“What do you know about my sister?” I asked.
Louisa put her hand on my arm. “Theo, it’s all right. We can stay a few minutes. I’d like to hear more music.”
“You would?” I asked. Would this night of surprises ever end?
“See, you’re the only one who sees anything wrong with all this,” Cymbeline said.
If it wouldn’t have made a terrible scene, I would’ve hauled her out of that chair and up the stairs. In addition, Louisa was looking at me with imploring eyes. I couldn’t resist her. Anything Louisa wanted, I wanted.
“Pull out my
chair,” Louisa whispered in my ear.
And so I did.
16
Louisa
* * *
I knew I’d surprised Theo by asking to stay. In truth, I’d surprised myself. I’d have never thought I’d step into a place like this and wouldn’t have if my father were still alive. He’d been adamant that I was not to ever entertain the idea of an illegal nightclub, even if Alexander and Flynn were behind the idea. The music, though! I’d never heard anything quite like it.
My foot tapped under the table and my body wanted to move. Fiona’s voice, which I’d heard hundreds of times at church, was different, lower and sultry. Something stirred inside me as if waking from a long sleep. Mother had called jazz the devil’s music, but it sounded heavenly to me. I couldn’t help but move.
“You two should dance,” Cymbeline said to Theo.
“Dance? To this?” Theo asked.
I turned my gaze to the dance floor. Several of the young women were dancing alone, kicking one leg back and then the other in front. I’d never seen such a thing.
“What are they doing?” I asked.
“That’s the Charleston,” Cymbeline said. “Do you want me to teach you?”
“How do you know?” Theo asked, then put up a hand to stop her from answering. “Never mind. It’s obvious you and Poppy are no strangers here.”
“Would you like to learn?” Poppy asked me. “It’s actually easy and very fun.”
I glanced over at Theo to see if he thought it was all right.
“You do as you please,” Theo said in my ear, brushing my hand where it rested on my thigh under the table.
“Are you sure?” I asked quietly enough that no one would be able to hear over the music.
“Our marriage will not be a dictatorship,” Theo said in my ear, “but a partnership. If you’d like to dance, then dance.”
“All right, I’ll give it a try,” I said to Cymbeline and Poppy.
“Berries,” Cymbeline said.
I followed the girls over to a corner of the dance floor for my lesson.
Cymbeline demonstrated in slow time. “Rock left foot back, then bring it forward, like this.” She did a little kick. “Then take your right foot back and so on. Now you try. We’ll go slowly until you get it.”
I followed along imitating Cymbeline until soon it came easily. Once I’d mastered that move, Cymbeline went on to teach me the next step—moving your knees inward and outward in a quick fashion. This one was such fun that I giggled every time I did it successfully.
I guess I was doing well enough that I wouldn’t embarrass the other girls because Cymbeline dragged me out to the middle of the dance floor. Poppy joined us and we danced the Charleston to this devil’s music. After several more songs, we stumbled back to the table thirsty. Theo and Isak had ordered a round of drinks in the most adorable widemouthed glasses.