In Pursuit of Miriam (5 page)

Robert went off to find his parents and the two friends next saw him in conversation with the pianist. After this he returned to them smiling.

“I have done it, Lucy!” Robert sounded triumphant. “My parents agree that there can be no harm in the dance as we are amongst friends here; I just had to promise I would waltz with every young lady who wished to do so.” He laughed.

Lucy was nearly jumping up and down in anticipation, and Miriam and Robert laughed at her. Eventually the pianist struck up a waltz and Lucy dragged Robert into the middle of the room.

At first only two couples were dancing but gradually more and more joined in. Because the waltz was new and not considered acceptable at formal dance rooms, most people were not well versed in the steps. It made for an interesting spectacle, and Miriam smiled as she watched couples dance, some having more success than others. People were laughing when they made mistakes or trod on each other's toes and everyone seemed to be having great fun.

She was so busy watching that she failed to notice Lord Chantry until he made a bow in front of her. She was surprised; it looked as if he was going to ask her to dance. But that could not be so—he already knew she did not dance. She quite clearly remembered how he had referred to her as a cripple.

“Miss Knightly, I was wondering if you would join me for this dance?” he asked.

Miriam swiftly reminded him that she did not dance. This did not, however, deter him.

“I am aware that you do not normally dance, but the waltz is already half way through and I thought that, as most people on the dance floor are tripping and falling, you may dance without looking out of place.” Vincent felt his ears burning.
Good Lord, had he just said that
? He quickly tried to recover. “By saying that, I do not mean to give offence and my offer is kindly meant.”
Goodness
, he thought,
it seems I give cause for offence every time I open my mouth to speak to her!

“I do thank you for asking, but I am afraid that my legs are quite weak and they have the embarrassing habit of giving way underneath me if I get tired.” Miriam smiled as she said this. She did not want him to feel sorry for her.

“I assure you, Miss Knightly, that I will not allow you to fall and that I will return you to your seat the minute you tell me you are tired. Do you not trust me in this?” He again held out his hand to her at the same time wondering why he was persisting with this. He should have been relieved when she had declined.

Miriam was tempted; she knew the steps for the waltz but had never in her wildest imaginings supposed she would have the opportunity to dance it. As she looked up at Lord Chantry, she saw he was regarding her in earnest and she did truly believe he would not let her fall. She suspected he was only asking her because he felt sorry for her and if she refused there would be any number of young ladies in the room who would jump to take her place. And when would she ever again have the chance to waltz in the arms of a handsome young earl? In the end the temptation was too great.

“I will then take you up on your offer,” she replied softly, “but you have only yourself to blame if I trip up, or even if I trip you up. I am warning you that I stumble frequently even when walking.” Miriam looked down at her feet as she rose and saw she was wearing boots and withdrew her hand from his.

“Oh, I will have to change my mind. You see, I am not wearing dance shoes and it would
not
be proper to dance in boots.”

Vincent laughed. “My lady, I am sure it is considered improper to dance the waltz in
any
type of footwear, but I am willing to try if you are. Your boots may even save your toes should I accidentally step on them.” Saying this, he re-took her hand and, her heart pounding, she allowed him to lead her onto the makeshift dance floor.

Once there, Miriam placed her left hand lightly on Vincent's shoulder and he placed his right arm around her waist, his large hand flat on the small of her back. She could feel herself start to blush as she felt the heat from his hand at her back radiate through her body. She looked up at him in surprise, but it seemed that he did not appear to have felt anything untoward.

“Are you ready to give this a try?” He smiled down at her.

Miriam could only nod as she did not feel capable of speech. Her mind seemed only to focus on where his hands were touching her. She was already realizing why the dance was considered improper and she had not moved even one foot as yet. She felt him gently put pressure on her back and moved her foot forward in response, and for the first time in her life she experienced dancing with a proper male partner. She had been worried that she might forget the steps, but she need not to have, as it appeared that Lord Chantry was an excellent dancer and was obviously no stranger to dancing the waltz. Her toes were certainly not at risk.

Gradually she began to relax and found that not only was she enjoying the experience, but that she did not really care, in this company, if she was not the most graceful dancer in the room. As this might be the only opportunity she would ever have to waltz in public, she decided that she might as well enjoy it. If Lord Chantry was upset or offended by her lack of dancing ability, then it was his own fault for asking her.

They had not been dancing for many minutes when she felt her legs beginning to ache. She was just about to ask the earl to return her to her seat when her worst fear came true—her left leg gave way from under her.

Lord Chantry must have also felt this, and keeping his promise, he did not let her fall. He closed his arm around her and pulled her against him. Miriam gasped; she could feel the length of his body through her thin gown, from the firmness of his chest to the muscles on his thighs as he held her. Every part of her body tingled and she found she could hardly breathe; not because he was holding her too tightly but because of the sensations running through her. Continuing to hold her closely to him, he carried on dancing, and her feet, which followed his steps, only had to bear the slightest fraction of her body weight.

“Thank you,” Miriam gasped when she found her breath. “I think I may need to sit down now, but if you let go of me I think I shall fall.”

Lord Chantry looked down at her from what seemed to Miriam a great height. “I have already promised that I will not let you fall, and if you are not in pain, I would very much like to continue to the end of the dance.”

Miriam knew that she should insist on being returned to her seat and was aware that his holding her so closely was absolutely incorrect. If her Aunt Beatrice saw her, she would be severely scolded, but she did not want to give up this experience, especially as she might never have its like again. She therefore wound her arm more closely around Lord Chantry to give herself further balance and support and they continued to dance. She forgot her limp—she was carrying so little of her own weight that it was no longer an issue—and began to relax again. She closed her eyes as she rested her head gently on his chest just under his shoulder and gave into the pleasure of dancing.

For a time she was not conscious of anyone else in the room besides the two of them as they moved together through the dance, but much sooner than she wanted, the music came to a stop. She found herself still held in Lord Chantry's arms, and although she was aware that other people had separated from their partners and were bowing or curtsying at the end of the dance, she found that, however much she willed it, her body seemed incapable of independent movement.

She was grateful when her dance partner continued to keep a firm hold on her arm as he parted his body from hers, because otherwise she knew she would have fallen.

She looked up and found he was smiling at her as he cautioned, “I believe our dancing may have caused tongues to wag, but I was enjoying the dance too much to relinquish you.” He added gallantly, “I do apologize if I have caused you any discomfort or embarrassment.”

Miriam could not tell him that the last few minutes had been the most enjoyable she had ever spent in her adult life, so she made a polite reply. “You have caused me less embarrassment than if you had allowed me to fall and I am very grateful to you for giving me the opportunity to dance.”

Vincent kept hold of her arm as he guided her back to her chair, where Lucy was waiting, and ensured that Miriam was safely seated before he let go of her. He bowed to her and Lucy and then left them, presumably, Miriam thought, to go in search of a partner who could dance without collapsing.

“Miriam, I have never seen you dance in public before. How on earth did Lord Chantry persuade you to do this?” Lucy raised her eyebrows.

“He promised he would not let me fall,” said Miriam, blushing to her roots. “The dance was already halfway through and I thought I would be able to manage to the end without my legs collapsing.”

“He was holding you so tightly that I could not see air between you!” Lucy exclaimed. “I thought some of the matrons in the room were going to have an apoplexy.”

Miriam continued to blush. “My leg gave way, you know how it does, and Lord Chantry pulled me close to stop me from falling. Lucy, I know it was wrong of me to allow it, but I was so enjoying dancing that I could not bring myself to pull away from him and insist that I sit down.”

“I don't blame you in the slightest!” Lucy declared. “I think most ladies in the room were envious of you. I would love Robert to hold me so closely.”

“You must not say such things,” Miriam warned her friend. “It is bad enough if people talk about me, but my marriage prospects will hardly be affected by it, whereas your reputation would be in ruin if you did such a thing.” Miriam paused for breath. “I know I will never do the like again and so I would not have missed the experience for the world.”

Just then she saw Aunt Beatrice striding towards her with a grim look on her face.

“How could you dance like that, making a spectacle of yourself?” Aunt Beatrice hissed as she sat beside Miriam. “Everyone was watching and they were scandalized. If Sir Thomas gets to hear of this, and it is likely that he shall, I would not be at all surprised if he withdrew his attentions.” Her aunt was trembling in righteous indignation.

Before Miriam could respond, the angry lady continued, “It was disgraceful that Lord Chantry should dance with you in such a manner but even worse that
you
allowed it. All my hard work to find you a suitable husband has been ruined. You must apologize to me immediately.” She stood up, hands on hips, waiting.

Miriam had no intentions of apologizing because she had no regrets whatsoever, and she certainly would not shed a tear if Sir Thomas withdrew his attentions.

“Lord Chantry merely stopped me from falling when my leg gave way, and as we were in the middle of the dance floor, it would have been difficult to stop dancing at that moment.” Miriam defended his actions. “He would have most certainly allowed me to sit down had I asked to and so the blame is all mine, Aunt Beatrice.”

“That does not make the situation any better. I think we had best go home before you ruin your reputation completely and bring further shame on me.” As she spoke she was dragging Miriam to her feet. “My friend Lady Pelham is leaving now; I think I will ask her if she has room for us in her carriage.”

Fortunately there was room in the carriage, which pleased Miriam in two ways: one, her aunt had to stop lecturing her on her behaviour; and two, she was so tired she did not think she could have managed to walk home without being in a great deal of discomfort.

On returning to the house Miriam excused herself and called her maid to help her get ready for bed. Sleep, however, did not come easily and nor did she want it to. She wanted to relive those few minutes in Lord Chantry's arms while the experience was still clear in her mind. She knew she would treasure those moments for the rest of her life.

When she and Lucy had been children they had dreamed of dancing at grand balls when they were grown up. By the time they reached adulthood Miriam had come to the realization that for her this would never happen, but now, just this once, it had. Not only had she danced, she had danced the waltz, and she danced it very improperly and with a most handsome young lord.

Miriam knew she could cope with the scoldings she would get from her aunt over the next few days; her only concern was how she could face Lord Chantry if she met him again. Because he had felt sorry for her and asked her to dance, people would now be saying he had not acted in a gentlemanly manner. She was aware, however, that for him this would not affect his quest to find a wife, as his title and fortune, together with his good looks, made him one of the most eligible bachelors in the country.

The day after the Brights' social gathering Vincent found himself alone in the house, with the exception of the servants, as the family had gone to visit a relative. After a late breakfast he retired to the library and, selecting a book from the shelf, settled into a comfortable leather chair.

He found he was unable to concentrate on the book as his mind was occupied with what he should do next. He was due to leave Bath the following week, and as he did not have the funds to go back to London, it appeared he'd have to go back to Yorkshire. He still considered that getting married would be the quickest way out of his financial predicament, so he went back over in his mind all the young ladies who had been in his company during his short time in Bath.

Lady Constance Sharpe had paid him a flattering amount of attention; she was pretty enough but seemed incapable of carrying on a sensible conversation about anything other than the latest fashions. Miss Constance Grey was reasonably attractive but she seemed to flirt with all the single men—and the married ones, as well, now he thought about it. He did not think she was at all ready to settle down.

Lady Barber had been thrusting her daughter, Emma, at him but Emma did not show the slightest interest. Miss Jane Cleverly, Sir Thomas's daughter, would bring him a fair fortune, but although she was attentive to him, she seemed to have a peevish nature and was always making derogatory comments about other people. Lady Lucy Spencer was extremely pretty and charming, but Robert was very taken with her and she appeared to return his affections.

That left only Miss Harper, and although she did appear to have a modicum of sense, his horse was better-looking and he could not imagine being married to her for the rest of his life.

He stood up and, after pacing the room for a few minutes, went to stand by the window and gaze out. As he looked down the road he remembered the Honourable Miss Miriam Knightly; until this moment she had not been on his list of possible brides. He had been impressed with how pretty she had looked when he first noticed her at the Pump Room, seated with all the old people like a rose between thorns. However, his introduction to her at the Assembly Rooms had been a disaster; he could recall the look of shock on her face when he clumsily referred to her as a cripple. He still cringed at the thought of that; she must have been very hurt, yet had remained polite in her response.

At the Theatre Royal he had noticed her during the intermission walking towards the stairs on her own. She was making very slow progress and he had realized that he had never seen her walking without someone to support her, and he admired her independence. He had crossed the hall quickly as the bell had been rung to indicate the start of the second act and everybody was returning to their seats.

He was approaching the stairs to his box when he noticed Miss Knightly in front of him. As he watched her slowly negotiate the stairs, someone in the press of people brushed against her and she lost her balance. Instinctively he had put his arms around her to stop her falling backward. He had felt the heat of her firm little body through her thin gown and felt her heart beating fast. Her breathing was rapid as she turned around in his arms to thank him for catching her; she obviously had feared for her safety. He had then offered her his arm and helped her up to her box.

He smiled as he remembered how animated she had become when admonishing him about his lack of interest in the opera. He could not remember their conversation but recalled that even though the second act had begun before they reached the top of the staircase, to him it had seemed a very short time. The farther up the stairs they went, the more she had leaned against him, her body fitting perfectly against his; it was as if she had become a part of him. He had felt an almost physical loss as she moved away from him at the top of the stairs.

When he tried now to analyse his feelings for her, the nearest he could find was
protective
. He was pleased to have had an encounter with her that had not resulted in his inadvertently insulting or upsetting her in some way.

He next brought to mind the previous evening. Robert had propelled him into her company in his eagerness to spend time with Lady Lucy Spencer, who turned out to be a best friend of Miss Knightly. He had not found it unpleasurable remaining with her when Robert and Lucy left to dance; he even found the silence while they were watching the dancing comfortable. In fact, had Robert and Lucy not returned after the dance, he would probably have remained with Miriam longer. She did not seem to feel sorry for herself and appeared to enjoy listening to the music and watching the dancing, but he had found himself thinking how much he would have disliked not being able to join in.

Thinking back, he realized that this may have been what prompted him to ask her to dance the waltz with him. He had expected her to refuse, and in hindsight, the way he had asked her to dance was not the most gallant. She did, however, eventually accept, although he could see in her face that she was uncertain as to whether she should; even after accepting she tried to use her boots as an excuse to withdraw her acceptance.

Even now he could not fathom the reason he had been so persistent with her. There were many young ladies in the room who would have gladly danced with him; perhaps subconsciously he had wanted to see her having a good time instead of only watching others.

He could feel that she was nervous when he had first put his arm around her waist and she barely touched his shoulder with her own hand. He was not unfamiliar with the dance and guided her firmly through the first few steps. She eventually began to relax and she had smiled up at him with a look of pure pleasure. She may not have danced in public before, but he could tell she knew the steps. He'd found that if he adjusted his stride, the unevenness of her gait was less noticeable.

Having felt the exact moment when her left leg had given way, he had instinctively gathered her closer to him to stop her falling. She had been pressed tightly against him and every muscle in his body from his chest to his thighs could feel the heat from her body against his. His body reacted as any male body would and he had felt himself hardening against her. He had glanced down at her and fortunately it seemed she was unaware of his predicament and so he smiled at her as she looked up at him.

He should have taken her back to her seat when she had first asked, but he had been enjoying the dance, as had she, until her leg let her down. And so he had persuaded her to continue. Looking back, she had not taken much persuading.

He remembered the moment when he had looked down and she was resting her head just below his shoulder; her eyes were closed and she appeared to have completely given herself up to the dancing. He took most of her weight, which as she was slender, was no hardship for him and they had carried on.

When the music ended he had known that if he stepped away from her she would most likely lose her balance, so he kept a firm hold of her arm as he escorted her back to her seat. One look at the other people in the room made him realize, somewhat belatedly, that their dancing had been most inappropriate—but it had been too late at that point to do anything about it.

Chuckling to himself, he remembered Mrs. Bright's conversation with Robert after all the guests had left. She had told her son in no uncertain terms that if she ever saw him dancing in such an intimate way with a young lady, she would disown him. Vincent was aware that this was a way of actually rebuking
him,
since she knew it was not her place to do so.

It was only now that he gave thought to how Miss Knightly's reputation might suffer from having waltzed with him so intimately. He knew, because her Aunt Beatrice had talked of little else, that it was hoped Sir Thomas would declare his intentions towards her in the very near future. Perhaps their dance would affect this.

He resumed pacing the room as he tried to make sense of all that had happened. Miss Knightly surely could not want to marry Sir Thomas; he was old enough to be her father and rather dissipated in appearance. The thought of him touching Miss Knightly and holding her as he himself had done filled him with disgust. Surely if Sir Thomas withdrew his attentions this would be a good thing for Miriam.

As he continued to pace, Vincent wondered, if Sir Thomas did withdraw his attentions, was Miss Knightly likely to attract another suitor who would overlook her disability? He now became concerned that he may have done her a great disservice even though his motive for dancing with her had been well intentioned.

Only now did Vincent fully acknowledge what Mrs. Bright had been trying to tell him—that he had compromised Miss Knightly's reputation. The gentlemanly thing to do was to make it known he had serious intentions towards her. Aghast, he realized the thought hadn't even occurred to him.

Had he dismissed her as a possible candidate for a wife prematurely because of her physical disability? The more he came to consider her, the more he thought that maybe Miss Miriam Knightly could be the solution to his problems. At the same time he could save her from the fate of becoming Sir Thomas's wife. If Miriam consented to marrying him, he could inherit the family fortune, she could live a life of comfort as Countess of Chantry at Maudley Castle, and he would have the funds to return to London and the pleasurable life he had there.

He thought about the practicalities of this. As there was no affection or understanding between them, perhaps they could have a marriage of convenience, which, although difficult, could be annulled when he reached twenty-five and they could both go their separate ways. The more he thought about this idea, the better he liked it, and he smiled to himself, hoping that he had found a way to solve his problems.

He would talk to Miss Knightly as soon as possible, and if she agreed—and why should she not? —He would get a special licence and they could be married without delay. Surely she would be delighted at the thought of becoming the Countess of Chantry and running her own household. She would have a life of luxury and he would not interfere with her life nor she with his. She would suit him very well; she would not want to be in London at dances and social occasions, and when he did have to spend time with her she was not disagreeable and she did not seem to lack intelligence.

When he saw Robert later that day, his friend questioned why he had danced in such a fashion with Miss Knightly the previous evening.

“Why on earth did you do that? It is most unlike you to act without propriety in any situation,” Robert said gravely.

“I honestly don't know what came over me, only that I thought I was bringing some enjoyment to Miss Knightly's life. And in truth, it felt good at the time,” Vincent replied honestly.

“I am sure it did feel good!” Robert exclaimed. “I think half of the ladies in the room hoped that you would dance with them in the same manner and found themselves most disappointed when you did not.”

“I held her so close only because her legs were weak and she was in danger of collapse,” Vincent explained, and then he admitted with a grin, “I did not realize how good it would feel dancing so close to her and that is why I continued with the dance when I knew I should have escorted her back to her seat. The fault is all mine, and I am hoping that my plans will make the situation tolerable for both parties.”

Robert's eyebrows shot upward. “Your plans? Do tell.”

Vincent was happy to tell Robert about his intention to ask Miss Knightly to enter into a marriage of convenience with him. At first Robert was speechless, but then said he could see some sense in the proposal; he certainly agreed that it would be awful to see Miriam married to Sir Thomas. He also said that if Miss Knightly was even half as delightful as her friend Lucy Spencer, then Vincent would have made a good choice.

“I know that she is pretty and not lacking in intelligence,” explained Vincent, “but with her disability I think she is unlikely to attract any other suitors. Especially after last night. That is why I think she may be agreeable to my proposal.”

“You may be right. I know that she is to visit Lucy on Saturday afternoon; if we call on them at that time you may have the opportunity to put your proposal to Miss Knightly.”

They agreed to this and the more Vincent thought about the arrangement he was proposing, the better he liked it. He could not see any obstacle in his way.