Page 67 of The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins

When the dance was over, before he could escort me off the floor, I said, “Thank you for dancing with me. It was Mr. Merritt’s idea, so that people wouldn’t think something about me that wasn’t true. But I am truly sorry if it has caused you any embarrassment. I am terribly embarrassed myself, but I didn’t know—”

“Miss Robbins, please say no more. I was glad to help. But you will remember that I did warn you about Mr. Welton.”

Could he not see that I was mortified? His words could not have stung me more if he’d said,I warned youWelton was only after your money,and yet you werefoolish and thought he might care for you.

I pressed my lips together and said nothing as he led me toward Mrs. Drake. But I was thinking, perhaps Mr. Welton did care for me. Perhaps he was trying to gather the courage, even at this moment, to ask me to marry him. At least he’d wanted everyone to think he was engaged to me. That was certainly more than I could say for Lord Brookhaven.

He bowed to me and left.

Suddenly, a young lady swooned in her chair on the other side of the ballroom. It was fortunate for me, since everyone was too busy watching the spectacle, as she had to be assisted out of the heated room and to the balcony to get some air. Everyone seemed too busy speculating about her to remember that I’d danced two times with three different gentlemen in one evening.

Millicent caught hold of my arm. “Did you see me dancing with Lord Markeley?” She was smiling quite broadly.

“I did indeed.”

“He even stood talking with me through the next dance and hasn’t danced with anyone else since,” she whispered near my ear.

“That is very promising,” I whispered back, happy to see her so happy.

Hattie was sitting beside Mrs. Drake, so Millicent and I went to ask if anything was the matter.

“Oh, no, I am well,” Hattie said, but she looked a bit pale as she fanned herself.

“I saw you dancing with Lord Brookhaven,” I said. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

“Yes, he was very kind.”

I sat next to Hattie, hoping it would encourage her to tell me what was making her look slightly frightened. “He was kind?” I asked.

“Oh, Charlotte,” she said quietly, leaning toward me, “I never imagined I’d dance with so many gentlemen and certainly neverwith an earl.” She seemed to lose her breath and closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

“Dear Hattie, he is only a man. You mustn’t be overcome by his station in society. He is only a man,” I repeated quietly for her ears alone.

She still looked frightened as she met my gaze. After a few moments, she said, “Yes, you are right. Of course. For God himself is no respecter of persons.” She took a deep breath, and the color began to come back into her cheeks.

“Yes, exactly. Very true indeed. And I suspect that Lord Brookhaven himself would not wish you to be in awe of him, even though he is an earl.”

“He was very gracious and kind.”

“Yes. Now come over here with Millicent and me where the gentlemen can see you and ask you to dance again. You are up to dancing again, are you not?”

“I believe I am.” She managed a small smile.

“Good.” I squeezed her arm to show my approval. “Come.”

We stood together, each of us facing the crowd in order to look the more inviting.

Truly, these fashionable soirees were hardly any different from the two dances I’d attended in Milford at the White Swan Inn. There were more ladies than gentlemen at those dances—not very different from tonight’s dance—but just as we did now, we all stood against the wall and watched the other dancers and hoped to be asked for the next dance.

No one asked me to dance the next one, but Mr. Merritt introduced to me to one of his acquaintances, who then asked me. And so it went the rest of the night. I was asked to dance most of the dances, Millicent danced with several gentlemen, and Hattie three more times. And at the end of the evening, for the very last dance, Mr. Welton returned to me looking flushed and smelling of brandy, his hair slightly out of place.

“Miss Robbins, there you are,” he said, smiling.

“And here you are, Mr. Welton.” I frowned and refrained from saying that he’d promised to return to me soon, and that had been almost two hours ago. I also didn’t mention that I now understood what his dancing with me two times in succession had meant.

A gentleman, someone Lord Markeley had introduced to me earlier, was walking toward me, but his step faltered when he saw Mr. Welton talking with me. So I stepped toward him, leaving Mr. Welton with his mouth hanging open.

“Miss Robbins, would you honor me with the last dance of the evening?” the gentleman asked.