decent…" His voice
trailed off lamely. Quickly he backed himself out the door.
A couple of days later Vidal made one of those impromptu
visits of his to Mlle. Baudier's classes. The governess was in the
middle of teaching Celeste some new chords on the guitar as he
entered. Celeste had taken readily to the string instruments and was
progressing with surprising rapidity in the mastery of them. The young
girl especially seemed to like the Spanish guitar that Vidal had bought
for them.
"Ah, Mlle. Baudier and my lovely little cousins," he
greeted them with a trifle less formality than he customarily addressed
them. "And how goes the music lesson today?"
He had just returned from his morning rounds about town
and was especially striking in his rust-colored frock coat and black
leather riding boots that rose up smartly to cover the knees of his
sleek nankeen breeches.
"Our little Celeste is doing splendidly with the guitar."
The governess beamed as she looked up from where she was putting the
young girl's slim fingers into the correct position on the strings for
the next chord. "Monique, on the other hand, seems to prefer the
mandolin," she added with a smile, although it was evident that her pet
was little Celeste, whom she found more docile and studious than her
restless elder charge.
Vidal cast a curious glance over to where his more
troublesome ward sat with a mandolin lying listlessly in her lap. She
looked cool and fresh in her soft flowered muslin with tiny rosebuds
spilling generously over her long flowing skirts and an upstanding
ruffle discreetly veiling the low sweep of her décolletage.
"The thought occurred to me as I rode back home just now
that my cousins here might like to learn some of the dance steps that
are popular around Europe right now," he offered.
The girls immediately perked up at the mention of dancing.
"If Mlle. Baudier will play a cotillion for us, I'll show
you the way it's being done these days," he suggested.
Celeste quickly handed the guitar to her governess and
rose eagerly to put herself at Vidal's disposal as a partner. Just the
thought of dancing with her handsome guardian brought an excited flush
to her delicately chiseled features.
"Better yet, the quadrille!" exclaimed Monique, setting
aside her mandolin and also rising with a new surge of energy.
"Of course, you know whichever you do, it should be with
at least a set of four couples," began Vidal, who had already taken
Celeste's outstretched hand into his. "Let's see how you do the
two-hand turn," he invited the delighted young girl.
Mlle. Baudier struck up an appropriate tune, and Celeste
let him swing her around in a two-hand turn, her bright skirts of
jonquil-flowered muslin swirling along to the rhythm.
"Fine! Fine!" declared Vidal approvingly. "And now you,
Monica, let's see if you can do as well as your sister just did."
He caught the tiny dimpled hands that Monique hesitantly
extended toward him. They felt softer, fleshier, than Celeste's slimmer
ones had been. There was a sensuousness about them that made him want
to squeeze tighter…
Not to be outdone by her younger sister, Monique whirled
around with her guardian in a two-hand turn that sent her full skirts
flying in a cloud of rosebuds. "Very good!" came Vidal's cry of
approval. "Now, if this were a quadrille, and you had to go into a
ladies' chain, which hand would you offer the lady opposite you to pass
her?"
Monique stood there for a second, finding it difficult to
think while her hand still rested in his.
"Why, the right one, of course," she finally replied and
extended her hand daintily in the direction of the imaginary girl
across from her.
"Correct. And then which hand would you give to the man
opposite you?"
"The left."
"Good," approved Vidal. "And now another turn in place
with your partner, right?" he caught both her hands and whirled her
around once more.
Monique's breath was coming more rapidly now, but she knew
it was more from the fact that her
trailed off lamely. Quickly he backed himself out the door.
A couple of days later Vidal made one of those impromptu
visits of his to Mlle. Baudier's classes. The governess was in the
middle of teaching Celeste some new chords on the guitar as he
entered. Celeste had taken readily to the string instruments and was
progressing with surprising rapidity in the mastery of them. The young
girl especially seemed to like the Spanish guitar that Vidal had bought
for them.
"Ah, Mlle. Baudier and my lovely little cousins," he
greeted them with a trifle less formality than he customarily addressed
them. "And how goes the music lesson today?"
He had just returned from his morning rounds about town
and was especially striking in his rust-colored frock coat and black
leather riding boots that rose up smartly to cover the knees of his
sleek nankeen breeches.
"Our little Celeste is doing splendidly with the guitar."
The governess beamed as she looked up from where she was putting the
young girl's slim fingers into the correct position on the strings for
the next chord. "Monique, on the other hand, seems to prefer the
mandolin," she added with a smile, although it was evident that her pet
was little Celeste, whom she found more docile and studious than her
restless elder charge.
Vidal cast a curious glance over to where his more
troublesome ward sat with a mandolin lying listlessly in her lap. She
looked cool and fresh in her soft flowered muslin with tiny rosebuds
spilling generously over her long flowing skirts and an upstanding
ruffle discreetly veiling the low sweep of her décolletage.
"The thought occurred to me as I rode back home just now
that my cousins here might like to learn some of the dance steps that
are popular around Europe right now," he offered.
The girls immediately perked up at the mention of dancing.
"If Mlle. Baudier will play a cotillion for us, I'll show
you the way it's being done these days," he suggested.
Celeste quickly handed the guitar to her governess and
rose eagerly to put herself at Vidal's disposal as a partner. Just the
thought of dancing with her handsome guardian brought an excited flush
to her delicately chiseled features.
"Better yet, the quadrille!" exclaimed Monique, setting
aside her mandolin and also rising with a new surge of energy.
"Of course, you know whichever you do, it should be with
at least a set of four couples," began Vidal, who had already taken
Celeste's outstretched hand into his. "Let's see how you do the
two-hand turn," he invited the delighted young girl.
Mlle. Baudier struck up an appropriate tune, and Celeste
let him swing her around in a two-hand turn, her bright skirts of
jonquil-flowered muslin swirling along to the rhythm.
"Fine! Fine!" declared Vidal approvingly. "And now you,
Monica, let's see if you can do as well as your sister just did."
He caught the tiny dimpled hands that Monique hesitantly
extended toward him. They felt softer, fleshier, than Celeste's slimmer
ones had been. There was a sensuousness about them that made him want
to squeeze tighter…
Not to be outdone by her younger sister, Monique whirled
around with her guardian in a two-hand turn that sent her full skirts
flying in a cloud of rosebuds. "Very good!" came Vidal's cry of
approval. "Now, if this were a quadrille, and you had to go into a
ladies' chain, which hand would you offer the lady opposite you to pass
her?"
Monique stood there for a second, finding it difficult to
think while her hand still rested in his.
"Why, the right one, of course," she finally replied and
extended her hand daintily in the direction of the imaginary girl
across from her.
"Correct. And then which hand would you give to the man
opposite you?"
"The left."
"Good," approved Vidal. "And now another turn in place
with your partner, right?" he caught both her hands and whirled her
around once more.
Monique's breath was coming more rapidly now, but she knew
it was more from the fact that her
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