There were a number of ways to answer this, but Davina took the matter out of her hands. “They had not been engaged for some weeks.”
“Yes—yes, I know, but—” Peony suddenly seemed to realize to whom she was speaking. “Your ladyship, I do beg your pardon.” She sank into a graceful curtsey. “What a pleasure to see you. When I got your note that Claire had arrived, I hardly knew what to think. For all I knew, she was in New York awaiting passage here after her voyage on Persephone.”
“We must contrive a way to catch you up on my adventures,” Claire said. “I need at least two hours, and we will not get that here.”
“You certainly will not. I intend to see you dancing before this mazurka ends.” Davina sounded very firm. “Come along, you girls. There is Mrs. Abercrombie. She owns the second largest diamond mine in the Canadas, and her unmarried sons dancing attendance upon her stand to inherit the lot.”
“Who owns the largest one?” Claire asked.
“Why, John and I do, of course.”
Within moments of their introduction, Davina made sure that Claire and Peony were launched onto the ballroom floor in a lively polka with the Abercrombie boys, and Claire had not another moment to think until Captain Hollys appeared at her elbow.
“This one, I think, is mine.”
The boy—Conrad? Charles?—relinquished her with a smile, and Claire found herself slowing both steps and heart rate as she relaxed. What a blessing it was to dance with someone familiar.
“Small talk is so exhausting,” she said on a long breath.
“I hope that is not meant to discourage me,” Captain Hollys said, clearly taken aback.
“Oh, no, I didn’t mean you.” She smiled up into his eyes. “I merely meant I am glad to dance with someone I know. Remarks upon the weather and the state of the roads have their place, but one can only take them so far. Thank goodness the polka does not require much conversation.”
n>t size="+0">“And were you required to make small talk with Count von Zeppelin? I saw his lordship introduce you.”
“Is he not a fascinating man? Imagine being the one to invent something so marvelous as the airship—something we use for such magnificent purposes, and that we cannot imagine living without. I wonder if he realizes what a great thing he has done for mankind.”
“If he does, it is likely he gives the credit to his engineering staff. He is not proud or self-involved.”
“He advised me to take up aeronautical engineering when I return home.”
“And is that your intention? You do not plan to stay here?” He moved her smoothly into a turn that would take them close to the French doors.
“Goodness, no. I was only to come for a few weeks, until—” Until I turned eighteen and James could not force me to marry him. No, it would not do to bring up old hurts. “Until John and Davina wished to return to London.”
Another turn and he waltzed her out onto the terrace. The night air was cold, but braziers had been set up at intervals along the stone balustrade, so it was not unpleasant.
“Captain Hollys, Davina will be looking for me.”
“I think we have been through enough together that you might call me by my Christian name. Ian.”
She hardly knew where to look. Part of her wanted to flee to the crowded ballroom and find Peony—find Davina—find Alice and see if she was still dancing with Andrew.
Andrew. She was in love with Andrew, was she not? How did one know? With him, she did not have this fluttery, nervous feeling in her chest. Instead, she felt a sense of safety, of homecoming. To be sure, a Kensington address might elicit the same feeling—so that could not be a symptom of love at all.
And yet … she had kissed Andrew, and it had been heaven.
She had kissed James, too, and it had been quite the opposite.
But now, here on this lovely terrace in a beautiful dress, she stood with a handsome man whose eyes told her he would very much like to be the third man to kiss her.
If she were in love with Andrew, then why was she filled with such … anticipation … at such a wicked prospect?
“Claire? What are you thinking?” He stood only inches from her, as though he might take her in his arms.
“I—I cannot say.”
“You can say anything you like to me.”
“You would be shocked.”
“From the woman who jumped into a flash flood … who sacrificed