Chapter 14
“I would love to see London one day,” said Miss Norman with a grand sigh. Turning to her sister, she took the lady by the arm. “You must help me convince Mother and Father to allow me a visit, and I will help you convince your husband as well, and we shall all go together and make a merry party of it.”
“There will be no need to convince my husband,” said Mrs. Selkirk with a triumphant smile. “He will grant me anything I wish. And if Mrs. Vaughn accompanies us, then none of them has any reason to deny us.”
Miss Norman nodded vigorously, turning her gaze to Joanna. “I am certain your father will allow us to stay with him.”
Hardly able to keep up with the conversation’s rapid pace, it took Joanna a moment to realize what they were asking. They wanted to travel with her?
“Of course,” she finally said. “I could take you to the theater and the parks. And visit the grand markets as well.”
Miss Norman clapped her hands as Mrs. Selkirk sidled up to Joanna, casting a look at Sadie. “You were right. I adore your sister-in-law.”
That made them all smile, and Joanna forced herself not to grin like a maniac. The ladies were all so welcoming that she felt like pinching herself.
“But enough of that. We can discuss our grand plans for the future later,” said Miss Norman, snapping open her fan to bat at her face. “We have much more important things that require our attention. I do not know what I am to wear for my outing tomorrow with a certain gentleman .”
Sadie’s eyes widened, and she gasped. “Mr. Oliver?”
Miss Norman paused, waving her fan about as she hemmed. “No. I fear it is time for me to abandon those hopes, and he is nothing compared with Mr. Rawson.”
“Tell us all,” said Joanna, but her attention was split between Miss Norman’s answer and Sadie’s expression. Something inside the latter lady seemed to shrink before Joanna’s very eyes; Miss Norman babbled on, and a flash of something dark and painful sparked in Sadie’s gaze before she locked it away tight.
When Miss Norman paused, she glanced in Sadie’s direction and gave her friend a playful poke of her fan. Lowering her voice, she whispered, “The gentleman was very insistent, and I would’ve said no for your sake, but I know you wouldn’t begrudge me my good fortune.”
“Of course not,” said Sadie, her shoulders rigid as she turned a kind smile on her friend. “I want nothing but your happiness, and I cannot take it to heart that he…” Shaking that off, Sadie drew in a deep breath and waved it away. “I am happy for you, Betsy. Of course, I am.”
Mrs. Selkirk straightened with a gasp and turned to her sister. “You should wear your green gown, and you know what would look perfect with it? Sadie’s coral necklace.”
That statement was met with yet another gasp, and Miss Norman turned to their friend. “Oh, please, will you lend it to me? The length and color are perfect, and I haven’t anything that will suit the occasion.”
Sadie’s mouth opened as she glanced between the sisters, hesitating just long enough to make her feelings known. “It is my favorite. My father gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday.”
“Are you afraid she will lose it?” asked Mrs. Selkirk, gaping. “I assure you Betsy will take good care of your bauble.”
“Absolutely,” said Miss Norman with a vigorous nod. “I promise.”
“Yes, of course,” said Sadie, though the tremulous tone in her voice made Joanna wish to step between the trio. Perhaps this was simply their way? Joanna didn’t know any of the ladies well enough to insert herself into the situation, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Sadie needed rescuing.
From her friends?
The sisters seemed kind enough, and it was clear from their conversation that they prized their relationship with Sadie, yet Joanna found herself watching her sister-in-law carefully, searching for signs of distress.
“It must be lovely to be married,” said Miss Norman with a sigh. “I hope Mr. Rawson doesn’t drag his feet. I will simply die if I am not married soon.”
Mrs. Selkirk nodded, a delicate shudder running through her. “Mr. Selkirk wanted a longer courtship, but I couldn’t bear the thought of being unmarried at six and twenty. I would’ve died of embarrassment!” Glancing toward Sadie and Joanna, the lady rushed to add, “Not that you two have any reason to feel that way. I know I am far too caught up in what people think of me, and you two simply do as you wish, devil may care!”
“Nonsense, Valerie,” said Sadie with a shake of her head. “You are not vain, and I won’t allow you to speak of yourself in such a manner.”
Joanna rushed to add, “You both are dears.”
Mrs. Selkirk nodded in acceptance, and then turned her gaze to the new Mrs. Vaughn, studying her. “Your coiffure is lovely. I haven’t seen a hairstyle like that in a very long time.”
Reaching for it, Joanna brushed a gentle touch to the swept-back locks. “I fear modern styles don’t suit my hair and face shape.”
“I think it suits you beautifully,” said Sadie.
“Oh, certainly,” added Miss Norman with a nod. “What does it matter if others think it old-fashioned? Dress to please yourself.”
Though the young lady spoke in a manner that was both gracious and complimentary, there was a hint of something beneath the sweet exterior that Joanna recognized all too readily, and she couldn’t fight the heat creeping across her skin (though it was not enough to make her look an utter fright). Before she could think what to say or do, the two sisters locked arms with Sadie and Joanna, and the four wove their way through the crowd, nodding at others and introducing the newcomer to Thornsby.
Brushing off the previous discomfort, Joanna embraced the obvious welcome into their social circle, her heart settling as they navigated the crowd. Then she spied Edward dancing.
Although ignoring her companions was the height of rudeness, Joanna couldn’t help watching her husband move about the mazurka; it was clear he knew the steps better than their polka, though she preferred the latter to the former. There was more to a perfect partner than simply knowing the proper steps, and Joanna treasured the joyful moment they’d shared. It was perhaps the first and only time she hadn’t felt uneasy whilst on display.
Giving her companions enough attention to keep from being unutterably boorish, Joanna watched him flitting through the lively steps and appreciated far more than his mere prowess on the dance floor: Edward was a combination of strength and grace, moving around the other dancers with a confidence that she longed to capture for herself.
Her husband.
The partners parted, with the ladies moving in one direction as the gentlemen spun them down the line, and when Edward’s companion drifted away, Joanna saw his eyes lingering on the lady’s figure, perusing the length of her as a smile lifted the corner of his lips.
For a long moment, Joanna clung to the lies swirling through her mind, refusing to accept what her eyes so plainly beheld. Edward was merely being attentive. Nothing more. Or perhaps he was simply admiring the cut of the lady’s gown—for it truly was splendid.
But the action, however subtle, dragged out as he leered. Joanna had seen such expressions before and knew their meaning well enough, and no matter how she tried to trick herself, she couldn’t dismiss the unadulterated appreciation and desire in that quick rake of his eyes.
And it pierced her heart.
*
With a few quick steps, Eddie moved back to his place in the dance, arriving before his partner as he took her into his arms. Together, they spun in a circle, the slight hop-skip of the steps adding a liveliness to the slow rotation, and when Miss Longville turned a saucy smile on him, Eddie returned it in kind.
“I forgot how fine a dancer you are, Dr. Vaughn,” she said.
“You speak as though we haven’t danced in an age,” he replied with a laugh.
“You’ve been gone for weeks, and the last dance we both attended was a long while before that,” she replied with an arched brow. “I think that qualifies as ‘an age.’”
Miss Longville glanced at the passing dancers, which lengthened her neck in a lovely sweep of a line, and when they parted once more, Eddie’s eyes lingered on the line of her waist. With skirts growing fuller each year, it was impossible to see a lady’s figure properly, but Miss Longville displayed what she could to perfection—
Eddie’s head turned to look at the ladies pirouetting in a line as the gentlemen helped them along, and he spied Joanna’s blue eyes staring at him, her light brows twisting as a flash of pain sparked in her eyes before she jerked her gaze away.
The devil take him!
The cloth around his neck tightened, and though his hands were encased in gloves, he wiped them on his trousers as the blasted things grew clammy. One of the gentlemen nudged him, and Eddie hurried to return to his place in the dance, taking hold of Miss Longville once more and giving her a cursory smile as his eyes darted back to where his wife stood. But Joanna refused to meet his gaze.
“Is something amiss?” asked his partner, and Eddie forced a smile and shook his head, babbling apologies to her whilst holding her stiffly apart from him. Forcing blinders upon his eyes, he looked at Miss Longville enough that she wouldn’t feel slighted, but he refused to allow his gaze to linger.
For goodness’ sake. What had he just done? In all honesty, Eddie could hardly believe he’d been ogling a lady at all, let alone so publicly. His hands squirmed in the lady’s hold, feeling as though he needed to take off the gloves and rub them down with a bit of linen; surely he wouldn’t sweat through the fabric.
“What is the matter, Dr. Vaughn?” prodded Miss Longville.
“I apologize. I am just a little discomposed. It is not your fault in the slightest,” he said, and though the young lady seemed to accept it, Eddie felt the weight of another bruised heart resting on his conscience.
The only saving grace was knowing that the leering had been entirely unintentional and merely a byproduct of old habits. Yet knowing that his marriage had slipped his mind only compounded his guilt. How had he forgotten about Joanna? One could argue that the marriage was so new that it was an easy mistake to make, but that didn’t ease his conscience—especially when his wife’s pain was so obvious and raw.
As soon as the dance was over, Eddie did his duty by his partner, depositing her with her friends before bidding her farewell (though he was certain the parting was more rushed and cold than the lady deserved). Weaving through the crowd, he arrived at Joanna’s side, though he didn’t know what to say or do.
“Good evening,” he said, adopting a light tone and a smile—one she did not return. Or rather, her lips lifted mechanically, but her eyes remained pained. The other ladies offered their greetings, and while he spared a moment to acknowledge them (primarily his sister), his focus remained on Joanna.
What apology could he offer? Ought he to admit that he’d been flirting with another woman? Even an inexperienced husband recognized that was a terrible idea, yet Eddie felt he ought to apologize in some fashion, and he didn’t know how to do so without admitting to the offense.
“I was thinking of standing up again,” he said, nodding toward the gathering dancers. Turning his gaze on his wife, he added in a quiet voice, “I would love nothing more than to dance with you.”
“My thanks, but I do not feel equal to the exertion,” she murmured, her gaze never lifting to meet his.
Glancing at the other ladies, though he didn’t know what he was searching for, Eddie wondered how to salvage the situation, but Joanna offered no clues. He supposed the least he could do was avoid adding to his sins.
“Would you mind if I joined you?” he asked.
“Do as you wish,” was the only reply he received, and poor though it may be, Eddie accepted it, offering his arm to Joanna, who hesitated a moment before taking it.