Chapter 11 #3
They came to a halt, face-to-face, crowded in by the other dancers. A smile still lit her face, but it slowly faded as she realized how intently he was looking at her. Trying to memorize how she looked at this moment.
"What is it?"
"Nothing," he said. Without thought, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it, her fingers curling around his palm. "Thank you for the dance."
"Thank you for reminding me how much I enjoy it."
"Make sure you don't overdo. I would hate for you to be in pain again."
"I am always in pain," she admitted. "It is always in the background. But some things are worth a little pain."
One of the other men claimed Penny's hand for the next dance, and Hugo stepped back, allowing her room to indulge herself. He must remember she knew her limits better than he ever could and resist the temptation to coddle her.
Two more dances, and the music halted for a few minutes so the musicians could refresh themselves. A beaming Mr. Roberson carried in a bowl filled with steaming punch, and Hugo reclaimed Penny's arm to guide her through the crowd.
"Stop where you are." Mr. Roberson's voice boomed through the taproom, his voice edged with glee. "Stop and look up."
Startled, Hugo halted and realized he and Penny were positioned perfectly under the kissing ball, which had deliberately been hung off-center to make it more difficult to avoid.
He could see Penny had come to the same realization, because she blushed deeply, the color spreading across her cheeks and down her neck.
For a moment, he wondered how far her blushes stretched, but shook off the vision of finding them as Roberson spoke again.
"Anytime you're ready, Captain."
Hugo looked around at the crowd, all of them equally as interested in watching Hugo and Penny follow tradition as the landlord was.
He turned to look at Penny, whose eyes were modestly downcast, but as she glanced up at him, he could see the grin twitching at the edges of her lips. Her beautiful, full, rosy lips.
Very well. If they wanted a show, he would give them a show.
He turned Penny towards him, arm around her back. "Put your arm around my neck."
Puzzled, she complied, and gasped as he tilted her backwards, hand between her shoulder blades to support her, and kissed her soundly to the cheers and applause that rang through the room.
He pulled back a little and watched her eyes flutter open. Then her arm tightened around his neck and drew him back down for another kiss that left him gasping.
Abruptly, he pulled away and set her back on her feet, arm still around her waist. He accepted the friendly jeers and catcalls as he guided her away from the kissing ball.
That had been a mistake. Now he wanted to kiss her again. And again. To never stop, and to see what the natural end of their kissing could be.
Though he had always been selective, he was no green boy.
There had been plenty of willing widows to keep him company when he was on leave.
But while he had enjoyed them, he had never felt like this.
Hungry. Possessive. Wanting to sweep her from the room and up the stairs to be private, to keep her all for himself.
Instead, he dropped his arm from around her waist and placed her hand on his decorously extended forearm. "Would you like a glass of punch?"
"Yes," she said, her voice a little faint. "I would like that very much."
"Permit me," he replied, and guided her to the punchbowl, where Mrs. Roberson was awaiting them with an indulgent smile on her face and two glasses of punch.
"Ah, the newlywed days. Enjoy them as you can, my dears, and try to keep that spirit in the days ahead for you."
Recognizing this as the blessing it was, Hugo raised his glass in salute and took a sip, letting the combined sting of hot liquid and alcohol ease his suddenly aching throat. Penny smiled at the older woman and took a sip as well.
A line began to form behind them, and Hugo led Penny away to a far corner. She was limping slightly, so he looked around and found an empty stool. Wordlessly, he pushed it behind her knees and she lowered herself onto it with a gusty sigh.
“I think,” she said, “that I have done enough dancing for tonight.”
Hugo nodded and, after a moment, lowered himself to the floor to sit next to her.
“You can continue, if you like.”
“No, thank you,” Hugo said. If she was in pain, he had no intention of leaving her side.
She nodded and took another sip of her punch. The revelry around them was becoming raucous, and Hugo could see Mrs. Robson gathering up her children with a smile that was only slightly strained as she ushered them out of the room.
“It may be time for us to retire to our room as well,” he murmured to her. “I think the wind is changing in here, and not for the better.”
She looked down at him, her expression unexpectedly serious. “I will follow wherever you wish to go, Hugo.”
He found he could not look away from her. It felt as though she was making a pledge. A promise. And he was not sure he was prepared for what such a promise would mean for both of them.