The Unlikely Wife

The moment the general entered the hall a small band struck up a waltz. Hale escorted his wife to the center of the floor. Myrtle smiled regally as her husband danced her around the room, and in a few minutes a few others joined them on the floor.

“You’d think she was the queen,” Alicia whispered.

“In this society, she is,” Rebecca answered.

“And you will be when you get to Hays. The commanding officer’s daughter.”

Rebecca moved her cousin away from the door to a spot where they could better watch the crowd. “I hadn’t thought of that,” she said. Her eyes scanned the faces, looking for a particular lieutenant.

“The social leader,” Alicia added near her ear. “The standard for propriety.”

“I think I’ll abdicate.”

“There he is.”

“Who?” Rebecca asked innocently, though her eyes had fallen on Forrester at the moment her cousin had spoken.

“Your lieutenant. Will he ask you to dance?”

“I doubt it. If he does, he’ll probably step on my toes—on purpose.”

Before Alicia could reply she was claimed by a young officer. Rebecca smiled as her cousin was whirled away. Soon she was asked as well. After three dances with six different partners, she pleaded exhaustion and sought out the refreshment table.

After a moment Alicia joined her. “I believe I’m adequately wilted, don’t you?”

“In the loveliest sense,” Rebecca said. “Are you having fun?”

Alicia nodded, sipping her punch daintily. “I haven’t dazzled anyone, though.”

Rebecca was about to answer when a decidedly wilted Aunt Belle huffed up beside them. “I’m nearly done in. I’m sure I shouldn’t dance, but Mrs. Hale said it would be cruel not to, there being so few women. How are you girls faring?”

“Quite well, Aunt Belle,” Rebecca answered. “Aren’t the decorations lovely?”

When Belle turned to look around her, Rebecca tipped her head at Alicia indicating her desire to move father from the refreshments.

“They look like leftover Independence Day banners.”

“Yes, I suppose,” Rebecca agreed with a grin. “But they go so well with the gold buttons, don’t you think?”

Beside her Alicia muffled a giggle. Aunt Belle didn’t seem amused. “They’re brass,” she said, pointedly.

Rebecca looked out across the room, taking in the host of blue uniforms, buttons, bars, and braid. “It’s all in how you look at it,” she murmured. “Oh, Aunt Belle, you look absolutely drained. You had better get some punch.”

“Yes, I suppose.”

As soon as the older woman turned away, Rebecca steered her cousin toward an unoccupied corner, leaning close to whisper, “Who would you like to dazzle?”

“Besides your young lieutenant?”

Rebecca glanced up and caught him watching her. She had been at least half aware of where he was all evening. Alicia noticed the slip and the gleam in her blue eyes was positively wicked. Rebecca was almost tempted to turn her loose on him, just to show her she wouldn’t be jealous. Almost. Considering it made her want to grit her teeth. Lord, she would be jealous! Hoping to hide her feelings from her cousin she said lightly, “We better leave him alone. He’s been dazzled recently. It’s a little like being burned.”

“That’s awful, Rebecca. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Rebecca shushed her cousin, looking quickly around to be sure they hadn’t been overheard. “I didn’t hurt him,” she whispered emphatically. “He’s just not thrilled that we’re going with him tomorrow, and he thinks I’d use the…uh…encounter on the train against him if he refused.”

“But wouldn’t that reflect as badly on you as him?”

“Not the way he thinks I’d tell it. Oh, Alicia it gets complicated. Take my word, and pick out somebody else.”

While Alicia was making her choice, Rebecca glanced again in Forrester’s direction. Lord, he was still watching her!

“That one,” Alicia whispered, “with the mustache.”

“Ah, a colonel! Very good, Alicia! Now, you need to watch him until he looks in your direction. Make eye contact, then give him a smile.”

“All right,” Alicia whispered. “But don’t you look at him at all, or he’ll ask you to dance instead.”

“I’ll plead exhaustion and push you into his arms.”

Clark couldn’t hear what the ladies were saying, but they had been whispering together for quite some time, and Miss Huntington had glanced in his direction more than once. He hoped he made her nervous, but he seriously doubted it.

He wanted to dance with her. It was ridiculous, but true. He wanted to feel her warm body move against his again. He wanted to know if she had given in to convention and worn a corset. And he hated to think that half a dozen other men already knew.

He realized he had actually started toward her and tried to stop himself. Instead, he thought of excuses for asking her to dance. They would be traveling together; they should be on friendly terms. He didn’t want her imagining that he was afraid of her. He didn’t want to pass up a chance to touch her.

He had made his way across two-thirds of the room when he noticed another man doing the same. The minx seemed to have set her sights on a colonel. Well, why was he surprised? The room probably looked like a huge buffet to her. He had only imagined her glances in his direction.

He stopped and waited for the colonel to claim her. He would dance one dance with the blonde, then leave. He hadn’t wanted to come in the first place. To his surprise, when the colonel moved onto the dance floor, it was the blonde he had on his arm. Miss Huntington was standing alone, holding two cups and smiling after them like a proud mother.

He moved quickly to her side. “Your cousin’s a fast learner,” he said.

She wasn’t surprised to see him, but the comment had taken her off guard. She gave herself a moment then smiled up at him. “Why, whatever do you mean?”

The little tease was mimicking his accent. He would ignore it. “You were instructing her in the fine art of flirting, weren’t you? It’s probably quite a challenge teaching someone something that comes so naturally to you.”

Her dimples deepened. “I do my best. Oh, look, here comes General Hale.”

Her means of escape, if that was what she wanted. And his, too. But he didn’t want to escape.

Rebecca spoke to the general before he came to a complete stop beside her. “General, your wife has given such a lovely party. We’re having a wonderful time.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it, my dear. Lieutenant.”

Clark returned the greeting. He should excuse himself. He would. At the moment he opened his mouth, he felt her hand come down lightly on his arm. The cups were stacked in her other hand, and her attention was on the general. He looked down at the hand to make sure he hadn’t imagined it.

“General, could you do me a favor?”

What trouble did the lady have in mind?