Free Abbeyford Inheritance by Margaret Dickinson Page B

you care to dance, Adelina?”
    â€œWhy – I’m not sure I know how.”
    Wallis bowed. “As you wish.” He turned to Emily and led her on to the middle of the floor instead. Gradually, almost with a sullen belligerence, the villagers joined in.
    Adelina watched the dancers and tapped her feet and swayed in time to the music. The rafters rang with the noise and the dancers whirled and spun, but there was no spontaneous gaiety, no laughter.
    â€œMay I have the pleasure of this dance, Miss Cole?”
    Evan Smithson stood before her, his startlingly blue eyes challenging her. Adelina glanced up towards the hayloft to see Lucy pouting moodily because Evan had left her to seek out Adelina.
    â€œI can’t dance …”
    â€œOf course you can. Come on,” Evan said and put his arm about her waist and before she could stop herself, she was amongst the dancers.
    â€œYou see, you can dance. Was that merely an excuse to avoid dancing with the likes o’ me?”
    Adelina laughed. “Of course not.”
    He swung her round, almost sweeping her off her feet, so that she was obliged to catch hold of him for support. He laughed aloud, his eyes glinting dangerously, warningly. “ I can be a good friend, Miss Adelina, but a dangerous enemy.”
    Adelina arched her left eyebrow. “ Really?” she remarked drily, all her old instincts aroused by his threat.
    â€œYou know,” Evan said softly in her ear as the dance finally came to an end. “ You know, Miss Adelina, I like you. You’re different. You’re not afraid of me.”
    â€œAfraid of you?” she laughed. “ The very idea, Mr Smithson.”
    Evan gripped her wrist and his handsome face was close to her own. “Don’t tempt fate, sweet Adelina.”
    There was menace in his words and in his tone. But Adelina adroitly twisted her wrist from his grasp and dropped a mocking curtsy. “ Thank you for the dance, Mr Smithson,” and moved away from him to rejoin Emily and Wallis.
    When the music began again, Wallis said, “ Since you seem to have learnt the steps remarkably quickly, Miss Adelina, perhaps you will dance with me now?”
    Inwardly, Adelina sighed. What a web of bitterness and tension and hatred existed in this village, she thought, and she seemed unwittingly to be caught in the middle of it. Wallis danced in silence, a frown upon his forehead. Adelina was aware of the eyes of the villagers upon them, and when, several times during the evening, Wallis demanded that she dance with him, she found herself increasingly embarrassed by his obvious attention to her. He danced only once with Emily, but Adelina was often in his arms.
    â€œI shall be seeing your grandfather tomorrow, Miss Adelina.”
    â€œOh, Wallis, thank you. You will – let me know what he says?”
    â€œOf course.” She felt his arm tighten about her and Adelina was acutely aware of Emily’s face scarlet with misery. “I’m sure we shall have much to discuss – after I have seen him.”
    Before Adelina could reply, the music ended and Wallis led her back to Emily. As the noise died away, a voice rang out. All eyes turned to see Evan Smithson standing, none too steadily, at the top of the ladder leading to the hayloft, waving a tankard of ale in his right hand. Lucy, standing at his side, was pulling at his arm vainly trying to stop him.
    â€œMy friends,” he shouted, his words a little slurred. “I give you a toast. To our lords and masters – our employers – our landlords – the Trents – my – my family ! May they rot in hell!” He ended with a flamboyant gesture with his right hand, spilling beer. Suddenly he lost his footing. Lucy tried to catch hold of him, but he slipped from her grasp. Lucy and several of the women shrieked as Evan toppled, head first from the loft to the floor below. Luckily, he fell on a thick heap of straw and lay