.”

Acker tilted his head and studied her as if he were considering the option. A moment later he slid the jacket from his shoulders and tossed it onto a chair before he unbuttoned his waistcoat. It was placed on top of the jacket and Acker sat to remove his boots. He was actually going to learn to dance. Juliette’s mind flooded with lessons. What should she teach him first?

He placed his boots beside the chair and started walking toward her. The stockings on his feet were thin and she hoped he didn’t earn a splinter for his effort. This was an old building and many of the floorboards were in need of replacing. But since the dancers wore slippers suited for the ballet, splinters were not a concern, unless one fell. She had gotten a few in her palms, but not in some time.

When he stopped before her, Juliette looked down at his feet. “Shall we start with the first foot position?” She pressed her heels together and turned her feet out so that they formed a perfect line from one toe to the other.

Acker attempted the same, but his feet did not turn nearly as far as Juliette would like. “Can you not do better?” She asked as she glanced up.

“I am afraid this is the best I can do without it becoming painful.”

“Where does it pull?”

His face developed a rosy hue and Juliette tried not to giggle. It wasn’t unusual to discuss legs, backs, arms, feet and even the bottom with her students. How else was one to know if there was an injury or they needed to stretch further?

“Here.” He gestured to the inside of his thighs, slightly above the knees.

Juliette nodded. “Come with me.” She led him to the barre. “You need to stretch.” She turned her back to him. “Now, do what I do.” Juliette lifted her right leg and placed it on the barre and turned to look back at Acker.

He was focused on her ankle and calf. If she didn’t expose this part of her anatomy nightly to an entire audience she might be embarrassed. It wasn’t as if he could see all of her leg.

“Lift your foot and place it on the barre,” she said when he didn’t move.

Acker took his focus from her leg and attempted to do as she did. He winced when his ankle finally settled in place.

“Now, bring your arms above your head.” She demonstrated by curving her arms up and out, bringing them above her until her fingers almost touched.

He did the same, though his arms were more stiff and straight. In time he would learn the proper position.

“Now, bend at the waist and try to touch your nose to your leg.” Juliette demonstrated the movement then straightened and looked at Acker’s reflection in the mirror. The man could only partially bend. This was going to be more work than she was used to. Her students were young girls and more limber when they first began to dance, but she was not about to give up on this gentleman. “Straighten and do it again.”

They repeated the exercise five more times and though he was stretching the muscles, Acker could not bend far. Juliette removed her foot from the barre and turned. “Now, the other side.”

Acker had to physically lift his leg off of the barre before he could straighten and stand on it. He turned and repeated the exercise. This time Juliette was behind him and she enjoyed the sight of his bottom as the breeches tightened each time he bent. As she wore a skirt, she knew he could not see her body movement nearly as well. He had a very nice posterior. Firm from what she could tell, despite his inability to stretch very far. It was interesting. She had been in similar situations with other male dancers, but barely noted their behinds and she certainly didn’t admire them as she did Ackers.

The room was growing warmer and she glanced in the mirror to watch him stretch.

He began to bend for the third time but groaned and stopped. Juliette quickly righted herself and rushed to stand before him. “Are you hurt?”

“Not yet, but I cannot do this again. As it is, I am not certain I will be able to walk tomorrow.”

She couldn’t help herself but giggled and helped him take his foot from the barre. Perhaps that was enough for one day. Though he was tall and fit, if the muscles stretching his shirt each time he bent was any indication, he was not in physical condition to attempt ballet. It took years of training to be able to move as she and Carlo did. “I am sorry,” she offered when he winced once he planted his foot on the floor and straightened.

“I now have much more appreciation for the ballet.”

“You should probably sit.”

He took a step closer to her. She could feel his breath on her cheek. “I will if you dance for me.”

She stared up into his eyes wanting to grant his request, despite how uncomfortable it would be to dance for him alone, but she could not. “I have a performance tonight. I cannot tire myself.”

*

Did that mean they could not make love before she danced but only after?

Quit thinking about making love to Juliette he admonished himself. Though what man would not? Her bodice was snug and not of the current fashion as it was fitted to her small waist. From there the skirt was full but fell to just above her ankles. It was a dancing costume of course, but more alluring than the fashions ladies wore today, where the bodice only fitted across the breast and the rest of the dress loose, leaving a gentleman to wonder at her shape. Though he wouldn’t have minded if Juliette’s bodice was cut more of today’s fashions. He had watched her as she stretched over her leg and if she would have been wearing the lower cut gown he was used to in Society he might have been able to glimpse more of her lovely breasts. But her costume was designed to be fitted to her body so that nothing was revealed, other than a portion of her leg, when she moved.

“A waltz instead,” he suggested. He wanted to hold her and remain close to her, if not closer, and the waltz was the only thing he could think of to bring her into his arms, without simply pulling her there.

Juliette bit her bottom lip and her eyebrows furrowed. “I’ve never waltzed before.”

How could she come to be the age she was, be a dancer and never have waltzed? Of course, even though it was popular in Vienna, it was still frowned upon by many in London who considered it immoral. “I’ll teach you.”

Acker lifted her left hand and placed it on his shoulder before he grasped her right hand and slid his hand about her waist. Neither wore gloves and his warmth enveloped her cool touch.