Read Online An Unusual Courtship by Katherine Marlowe - Free Book Online
Authors: Katherine Marlowe
Ads: Link
last-minute tasks between the Boltons and a portion of hospitality toward their guests kept Percival quite busy for the next hour, and he encountered Mr. Everett only in passing.
The next spell of respite came when the music had just begun, while the early guests were supping at the white soup and claret wine, and Percival found himself upon the ballroom’s upper landing in the company of Mr. Everett and Mr. Bolton.
“Mr. Valentine,” said Mr. Bolton, as he sipped at his own glass of claret wine and gazed out over the company, “I am sure that I must return to my guests, but I do hope that you will save me a dance at some point in the evening?”
Percival choked on his wine in surprise, and coughed. When he had recovered himself, much reddened from embarrassment, he nodded. “To be sure, if you wish it. I did not realise—why, certainly I had always supposed that it was only a country custom that gentlemen should dance with other gentlemen, and only if there were not enough ladies present for the dances. I always thought that in London parties one should always have precisely the correct proportion of gender for dances.”
Mr. Bolton looked charmed and amused by this supposition. “That is not at all the case, although it does indeed depend upon one’s Town hostess. Indeed, depending upon the household and the party, sometimes gentlemen may dance with each other purely for pleasure, if they are good friends.”
“Oh!” Percival said, and set to wondering whether or not Mr. Everett might in any way be persuaded to share a dance with him. “Well, if that is the fashion in London, then we must certainly represent it here. I would be ever so pleased to have a dance with you, Mr. Bolton.”
“You are too kind,” Mr. Bolton said, with cheerful pleasure. He made a bow to them both, and excused himself back to his guests.
Percival swirled his wine in the cup and contemplated how he might approach the topic with Mr. Everett before they might be interrupted or separated. He supposed that a straightforward foray would be the wisest course.
“Mr. Everett,” Percival said.
Mr. Everett looked over, blue eyes alert and interested, and Percival found himself obliged to pause and clear his throat in his usual nervous habit before he could manage to continue.
“Perhaps,” said Percival, “perhaps you might be willing, also, to have a dance with me at some time in the evening?”
He had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Everett redden with surprise in response to this query, which seemed to set Mr. Everett somewhat off-balance. “I will, certainly,” Mr. Everett replied, “if… if, I suppose, you are not too much occupied by the attentions of the young women present, and if we find ourselves at our leisure at a convenient time.”
This cooled Percival’s pleasure, for it did indeed seem that Mr. Everett was doing everything he could to make a polite refusal to the request. “Yes, of course,” Percival said. He faltered briefly, cleared his throat, and tried to recover the situation somewhat by commenting: “Surely, however, it would be you who would be much occupied by the attentions of all the women present, for I am common and ordinary in their estimation, having known me all their lives, while you are a handsome and mysterious gentleman up from London.”
“To be sure,” said Mr. Everett, with surprising coldness, “I would prefer to avoid dancing altogether.”
Percival blinked in surprise, uncertain if he ought to take offence. “Why, Mr. Everett, does it not please you to dance?”
“It does, betimes,” Mr. Everett said. “But I fear, Mr. Valentine, that I am in an ill mood tonight, and I would be poor company as a dancing-partner.”
“I would still have you,” Percival said. “If you would be willing. And perhaps indeed it may lighten your mood, for I would most earnestly desire to do anything I might which would make you smile.”
That did make Mr. Everett smile, a little. “You are
The next spell of respite came when the music had just begun, while the early guests were supping at the white soup and claret wine, and Percival found himself upon the ballroom’s upper landing in the company of Mr. Everett and Mr. Bolton.
“Mr. Valentine,” said Mr. Bolton, as he sipped at his own glass of claret wine and gazed out over the company, “I am sure that I must return to my guests, but I do hope that you will save me a dance at some point in the evening?”
Percival choked on his wine in surprise, and coughed. When he had recovered himself, much reddened from embarrassment, he nodded. “To be sure, if you wish it. I did not realise—why, certainly I had always supposed that it was only a country custom that gentlemen should dance with other gentlemen, and only if there were not enough ladies present for the dances. I always thought that in London parties one should always have precisely the correct proportion of gender for dances.”
Mr. Bolton looked charmed and amused by this supposition. “That is not at all the case, although it does indeed depend upon one’s Town hostess. Indeed, depending upon the household and the party, sometimes gentlemen may dance with each other purely for pleasure, if they are good friends.”
“Oh!” Percival said, and set to wondering whether or not Mr. Everett might in any way be persuaded to share a dance with him. “Well, if that is the fashion in London, then we must certainly represent it here. I would be ever so pleased to have a dance with you, Mr. Bolton.”
“You are too kind,” Mr. Bolton said, with cheerful pleasure. He made a bow to them both, and excused himself back to his guests.
Percival swirled his wine in the cup and contemplated how he might approach the topic with Mr. Everett before they might be interrupted or separated. He supposed that a straightforward foray would be the wisest course.
“Mr. Everett,” Percival said.
Mr. Everett looked over, blue eyes alert and interested, and Percival found himself obliged to pause and clear his throat in his usual nervous habit before he could manage to continue.
“Perhaps,” said Percival, “perhaps you might be willing, also, to have a dance with me at some time in the evening?”
He had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Everett redden with surprise in response to this query, which seemed to set Mr. Everett somewhat off-balance. “I will, certainly,” Mr. Everett replied, “if… if, I suppose, you are not too much occupied by the attentions of the young women present, and if we find ourselves at our leisure at a convenient time.”
This cooled Percival’s pleasure, for it did indeed seem that Mr. Everett was doing everything he could to make a polite refusal to the request. “Yes, of course,” Percival said. He faltered briefly, cleared his throat, and tried to recover the situation somewhat by commenting: “Surely, however, it would be you who would be much occupied by the attentions of all the women present, for I am common and ordinary in their estimation, having known me all their lives, while you are a handsome and mysterious gentleman up from London.”
“To be sure,” said Mr. Everett, with surprising coldness, “I would prefer to avoid dancing altogether.”
Percival blinked in surprise, uncertain if he ought to take offence. “Why, Mr. Everett, does it not please you to dance?”
“It does, betimes,” Mr. Everett said. “But I fear, Mr. Valentine, that I am in an ill mood tonight, and I would be poor company as a dancing-partner.”
“I would still have you,” Percival said. “If you would be willing. And perhaps indeed it may lighten your mood, for I would most earnestly desire to do anything I might which would make you smile.”
That did make Mr. Everett smile, a little. “You are
Similar Books
