Ruby felt an inward shiver as she looked up into his face. They had never danced – he had never even held her in his arms, she had made sure of that – and she had been anticipating this moment with equal longing and apprehension. Sooner or later Edward would tire of the platonic friendship between them, she knew that. He was a man, wasn’t he, and men had needs; she was amazed he hadn’t forced the issue long ago, but she knew he had bowed to her demands that they remain just friends because he cared for her. How much she wasn’t sure – they’d never spoken of their feelings – but whether his intention would be to ask her to become his mistress or to actually want to marry her, her answer would be the same. She could no more inhabit his world happily than he could hers, whatever hers was, these days.

‘So, Miss Morgan, may I have the pleasure?’ Edward said, laughter in his voice now.

The orchestra had started a waltz, and forcing herself to nod and smile she placed her left hand tentatively on his shoulder and the fingers of her right in his extended palm and they were off into the moving throng. He was a wonderful dancer, but then of course he’d had a lot of practice since he was a youth; balls and fancy occasions would be commonplace to him, she thought, her feet hardly seeming to touch the floor as they flowed as one with the music. She was vitally aware of every single thing about him as they circled the room, and for a moment she panicked.

‘Play with fire,’ her mam used to say, ‘and you’ll get burned.’

Telling herself to forget everything but the fact that she was in Edward’s arms and to live in the moment, Ruby felt as though she was floating as they danced dance after dance. Clarissa came up and chatted with them at one point when they stopped for refreshments, and the chairwoman of the local suffrage group made herself known to Ruby along with several other of the members, but only one or two of Edward’s acquaintances engaged him in conversation although Ruby noticed Clarissa’s friends were craning their heads to observe them on more than one occasion.