Free Laurie Brown by Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake Page A

and with blessed silence from
     Deverell who retreated to watch from the sidelines. They even tried a straight hey, which wound up looking more like a game of musical chairs as they marched in and out around the stationary partners.
    “Oh my. Perhaps we should take a break.” Amelia said, plying her fan with vigor.
    Unfortunately, Josie had left her fan in the parlor.
    “Are we done?”Vivian asked.
    “What’s her problem?” Josie whispered to Emma, her neighbor in dance terms.
    “I don’t know. This is more fun than doing the tango with a mop or the electric monkey with a dust cloth.”
    Josie really needed to get out more. She’d never even heard of the electric monkey.
    “I think we could do with some refreshment,” Amelia said. “Vivian, would you please fetch us some lemonade?”
    Cook scuttled out the door, presumably to prepare her employer’s request, but Vivian stood her ground and jerked her head
     toward the other maid. Emma turned to leave.
    “Thank you,Vivian,” Amelia said, stopping the second maid mid-step.“Emma will tidy up in here. George, please let in a bit
     of air,” she added with a wave toward the bank of French doors that opened out onto the large stone terrace that had been
     added to the back of the castle in the late 1700s.
    The rain had stopped, and the fresh scent of green countryside wafted in on a cool breeze.
    Vivian stomped out of the ballroom, sparing a glare in the other maid’s direction.
    “Now she’s in a snit,” Emma said. She moved two chairs back against the wall and returned for the others. “Farewell, Colin.”
     She patted the back of the chair.“You were a good partner.”
    “Unfortunately, Raoul was a bit stiff.”
    “Stiff is not always a bad thing in a partner,” Emma muttered, but then immediately apologized.
    “It’s Raoul who deserves my apology,”Josie replied with a wink. “The poor stiff,” she added over her shoulder as she left
     to join Amelia and the others.
    Cecily was speaking about the waltz. “The Regency version was danced a bit slower than in Victorian times. And, yes, it was
     considered scandalous. Even that epitome of a Regency bad boy Lord Byron thought it shameful to embrace on the dance floor. Lady Jersey did not allow it at Almack’s until 1815. She preferred the Quadrille, a French dance of five
     sections performed by four couples. Much too complicated to learn today.”
    “Can we have a waltz before tea?”
    “I’m sorry, Amelia,” Ian said with a shake of his head.
    “We can’t stay to tea,” Cecily added.“It’s near an hour back to London, and we have a previous engagement this evening.” She
     looked at her watch. “In fact, we should be leaving soon.”
    “I’m sorry you can’t stay.”
    “Me, too,” Josie added.“Thank you so much for sharing your expertise.” She shook hands with both visitors. When Ian excused
     himself to pack up his equipment, and the women started catching up on mutual acquaintances, Josie slipped away to get some
     air on the terrace.
    The outside temperature was chillier than she’d expected, and for once she wished she had one of those bothersome shawls.
     Rather than go back inside just yet, she found a seat in a sheltered alcove where she could still enjoy the view.
    “Raoul?” Deverell said as he materialized at her side.“That’s what you named your dream partner?”
    “At least Raoul didn’t criticize my every move.”
    “Critique is not criticism. One cannot improve without knowing what one is doing wrong.”
    “Again semantics. What were you even doing there? Amelia doesn’t want you to be seen or heard.”
    “Obviously I wasn’t. Not by anyone other than you.”
    “And why is that?”
    “I haven’t a notion.”
    “You promised to answer all my questions.”
    “To the best of my ability.”
    “Meaning?”
    “I have no answer.Always before anyone and everyone could see me to the degree I chose to materialize.”
    “What do you mean by degree? ”