How Miss Rutherford Got Her Groove Back Read Online Free Page B

Carroway’s voice was filled with irritation. “He should have waited and danced with you first. I’m sorry about this, Emily; it’s terribly rude of him.”
    Emily wasn’t one to get too caught up in etiquette. She merely shrugged. Why did it matter whom Adrian danced with? They were all friends after all, and Kate had known him just as long as she had. Emily had never been the jealous type, and she was determined not to start now. On the contrary, it pleased her to know that her two dearest friends could get along.
    At least, that’s what she told herself.
    Her thoughts came tumbling to the ground when she felt a sharp nudge in her ribs. It was Claire. “Emily,” she whispered. “Lord Dunhurst is asking you if you would like to dance the next set with him. He is still waiting for your reply.”
    It was all too familiar to her. She had always had a tendency to daydream. As a child, her tutors had sometimes had to tap her shoulder with a ruler to bring her back to reality. At such moments it always seemed as if she had been absent for far longer than was probably the case. She now looked flustered as she noticed Francis standing before her, an eyebrow raised as he awaited her answer.
    “Please excuse me,” she told him with a faint smile. “But I must regretfully decline as I shall be dancing the next set with Mr. Fairchild.”
    She couldn’t help but notice a brief flicker of annoyance pass behind his eyes. It did nothing but aggravate her.
    “In that case, I shall disturb you no longer,” he said as he took his leave and walked away, his eyes dark and his jaw clenched tightly shut.
    Emily followed him with her eyes as she let out a deep sigh of relief. Why did he always have this effect on her? She wondered. There was just something about him that she found to be rather unpleasant. She turned toward her sisters. “He makes me feel most uncomfortable,” she noted.
    “You were rather cold toward him, Emily,” Beatrice told her. “In fact, I daresay you were quite rude.”
    “ I with him ? Is he not the one who never manages to smile? And how rude of him not to invite one of you to dance after I informed him that I’d be dancing with Adrian.”
    “Honestly, Emily, he was really quite polite in asking you. Perhaps he noticed the look of disappointment on your face when Adrian chose to dance with Kate instead. There’s no need denying it—you did look rather put-out, though you made a brave attempt not to. So if you ask me, I think Francis was rather thoughtful and kind when he asked you. Naturally he would not ask anyone else once you had so flatly refused him.”
    Emily had seen no such thing. Was Beatrice right? But why would Francis ask her to dance anyway? It was no secret that he disliked her company. Perhaps Beatrice was right. Perhaps he’d merely been trying to help. Emily sighed once again. She suddenly felt as if she had wronged him in some way.
    Perhaps she ought to apologize.
    But the next thing she knew, Kate and Adrian had returned, both talking amidst bursts of laughter as they walked up to her.
    “You appear to have been enjoying yourselves immensely,” Lady Carroway observed with a strained smile.
    Kate looked suddenly flushed. There was that embarrassment again.
    “We have been, indeed,” Adrian said. “Now, dear Emily, I do believe that it is your turn.”
    Emily couldn’t conceal her happiness as he took her by the arm and led her toward the dance floor. From behind her, she could hear Claire making a quiet remark, which was swiftly followed by a string of giggles. She was confident that a joke had just been made at her expense, but all she could do was smile at it. This truly was the best night ever.

 
    C HAPTER F OUR
     
    A s Emily and Adrian faced one another across the dance floor, she knew that she had never felt happier. How handsome he looked, all dressed in black and white—so elegant. She felt her heart skip a beat. And when he gave her that winning smile of his, it