Archie found Leigha on the terrace leading out to the garden, "There you are," he said with a smile, "were you planning to stand me up?"
"What?" She said jumping, "Oh, Lieutenant, you startled me. I thought you would be dancing with Genevieve."
He looked at her strangely for a moment, "No, I asked you for the dances. Why would I dance with Miss D'Armond? I wouldn't treat you as rudely as that."
"Well," Leigha replied putting on a strained smile, "I'll not hold you to your promise, if you wish to turn your favors elsewhere."
Archie, noticing the shine of tears in her brown eyes, smiled tenderly and reached out to stroke her soft cheek, "I don't wish to dance with anyone else, I wish to dance with you."
Much to his surprise, she pulled herself up stiffly and with her eyes eyes snapping flames, she hissed through clenched teeth, "I don't need your pity, sir. If you wish to dance with someone else, do so! But don't feel that you need to humor poor little Leigha!"
This time it was Archie's mouth that fell open, "Leigha! Er...Miss Sommes, I am not doing this out of pity. I am doing this because I wish to dance with you and no one else but you. Though, now I am seriuosly reconsidering. You wound me, Madame."
Leigha sighed and then smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mr. Kennedy. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm so used to Genevieve treating me as she does that I have no inkling why it's upsetting me now. Forgive me, please, I was being unfair to you."
Leigha did know, though, why Genevieve's comments hurt tonight. She usually deflected the barbs Genny directed at her with a laugh and a shrug; but having them flung at her In front of Lt. Kennedy, whom she so very much admired, was the pinnacle of endurance tonight. He was the last person she wanted to be made the object of ridicule in front of.
He smiled at her sweetly and said, "Apology accepted. Now, are we still dancing?"
Leigha laughed and put her hand in Archie's. As he swept her into the ballroom and out onto the floor, she knew that she would remember this moment forever. The way her heart would pound and her skin would tingle at each brush of his hand. And the way she, plain little Leigha Sommes, received jealous glances from many a beautiful woman.
***************************************************************
Three pair of eyes watched them dance. One pair, filled with joy and pride, belonged to Sir Ainsley Sommes. He watched his only daughter sparkle in a way he never knew she could. He smiled in delight at the besotted look upon her partner's face and he laughed in smug satifaction at the sour look upon his wife's feature. Sir Ainsley could admit that his sweet Leigha was almost pretty tonight and he noticed that the other gentlemen were also taking second glances.
The second and third pair of eyes belonged to Lady Sommes and her sister, Genevieve. "How dare she," said Leona waspishly, "doesn't she realize she's making a spectacle of herself?"
Genevieve nodded her head in agreement, "I think she forgets her own advanced age and state of spinsterhood"
The thing was, that while Leigha was at the advanced age of 19, Genevieve was two years older. "She is really making quite a card out of herself." Genny sneered.
"Well," Leona said with a shrug, "at least the Lieuftenant is a good sport. Leigha is probably boring him out of his wits."
***************************************************************
Archie was anything but bored. He was amzed at how bright and witty she was. The more he got to know her the more he realized how utterly beautiful she was. Maybe it wasn't in features, though she was more than passins handsome to him now, but it was her personality that so charmed him. The way she laughed and smiled. The way she moved and the scent of her hair-the scent of her- as she passed by him in the measures of the dance.
He was fascinated by the way her cheeks and throat would flush when he accidentally brushed against her. He couldn't help but to wink at her so he could hear her low chuckle and he found himself watching her lips as she spoke. More than once he hed to mentally restrain himself from leaning in and stealing a kiss right there on the dance floor.
"What?" She said jumping, "Oh, Lieutenant, you startled me. I thought you would be dancing with Genevieve."
He looked at her strangely for a moment, "No, I asked you for the dances. Why would I dance with Miss D'Armond? I wouldn't treat you as rudely as that."
"Well," Leigha replied putting on a strained smile, "I'll not hold you to your promise, if you wish to turn your favors elsewhere."
Archie, noticing the shine of tears in her brown eyes, smiled tenderly and reached out to stroke her soft cheek, "I don't wish to dance with anyone else, I wish to dance with you."
Much to his surprise, she pulled herself up stiffly and with her eyes eyes snapping flames, she hissed through clenched teeth, "I don't need your pity, sir. If you wish to dance with someone else, do so! But don't feel that you need to humor poor little Leigha!"
This time it was Archie's mouth that fell open, "Leigha! Er...Miss Sommes, I am not doing this out of pity. I am doing this because I wish to dance with you and no one else but you. Though, now I am seriuosly reconsidering. You wound me, Madame."
Leigha sighed and then smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mr. Kennedy. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm so used to Genevieve treating me as she does that I have no inkling why it's upsetting me now. Forgive me, please, I was being unfair to you."
Leigha did know, though, why Genevieve's comments hurt tonight. She usually deflected the barbs Genny directed at her with a laugh and a shrug; but having them flung at her In front of Lt. Kennedy, whom she so very much admired, was the pinnacle of endurance tonight. He was the last person she wanted to be made the object of ridicule in front of.
He smiled at her sweetly and said, "Apology accepted. Now, are we still dancing?"
Leigha laughed and put her hand in Archie's. As he swept her into the ballroom and out onto the floor, she knew that she would remember this moment forever. The way her heart would pound and her skin would tingle at each brush of his hand. And the way she, plain little Leigha Sommes, received jealous glances from many a beautiful woman.
***************************************************************
Three pair of eyes watched them dance. One pair, filled with joy and pride, belonged to Sir Ainsley Sommes. He watched his only daughter sparkle in a way he never knew she could. He smiled in delight at the besotted look upon her partner's face and he laughed in smug satifaction at the sour look upon his wife's feature. Sir Ainsley could admit that his sweet Leigha was almost pretty tonight and he noticed that the other gentlemen were also taking second glances.
The second and third pair of eyes belonged to Lady Sommes and her sister, Genevieve. "How dare she," said Leona waspishly, "doesn't she realize she's making a spectacle of herself?"
Genevieve nodded her head in agreement, "I think she forgets her own advanced age and state of spinsterhood"
The thing was, that while Leigha was at the advanced age of 19, Genevieve was two years older. "She is really making quite a card out of herself." Genny sneered.
"Well," Leona said with a shrug, "at least the Lieuftenant is a good sport. Leigha is probably boring him out of his wits."
***************************************************************
Archie was anything but bored. He was amzed at how bright and witty she was. The more he got to know her the more he realized how utterly beautiful she was. Maybe it wasn't in features, though she was more than passins handsome to him now, but it was her personality that so charmed him. The way she laughed and smiled. The way she moved and the scent of her hair-the scent of her- as she passed by him in the measures of the dance.
He was fascinated by the way her cheeks and throat would flush when he accidentally brushed against her. He couldn't help but to wink at her so he could hear her low chuckle and he found himself watching her lips as she spoke. More than once he hed to mentally restrain himself from leaning in and stealing a kiss right there on the dance floor.