Dancing At Midnight

Tumbley was soon preening most unattractively.

'Well, of course J don't mind, your grace,' she gushed. 'I'm so honored that you accepted my invitation. It has been many years since we've seen you here.'

Belle noticed that Alex's smile had grown tight. 'A mistake I must rectify,' he said.

Lady Tumbley started to bat her eyelashes, a gesture which did not suit a lady of her years and girth. When she finally stilled her eyelids, she looked straight at John and said, 'And who have we here?'

Belle stepped forward. 'My husband, my lady.'

'Your what?'

Belle stepped back. The screech had returned.

John took Lady Tumbley's hand and kissed her knuckles. 'John Blackwood at your service, my lady.'

'But Lady Arabella, my dear, I mean, Lady Blackwood, I just, well, I hadn't heard you'd been married. When did this occur? And, er, was it a large wedding?'

In other words-why hadn't she been invited?

'It was quite small, Lady Tumbley,' Belle said. 'Two weeks ago.'

'Two weeks ago? An entire fortnight? And I hadn't heard?'

'It was in the Times,' John put in.

'Perhaps, but I… '

'Perhaps you ought to read the newspaper more often,' Belle said sweetly.

'Perhaps I should. If you'll excuse me.' Lady Tumbley smiled awkwardly, bobbed a curtsy, and darted into the crowds.

'Our first objective has been fulfilled,' Belle announced. 'Within five minutes everyone will know that, one, our crumpled appearance is due to a carriage mishap, and two, I have married a most mysterious man about whom no one knows anything.'

'In other words, everyone will know we're here,' John said. 'Including Spencer.'

'If he comes,' Emma said thoughtfully. 'I doubt he's been invited.'

'Ifs easy enough to sneak into such a large party,' Dunford said. 'I've done it a few times myself.'

Emma looked at him oddly before asking, 'What do we do now?'

'I suppose we mingle,' Belle replied. 'But we ought to try to stay in close proximity of each other. One of us might need help.'

Belle looked around. Lady Tumbley had outdone herself this year, and the party glittered with candles, jewels, and smiles. The ballroom was one of the most distinctive in London, with a second floor gallery ringing the room. Belle had always thought that the Tumbley children must have spent countless nights up there peeping down at the elegant lords and ladies below. Belle sighed to herself, praying that she and John would get through this evening without harm, so that their children might someday be able to behave similarly.

For the next hour and a half, the quintet played the roles of innocent partygoers. Belle and John had no dearth of well-wishers, most of whom didn't bother to hide their insatiable curiosity about John and their hasty marriage. Alex and Emma stood nearby, their mere presence signaling their approval of the match. But more importantly, they were able to keep an eye out for Spencer while John and Belle were busy making polite conversation. Dunford acted as a roving spy, darting around the ballroom and monitoring the entrances and exits.

After nearly two hours, Caroline, Henry, and Persephone finally arrived and made their way immediately to Belle and John. 'You wouldn't believe what happened to us!' Caroline exclaimed.

'A carriage accident?' John deadpanned.

'How did you know?'

'You had a carriage accident?' Belle said, horrified.

'Well, it was nothing dangerous. The left rear wheel slipped off, and we tipped a bit to the side. A bit uncomfortable, but no one was hurt. We did, of course, have to return home to change, however, and as a result we are extremely late.' Caroline blinked a few times as she took in her daughter's slightly rumpled gown. 'I say, that dress wasn't meant to be crushedvelvet, was it?'

'We were the unfortunate victims of a carriage accident as well,' John said.

'You don't say!' Persephone exclaimed, and then she made her way to a table laden with refreshments.

'That's odd,' Lord Worth put in. 'Very odd.'

'Indeed.' John's expression was grim.

Dunford appeared at their side. 'Good evening, Lady Worth, Lord Worth. I must say, I had expected to see you earlier. Er, Blackwood, if I could have a moment alone with you.'

John excused himself and met with Dunford a few yards away. 'What's happened?'

'He's here. And looking furious. He came in through the side door a few minutes ago. My guess is that he wasn't invited. Either that or he's afraid the butler will call out his name. But he's in full evening dress. No one will look twice at him. He blends right in.'

John nodded curtly. 'He's going to try something.'

'We need a plan.'

'There's nothing we can do until he makes the first move.'

'Just be careful.'

'I will. Oh, and Dunford? Keep an eye on Belle, will you?' John swallowed convulsively and searched his brain for the right words. 'It would be very difficult for me should anything happen to her.'

Dunford's lips curved into a tiny smile and he nodded. 'I'll keep an eye on you, too. It would be very difficult for her should anything happen to you.'

John caught his gaze. They didn't know each other very well, but they were bonded by their feelings for Belle, Dunford as her longtime friend and John as her passionately devoted husband.

John turned back to Belle and his in-laws, who were busily greeting a heavyset couple who'd come to offer congratulations on the recent wedding, expressing their sorrow that they hadn't been able to attend the actual ceremony. John caught the tail-end of the conversation, and had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as he watched Belle clenching her teeth, obviously trying hard not to point out that they hadn't been invited. Her eyes lit up when she saw him return.

'Our friend has arrived,' he said quietly.

'Oh, who is that?' Caroline inquired.

'Just an acquaintance of John's from the army,' Belle improvised, taking some solace in the fact that she wasn't exactly lying.

'You must go seek him out, then.'

'Oh, I think he'll find us,' John said archly.

Caroline's attention was then captured by a friend she hadn't seen since she'd returned from Italy, and Belle quickly turned to John and asked, 'What are we going to do now?'

'Nothing. Just remain vigilant.'

Belle took a deep breath and pursed her lips. She wasn't feeling especially patient. 'Have you told Alex and Emma?'

'Dunford did.'

'So we just stand here like sheep while he plots his nefarious schemes?'

'Something like that.'

Belle grimaced and an extremely odd noise emerged from her mouth.

John looked to her in amazement. 'Did you just growl?'

'I might have done.'

'Good God, we'd better be rid of Spencer soon, or my wife is going to turn into an animal.'

'A particularly vicious one, too, if I have any say in the matter.' Belle sighed and looked around the ballroom. 'John! Isn't that him right there?' She pointed discreetly at a blond man sipping a glass of champagne.

John followed her gaze and then nodded curtly, never taking his eyes off of Spencer. At that moment the cur looked up from his glass, and their eyes met. John felt an icy cold shiver run through his body, and suddenly he was more convinced than ever that coming tonight was a bad idea. He had to get Belle out of here. He'd have to deal with Spencer in his own way.

'He's coming this way!' Belle whispered.

John's eyes narrowed. Spencer had plunked his glass down on a nearby table and was making his way across