The First Dance, Part Two

Part Two.

“How have you been?” he asked as the first strains began.
“Fairly well.” I smiled a little, feeling greatly awkward. “How have you been?”
“Oh, quite well. I’ve been doing lots of military events and such. Rather a bore at times. And you? I was quite worried about you, that you might freeze on the trip here.”
I laughed. “No, not at all.”
“How was Irene’s wedding?”
“Lovely.” I smiled as I recalled the happy event, and I began to feel a bit more comfortable.
“I wish I could have come.”
“Mm. I have a photograph if you’d like to see her dress.”
“I’d love to.”
“She wanted to come, but…being so soon after the wedding and all…”
Inwardly I cringed. This conversation was so dull, so shallow and, while sincere, at the same time very forced.
“Did you know,” Nicholas said suddenly, “that I wanted so very much to dance with you at Sergei and Ella’s wedding ball?”
“No…I didn’t.”
“Of course it was impossible, so I gave you a brooch instead.”
I laughed, but it sounded a bit strained.
“Wouldn’t it have been funny if Xenia had worn it tonight?”
“Yes, indeed.”
Bit by bit, Nicholas’s casual witticisms made me feel more and more at ease, until, all too soon, the dance ended, and Sergei came to claim me. After the dancing was over, (two more I danced with Nicholas, although one was so brisk there left no room for any conversation whatsoever, except for occasional warnings not to bump into something,) the guests retreated to zakuskas, light appetizers. I didn’t much feel like eating anything, partly because Ella’s lady-in-waiting Ekaterina “Kitty” had laced my corset so tightly. I stood talking with Xenia in a nook off the ballroom that was lush with potted trees and hanging vines. A strong, sweet smell radiated from an orange tree in full blossom.
I listened, amused, as Xenia chattered away.
“…and there’s a simply marvelous ice skating pond that is perfect for…oh! You startled me, Nicky! Don’t creep up on people like that, it’s awfully frightening.”
Nicholas had appeared behind Xenia, holding two crystal glasses of rosy-hued punch, and he now looked a bit sheepish.
“I didn’t mean to startle you, dear sister,” he replied in a jesting tone of voice as he handed us each a glass. The three of us were quiet for a moment as Xenia and I sipped the punch. I noticed Xenia glancing around with a sly look on her face, and then she said,
“Oh! I just remembered something I must ask Mamma! Don’t move, I’ll be back in a bit.” With that, she dashed off, narrowly missing spilling her punch on an elderly woman in lilac satin.
Her intent was obvious: to leave Nicholas and I by ourselves. Sometimes, Xenia’s impishness…although of course, there was nothing improper about it, as ball guests mingled not two feet away from us.
“I certainly hope that she does not mean, ‘do not move,’ in a literal sense,” Nicholas said, leaning against the wall.
“If she did, we would be in quite a dilemma,” I replied, surprised at my uncharacteristically witty response.
To my great relief, Ella came by and stopped at the nook.
“Alix, Nicholas! Do come, Kitty is to sing a solo from a new opera that has become popular in France.”
“A…cat singing an opera song? Novel indeed,” Nicholas said, un-slouching from the wall and peering over Ella.
“Oh, Nicholas! You are too funny. Kitty is my lady-in-waiting, Ekaterina!” Ella laughed heartily, and, snatching up my hand, led us to where Miss Kitty was preparing her little concert.
As Ella hurried to Sergei’s side, Xenia re-joined us and whispered to me,
“I hope it isn’t too high opera. I can’t stand high opera!”
Thankfully, Miss Kitty sang in a manner not too offending to Xenia’s ears, and after the concert was concluded, the ball came to an end.