As he knew she would, Annie followed last in the flow of guests. He touched her arm.
She spun to face him as surprise widened her lovely blue-gray eyes.
“I believe this is yers.” He offered the basket he’d found toppled in the small room in the barn.
Relief returned her eyes to their normal sphere. “Ye are very kind, Mr. Archer.”
“Ye are very formal, Miss Wright.” Heart thudding, he took a step closer. “Can we not go back to our childhood days when I was Reed and ye were Little Annie?”
Ann stepped back two spaces. “I concede the basis for yer claim, Mr. Archer, but we are not the same people we were then. I see no need to pretend there is a friendship where one no longer exists.”
She could not have startled him more if she’d reached out and slapped him in the face with her basket.
“Forgive me.” He managed.
“There is nothing to forgive, Mr. Archer.”
“May I request the first dance this evening?”
“Of course,” she nodded. “Now, if ye will excuse me.” She slipped past him and headed for the stairs.
~*~
Ann flushed as she made her way quickly down the corridor to her bedchamber. She prayed she hadn’t been too discourteous. At the same time, pleasure rushed to soothe her worry. She’d told him exactly what she thought. If she was blunt, she wasn’t sorry. If she’d been unkind, she would have to apologize. It was kind of him to bring her basket. It saved her a trip to the barn tonight.
They were halfway through the first set when Ann returned to the hall. Three musicians played near the wall of window lights. Chairs scattered in small groups adorned the remaining walls. In the center, five couples stepped and bounced to the Sir Roger De Coverly. Ann slipped to an empty chair next to her parents and Mrs. Archer to watch her dear friend, Mattie, dance with Reed.
He moved with more grace than his large frame should allow. Ann tore her gaze from his lithe form before her mother could catch her bad manners. Mattie kept her attention on Jacob as she always did. He met Ruby in the center and skipped back to the line. For his part, Jacob seemed oblivious to Mattie’s affection for him. Ann sent a prayer to heaven that he would see before it was too late.
Griffen caught her eye from across the set. A large, warm grin made its way from him to inflame her cheeks. She didn’t have much history with Reed’s cousins, but the apple didn’t fall far from the Archer tree. The same good looks that distracted her in Reed were present in his cousin, though she didn’t seem to have the same reaction to Griffen as she did to Reed.
Reed wobbled, the dancers widened to accommodate and then tightened back into crisp lines. Reed sent her a shy smile and shrugged.
Her belly flipped.
When the set ended, Jacob headed toward Mattie.
Ann breathed a sigh of relief in concert with her friend.
“Rise, dear.” Her mother’s fan tapped her elbow.
Ann toppled the chair as her knees straightened.
Griffen bowed over her hand.
Reed stood in the background as bewilderment crossed his features.
“May I have this dance?” Griffen’s greeting, with all the warmth of Dorcas’ beef stew on a snowy day, failed to bring any reaction save feelings of true friendship.
Indeed, she was grateful to leave off sitting with nothing to do with her hands. Now, if she’d been able to slip out her knife and the small piece of wood even now resting in her pocket, well, the others could dance until tomorrow, and she’d be content to sit until they were done. “Mr. Foster, I would love to dance with ye, but I have promised this dance to yer cousin.”
A grin drove bewilderment from Reed’s face.
Ann’s heart skittered a beat. She placed her hand in his outstretched one. A tingle ran from her fingers right up her sleeve.
“Miss Wright.”
“Mr. Archer.”
The music of a country dance swept them into its rhythm. The tempo kept them from speaking more than a phrase in passing.
“I’m afraid I was discourteous to ye earlier.” She offered as she passed under his arm.
“Think nothing of it.”
“Ye are very kind.” The movement whirled them away from each other and back again.
“I find that my fond thoughts of home these past months have perhaps been a bit too rosy. I had assumed—”
Curiosity kept her gaze glued to him as they circled with another couple.
“Assumed what?” she asked when they were once again paired.
The dance spun them breathless before it ended. He offered his arm and headed toward her parents.
“I am not sure what ye assumed—”
He tugged her in closer to his side. “Ye may rest assured that all of my assumptions, no matter how rosy, have been brought to the light of a noonday sun.” He bowed and left her with a spin of his heel.
