Adelaide shook her head, laughing at the sight of him. “Have you ever seen him like this?”

“I have,” Julia told her, a smile in her voice. “I’ve known him since we were children, after all. But not often, and certainly not lately. Even before your marriage.” She chuckled as Basset laughed again, his grin almost wild. “This is as good for him as it is for you.”

There could be no denying that, not when she could see the change in him so clearly. He was utterly adorable and charming, even from this distance and in the light of torches and starlight.

He saw her looking at him as the reel ended, clapping along with the rest of the dancers. His smile remained, though it became less of a grin and more unreadable. He came in her direction, pushing his rolled sleeves up past his elbows on either side, one hand running through his dark hair.

Something tight clenched in Adelaide’s stomach as he did so, and she straightened as he neared, smiling slyly. “You appear to be in need of a drink, my lord.”

“Yes, please,” he replied easily. “Anything at hand.” He set his hands on his trim hips, exhaling roughly in apparent exhaustion. “I must say, I do not feel old on regular occasions, but at this moment, I believe I am positively ancient.”

Julia reached over to the table next to her, fetching a tankard of something and handing it to him. “You dance well, Basset, and with great enthusiasm. It reminds me of a lad I once knew.”

Basset smiled a little, pausing before taking a long drink from his tankard. “Oddly enough, me too.” He put a hand on Adelaide’s shoulder, looking down at her. “Are you all right?”

Adelaide reared back a little. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He gave her a look, his eyes darting to Julia and back meaningfully.

“Oh!” Adelaide laughed once, nodding. “That. Yes, as it happens. I have no doubt I will sleep most of the day when we return home, but I have no complaints.” She fought the urge to yawn by offering a sigh instead. “We must be getting close to dawn, are we not?”

Basset looked out at the horizon. “There is light there, though dawn is likely an hour or two away.”

“These poor miners.” Julia clicked her tongue a little. “They’ll be going straight to the mines after this, and they’ll be so exhausted.”

“Oh, I told them to take the day to rest and recover,” Basset said with a faint sniff, looking back at the dancing. “Paid, of course. I thought it was best, given how much everyone is enjoying themselves. Why should the celebrations end just to return to work? And it would be a risk to their safety to work so fatigued.”

Adelaide gaped up at him and the offhand manner in which he had announced such a thing. “Did you really?”