My Savage Heart (The MacQuaid Brothers) by Christine Dorsey Page B

to be denied.
    “Nonsense. You have two working feet don’t you? John, partner Caroline; and mind, follow her lead.”
    Pulled up by two work-roughened hands, Caroline had no choice but to join the dancers. They all turned to her expectantly, waiting to see the latest dance step from across the sea... and she had no idea what to show them.
    Her mind raced back to the last time she attended a ball. Attended was the wrong word. She and Edward had sneaked down from the nursery to watch her parents’ guests in the ballroom. But that was before her mother died and before Papa sent them off to the country.
    Still, though many years had passed, Caroline remembered forcing Ned to dance with her the next day as she hummed the tune learned the previous night. Even then, her brother’s world centered about his books, but he gamely tried to follow her lead.
    Now as Caroline looked at the expectant faces, she tried to remember the steps. Her glance strayed outside the ring of people, but now that she was the center of everyone else’s attention, Raff seemed unaware of her. He was involved in a serious conversation with one of the men.
    “’Tis not new.” Caroline pulled her focus back. “But ’tis always been one of my favorite dances. Mr. Dabney,” she said, turning toward Betsy’s husband. “Are you familiar with the tune ‘Goddesses?’”
    “Now let me see.” Sam tucked the polished wood under his chin, sliding the bow down to play the first few bars. “That what you’re talking about?”
    “Yes, that’s it.” She faced John Flannery. “Now for this dance, we stand in two lines men facing women.” She hesitated. “Do any of you know this dance?” To a person they shook their heads, so Caroline continued. When they were set and she’d talked them through the instructions, John called to his wife.
    “Come on over Jane, you’ve got to be learning this, too.”
    “I’ll just watch,” she said, though Caroline could tell the woman was dying to join the set.
    “Come along, Jane.” Caroline took her hand, pulling her into the spot to partner her husband as Sam Dabney began playing.
    “But what about you?” Jane held on to Caroline’s arm as she called to Raff. “You know how to do this dance?”
    “Oh, I really don’t think we need to disturb Mr. MacQuaid.” Caroline pulled gently, trying to extricate herself from Jane’s grasp. It did no good. Neither did her words.
    “Disturb him,” Jane laughed. “Why he’s not doing anything, are you Raff?”
    “Nothing as important as partnering a beautiful lady.”
    Caroline turned around to see him standing before her. She curtsied to his deep bow and accompanied him to the head of the line. The fire crackled, and Caroline’s heart seemed to beat in time to the lively music.
    Any doubts she had about Raff knowing the steps were put to rest when he took her hand, dancing her down the row. When they separated, she to lead the women, he the men, Caroline couldn’t stop watching him. He had a natural grace as obvious on the dance floor as when he rode a horse. Even in his deerskin leggings and shirt he seemed as masculinely elegant as any silk-garbed duke.
    When they passed close, right shoulder to right shoulder, he returned her smile. “You’ve done this before,” she said.
    “Perhaps a time or two.”
    The music forced them apart again; but through all the steps, Caroline could feel his gaze on her. She watched him, too, at first surreptitiously, then as the pace quickened, openly. The other dancers seemed to disappear, and it was only the two of them, meeting, touching, and pulling away, in a parody of life.
    Caroline wasn’t ready for the dance to end, for the loss of sensuality. The music stopped and the fantasy ended abruptly. Jane’s plump arm circled her shoulders, turning her away.
    “Now wasn’t that more fun than sitting on the side?”
    Caroline nodded, unable to trust her own voice. After dancing with Raff, Caroline could no longer deny