She turned then, curious to discover who her next dance partner would be as her father nodded his consent.
Benjamin.
Their eyes locked, and the rest of the room faded. With a bow, he offered his hand. Warmth coursed through her, spreading from the fingertips she had placed in his extended palm. Unable to look away from him, Felicity took no notice of the disgruntled Lord Roberts or the displeased expression that had not budged from her mother’s face.
The pair took their respective places on the floor, waiting for the music to cue them into motion. Her heart pounded so hard she was sure the rest of the room could hear it. Their first conversation had taken place so many weeks ago that she had not recognized his voice at first. But now, in the full light of the room, she was able to soak in every detail of his face. The chandelier of candles hanging above them illuminated everything so clearly. She had not lied when she told him the scar that marked the left side of his face did not detract from the effect his handsome appearance had.
She curtsied while keeping her eyes locked on his. His hand slid around her waist, taking its place on the small of her back, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. The gentle but firm pressure he kept on her back was nothing like the slimy push of Lord Roberts. Her cheeks flushed when their hands connected, one folding over the other. She didn’t remember feeling such welcome tension the first time she met Benjamin, but then again, she didn’t know him then. Dancing in view of the ton, knowing each other as well as they did while pretending to be no more than strangers, sent a thrill through Felicity.
They moved together, each step as sure and graceful as the last. She guessed that with all of his dance lessons, she should not be surprised at his obvious skill, but a waltz had never felt this easy to her before. He spun her in circles around the room, and she followed his every unspoken command as if they had spent a lifetime dancing together.
“You look stunning tonight.”
The rich timbre of his voice melted into her ears, his words so soft and low, only she could hear them.
“Thank you, B - Sir.”
Despite their familiarity in their letters, she had to remind herself they were in a formal setting, and no one else knew of their correspondence. At least, she had not spoken of it to anyone but Ruth.
“Do my skills meet your expectations?”
A playful gleam shone in his eyes as he asked his question, a smile tucked behind his lips waiting for her reply.
“They are adequate,” she lied with a grin.
“Adequate?” he murmured in soft objection. “My mother would be outraged by my apparent lack of skill.”
“For your mother’s sake then, I must admit you are the most splendid partner I have ever had the pleasure of dancing with.”
Felicity shocked herself with her boldness, unsure of just where it came from. It was not a regular occurrence for her to compliment a gentleman so candidly. She tucked her chin but not before Benjamin gave her a broad smile.
“It is an honor to dance with you, Felicity.”
The way her name sounded on his whispered breath made her blush. She was sure she was pink from her cheeks down to her toes. Her name had never sounded so beautiful and alluring as it had when Benjamin said it. For the sake of the people around them, he had leaned towards her ever so slightly, the warmth of his breath caressing her skin. Mirroring the music that filled the air, Felicity's heart swelled. As he pulled back, righting himself back into the appropriate posture, Felicity felt a distinct loss.
As much as she longed for conversation with him, for the chance to discuss all he had said in his last letter, Felicity could not seem to form the right words. Benjamin appeared to be equally as speechless as they danced in silence for the remainder of the waltz.
When the musicians played their last note, Felicity was hesitant in letting him go. Somehow, their song had been the longest and shortest piece of the night. The rest of the room seemed to disappear, frozen when she looked at him as they took their parting bows, Felicity could have sworn she didn’t get nearly enough time with him. He sent her a knowing look and then disappeared into the crowd.
Felicity used her own trek back to her family to anchor herself back into reality. It was too late to worry about how their dance had appeared to everyone else, but worry crept in all the same. She felt stares on her back every step of the way but did her best to ignore them, squaring her shoulders and holding her head high.
“I cannot believe you,” her mother seethed, taking a vice grip on Felicity’s arm. “You were given explicit instructions to stay away from Mister Chapman. For you to accept a dance with him was beyond unacceptable.”
“Was I supposed to refuse him?” Felicity whispered back through a tight smile, not wanting to give anyone the impression that something was amiss as the room seemed to still be watching her.
“Yes, you were supposed to refuse him. Lord Roberts has been waiting for your company all evening. You should have told Mister Chapman that you were unavailable.”
“Captain.”
“I beg your pardon?” Her mother grew more enraged at Felicity’s choice of response.
“He is an honored Captain in the royal army. He should be addressed asCaptain Chapman.”Felicity was once again caught off guard at her boldness tonight, but she continued on, “I did not think it appropriate for me to refuse one gentleman’s offer for another, especially when I had already danced with the second. I fail to see how the Captain’s company is any worse than Lord Roberts.”
“I see you have forgotten,” her mother said through clenched teeth, “what is at stake. You cannot afford the luxury of dancing with aCaptainwhen it is the security of an Earl that we need. Donotmake me remind you again.”
Felicity felt the weighted cloak of her family’s predicament settle around her shoulders once more. Her mother was right. She had been foolish to entertain such hopes of any kind of relationship with Benjamin. Her focus should be elsewhere. From the corner of her eye, she could see Lord Roberts approaching, wearing the same deceptively charming smile. Her thoughts jumped from one thing to the next; the more she thought about marrying someone like the Earl, the tighter her chest got, making it harder and harder to breathe. She sought out Delilah, hoping her sister would notice her distress and rescue her, but Delilah was nowhere to be found. Only a few steps separated her and Lord Roberts. Only a few steps until she lost the little control she had left on her swirling emotions.
“I am in need of some air. Excuse me.”