Dancing At Midnight

Chapter 22

John yanked viciously at his cravat. "This is stupid, Belle," he hissed. "Stupid." belle tiptoed around his valet, who had let out an agonized groan over the death of his careful handiwork. "How many times do we have to go through this? I told you there was no way to get out of going to the Tumbley bash tonight. Mother would have my head if I didn't show my face before all the tonas a properly married lady."

John dismissed his valet with a curt nod, wanting to keep the conversation private. "That's exactly it, Belle. You're a married lady now. You don't have to obey your parents' every order anymore."

"Oh, so now instead of following my parents' orders, I get to follow yours. Pardon me if I don't jump with glee."

"Don't be sarcastic, Belle. It doesn't suit you. All I'm saying is you don't have to do what your parents tell you anymore."

"Try telling that to my mother."

"You're a grown woman." John made his way over to a mirror and began to refold his cravat.

"I have news for you. Parents don't stop being parents when their children get married. And mothers especially don't stop being mothers."

John pulled the fabric the wrong way and cursed.

"You should have left it the way Wheatley arranged it. I thought it looked quite elegant."

John shot her a look which said he didn't want to hear it.

"Look at it this way," Belle continued, fixing her skirts so they wouldn't wrinkle as she sat down on the bed. "My parents are still getting to know you. They'll be suspicious if we refuse to be seen in public together. You don't want to be at odds with your in-laws for the rest of your life, do you?"

"I don't want to be dead, either."

"That isn't even remotely funny, John. I wish you wouldn't joke about it."

John abandoned his cravat for a moment and turned around so that he could look his wife in the eye. "I'm not joking, Belle. It's going to be a madhouse tonight. I have no idea how I'm going to keep either one of us safe."

Belle bit her lip. "Alex and Dunford will be there. I'm sure they'll be a tremendous help."

"I'm sure they will. But that doesn't guarantee our safety. I don't see why you didn't just tell your parents the truth."

"Oh, that would make a good impression," Belle said sarcastically. "They'll just love you once they find out you've put my life in danger." At John's scowl, she added, "Inadvertently, of course."

John finally gave up trying to arrange his cravat and yelled out, "Wheatley!" Then he turned to Belle and said quickly, "I value our lives more highly than your parents' opinions, and you'd do well to remember that."

"John, I really think we'll be fine as long as we stay near Alex and Dunford. Maybe we'll even have a chance to trap-oh, hello Wheatley. His lordship seems to be having a bit of trouble with his cravat. I'm afraid his foul mood has drained the dexterity from his fingers. Do you suppose you could aid him in this endeavor?"

John's countenance turned quite black.

Belle returned his scowl with a bright smile and stood up. "I'm going to see if the carriage is ready."

"You do that."

Belle turned to the door and took a step forward.

John sucked in his breath. "Good God, woman, what are you wearing? Or rather, what aren't you wearing?"

Belle smiled. She had donned the midnight blue velvet gown she had bought a few weeks earlier when she was plotting to seduce him. "Don't you like it?" she asked, keeping her back to him so that he couldn't see her grin.

That was a mistake, for the dress had no back, or at least very little of one. "It's indecent," John spat out.

"It is not," Belle said, unable to work her voice into a properly protesting tone. "Lots of women wear gowns like this. Some even wear light fabric and then damp it to make it transparent."

"I will not have other men looking at your back. And that is final!"

Belle decided she didn't half mind his possessiveness. "Well, if you put it that way…" She darted from the room and made her way to her own chamber, where Mary was waiting with another freshly pressed gown. Belle had had a feeling she'd be changing her attire. But she had accomplished her goal. She'd gotten John's mind off of Spencer for a few minutes at least.

After changing, she headed downstairs, arriving just as the front door opened to admit Alex, Emma, Dunford, and Persephone. The quartet was chattering very loudly.

"What are you doing here?" Belle asked.

Emma looked behind her to ascertain that the front door was still open and yelled, "WE'RE TAKING YOU TO THE BALL TONIGHT!"

"You are?"