"Oh,
Clayton, it's terrible," Emily sniffed. "I am to go to London soon
and I have no idea how to waltz. My dancing master, Monsieur Buckette, is
ill."
Three
male groans hit Briana's ears. Although she truly loved Emily, she thought
pulling this act on all three brothers was scarier than meeting the king at court.
She wanted to shrink behind the climbing vines and disappear. She was good at
fading into the crowd. Sometimes no one noticed her at all.
To her
surprise, the three brothers turned their backs and started to converse in low
voices. Were they truly going to bow to their baby sister's request and teach
the girls to waltz? Or had they already discovered their ploy?
"Well,
dash it all, I don't like it above half, but she has to learn," Clayton
said in a hushed tone.
"You
have a point," Stephen put in. "Every lady should know how to
waltz."
"Don't
like it," Marcus added. "Don't like her waltzing with any gentleman.
Devil a bit. It ain't a seemly dance for either of those imps."
The
whispers were no longer audible and Briana started to panic when the brothers
shot them curt glances over their broad shoulders.
"Emily,"
she said, scooting toward her friend, "don't you think—"
Beneath
her handkerchief, a smile sprang to Emily's lips. "Wait thirty
seconds," she whispered.
"Why
does Mother not hire another dancing master?" Stephen's voice rose
suspiciously as he turned toward Briana and Emily.
"Because,
Monsieur Buckette is at least three score, if not more," Clayton said,
narrowing his brow and regarding the two girls. "He's ... well... he's
safe."
"There
is Sir William," Stephen announced calmly. "I hear he has filled in
as a dancing master for Lady Penelope—"
"Sir
William?" Clayton said, exasperated. "You have to be jesting. There
is no idiot on earth that would have that rogue dance with any female of his
acquaintance, let alone a sister."
He
peered at Briana and frowned. "Or a sister's friend."
Stephen
smiled. "Are you calling Lady Penelope's father an idiot?"
Clayton
ground his teeth.
Marcus
frowned. "Don't like it above half, but it will have to be us. Don't trust
any of those young dancing masters."
"Marcus
is right," Clayton put in. "Come on inside, Em. Bring Miss Garland
with you. You will learn how to waltz. Give us some time to clean up."
Briana's
eyes grew wide. She was astounded that her friend's plan was falling into place
so easily. "Emily, I—"
"Shhh."
Emily squeezed Briana's arm as the three men sauntered back into the ballroom
and up the stairs to change.
"But,
Emily, Monsieur Buckette is in fine health. We saw him only yesterday."
"My
brothers don't know that." Emily shrugged. "Besides, I think the man
had the sniffles yesterday."
"But..."
Emily
giggled. "Oh, won't it be divine when we take London by storm?"
Briana
was becoming more uncomfortable by the minute. Emily always liked excitement,
and that was one reason Briana usually enjoyed her company—except for a few
times like this, when her taste for excitement forced Briana to, well, lie.
"I
would rather be reading about Egyptian artifacts," she mumbled.
Emily
laughed. "My brothers won't bite. They are quite tame when they dance. And
besides, they like Egyptian artifacts."
She
pulled Briana along. "Don't worry, silly. I'll make certain you are paired
with Clayton. He's not as stuffy as Marcus. But just don't look at him with
those fairy eyes."
"I
don't have fairy eyes."
"Yes,
you do. I've always wished mine were your color. But Clayton has a sixth sense
about these things." She giggled. "Except when I stretch the truth.
So remember, if your eyes give us away, it's good-bye, waltz, hello,
boredom."
Courage
welled up inside Briana. Good heavens, she was going to dance with Clayton!
"I can keep this a secret."
"Of
course you can. I never said you couldn't."
A
chuckle escaped Briana's lips. "I can be just as stubborn as you about
withholding information."
Emily
turned to her and frowned. "If you think me stubborn, don't even test
Clayton. If he discovers our trick, well, I vow he will make it hard for me to
ever waltz again."
Briana's
brows fell into a concerned V. "He will?"
Emily
laughed. "I am only jesting, Bree. But he is stubborn. Come on."
Briana
managed a half smile as they turned the corner and entered Elbourne Hall. She
always had a sixth sense about these things, too. Something was bound to go
wrong.
Thirty
minutes later, Briana found herself in the arms of Lord Clayton, while Emily
was partnered with Marcus and Stephen played the pianoforte.
"One,
two, three, one, two, three," Clayton said aloud, swinging Briana about
the room. "That's it. Just let your partner take the lead. Everyone will
think you two girls have been dancing since you were four."
Briana
was acutely conscious of the man's nearness. His hand was firm and strong about
her waist, while the scent of bayberry drifted her way, sending a tingling to
the pit of her stomach.
A hot
ache grew in her throat when she thought about her mother's plan for her to
marry a Clearbrook. With a sinking heart, she realized nothing would ever come
of it.
She had
heard Lord Clayton was in love with Lady Serena Brently from London. A diamond
of the first water. A lady with lustrous yellow hair and large chestnut eyes. A
lady, not a mere girl of sixteen.
And to
make matters worse, just last week she had overheard him talking about buying a
commission in the army. All the Clearbrook brothers would be going to war soon.
Napoleon was causing too much havoc for them to watch sedately from the English
countryside.
Her
stomach clenched at the thought of Clayton hurt on the battlefield—or worse,
even dead. Too embarrassed to look anywhere else, she dropped her gaze to the
floor.
"Miss
Garland, if you look down at your feet, you will decidedly trip over them. Look
up at me."
Briana
stumbled and felt Clayton's large hand tighten about her waist. She slowly
lifted her gaze. Dark brown hair hung over his right temple, framing eyes that
sparkled with a mixture of amusement and compassion. This was the Clayton she
liked best.
"That's
it, Miss Garland. Now, just follow me. Relax."
Briana
felt herself floating on air. She circled the room like a princess in the arms
of her prince.
"How
long are you staying at Elbourne, Miss Garland?"
Briana
blinked and accidentally stepped on his foot.
He
smiled, sending her heart somersaulting.
"Um,
the entire summer, I believe."
He
nodded, his lips parting in a heavenly display of even white teeth. "Now,
it is your turn to ask me a question."
Her
blood froze. "I—"
Emily's
twittering laughter broke into Briana's thoughts. Her friend had stepped on
Marcus's toe, and he was groaning.
Clayton
turned Briana toward the window, while Stephen's fingers ran up and down the
pianoforte in a sweet melody of notes.
"Perhaps
something about the weather," Clayton suggested.
Briana
cleared her throat. "The weather?"
"Yes,
the weather." He chuckled. "Or perhaps how fine I look today."
Briana
colored and was saved when Marcus laughed. "Spare us the self-adoration,
Clay. You're embarrassing the poor girl."
Briana
noticed the arms about her stiffen. "He was only trying to help me,"
she said, surprising herself.
Clayton's
lips spread into a wide grin. "There, you see, the lady defends me. Now,
tell me about the weather, Miss Garland."
Briana
blinked. "I don't... um, the weather?"
"Yes.
Is it raining out? Or is it pleasant?"
Emily
chuckled. "Clayton, you are supposed to teach us to waltz, not talk about
the weather."
"Did
you hear about Miss Winters?" Stephen asked. The music softened to a
whisper as the two couples kept dancing.
Emily
gave Briana a wink. Briana tried not to stumble.
"What
about the lady?" Marcus asked his younger brother.
"Ran
off with Mr. Summers, the dancing master."
Briana
laughed.
Clayton
looked down at her and grinned. "You know, Miss Garland, when you smile,
you are the prettiest girl in the county. Your eyes sparkle like a sea of
emeralds."
Briana
faltered a step. His brows lifted in mirth as he swung her toward Emily and the
dance ended. They practiced a few more times until the girls were decent enough
at the dance, and then the brothers left for a ride into the village.
Standing
in the ballroom, Briana stared in shocked amazement at her friend.
"Well,
what did I tell you?" Emily asked, smiling as she leaned against a
towering pillar on the edge of the dance floor.
Briana
clapped both hands to her cheeks. "It was the most thrilling day of my
life. I will never forget it, ever!"
You know. Miss Garland, when you
smile, you are the prettiest girl in the county. Your eyes sparkle like a sea
of emeralds.
Emily's
face glowed. "My brothers are pudding in my hands. Mama will never know.
We handled it perfectly, did we not?"
"I
heard that."
Briana's
head snapped up to see Clayton's hovering form blocking the entrance to the
ballroom. He was no longer pudding in his sister's hands here. His arms were
crossed over his chest and dark sapphire eyes stared back at them. Briana
gulped.
Emily
snatched Briana's hand and carefully hastened past her brother. "Well,
what's a girl to do after all, Clay? I mean, if not you or Monsieur Buckette,
then who? Sir William?"
"If
I had known Mother would not allow this—"
"Well,
you didn't know!"
Clayton's
eyes were almost black.
Emily
took a hesitant step back and Briana began to worry. She decided it was time to
take over. Emily was always manipulating a plan; now it was Briana's turn. She
felt her lips quivering in mirth when the absurd thought came to her.
"Yes,
truly, my lord," Briana blurted out. "You don't want us dancing with
Mr. Summers, do you?"
Emily
turned to her friend and burst out laughing. "Oh, Bree. That's
hilarious!"
Shocked,
Clayton dropped his hands to his sides. He stared at Briana as if she had never
spoken before. Not giving him a chance to make the next move, the girls took
off down the hall.
"Emily,
you are going to pay for this!" his voice boomed.
Emily
laughed, waving her hand in the air, as if he were nothing but a stranger on
the road.
Briana
giggled. It was the most perfect day of her life. She was definitely in love.