“I tried on a dozen of them. This one wasn’t my favorite, but there were shoes that matched.”

“Well, I love it.”

“I’m glad. I guess I didn’t need your help after all.”

He turned her, touching his cheek to her hair, breathing her in, and through the dress he could feel the soft knobs of her spine, the clasp of her bra. He was going to get himself into trouble. Effie was watching them, smiling, but then Max and Clara returned with the drinks, and a couple of women Henry didn’t recognize, and she turned her attention to them. The cadets had joined the table too.

“Ten to one Clara’s going to invite all those people back to the house,” Alma said.

“Another party?” Henry said, and she nodded.

“You’ll need to stay by my side. I don’t trust these boys.”

He smiled like a fool. “I thought you wanted to meet people.”

She made a face. “Not them. They’re starved. They’ve been on the base too long. One of them said he fell in love with me the moment he saw me.”

He laughed, and turned her again, pressing his hand to the small of her back. He thought he knew the cadet in question, the tall one, who was sitting at the table and watching them. “What did you say to him?”

“What could I say? I thanked him. I told him he was nice.” She saw the cadet watching, smiled and twiddled her fingers at him, and Henry felt a flare of possessiveness.

“Well,” he said, “I’ll keep guard. I won’t leave your side.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

They danced the rest of the song without speaking. She looked at their clasped hands. Her earlobes were tender and studded with silver beads. The hair at her temples was wet. He was under a spell. But then the song ended, and they parted, smiling, averting their eyes, and returned to the table.