Finally, a few moments of peace resumed, but they were all taken aback to hear Mia ask only minutes later, “So, who do you think the richest bachelor in the room is?”
Sylvia began to choke on her water, spitting most of it back into the goblet she’d previously been drinking from, and his mother, Avis Bridgewater, began cutting her steak as vigorously as Mia had attacked her lobster previously.
“What? Shouldn’t I ask what everyone else is already thinking? Don’t tell me I’m the only one in the room who is curious.” Mia sounded indignant. She made matters slightly worse as her aunt and parents winced by looking around at the silent table and adding, while waving her fork around, “Oh, I see. You all already know, and I am to be kept in the dark. Why doesn’t anyone tell me these things?”
“What do you say we make a toast to Mia and Clayton,” his sister Melanie announced, saving the meal from one nearly final disaster. This time his mother began to choke on her sweet tea.
“Isn’t anyone going to answer me?” Mia asked, her green eyes wide, and filled with agitation.
The others at the table ignored Mia and raised their glasses, echoing, “To Mia and Clayton.”
“Oh look, the dancing is about to start. The orchestra is warming up,” Coral announced after the toast. As the middle Bridgewater sister, she often acted as a mediator and peacemaker for the clan. Clayton could have hugged her for doing so that night.
He was glad Mia’s mother and father kept conversation flowing with polite chatter amongst his parents and siblings, including his youngest sister, Reagan, who was her normal bubbly self that evening. He had the feeling Mia’s parents were doing their best to distract everyone from a few of their daughter’s fumbles. He was also impressed that her relations didn’t attempt to scold Mia, which in his opinion, would have only aggravated things. Instead, they remained calm and steady, answering occasional questions about Kentucky, and consistently putting the conversation back on track.
Beau, the second to youngest of the Bridgewater family, did his best to heckle him in an attempt to bring private humor to the tense situation. “Looking forward to the dancing, Clay?” Beaumont wore a smirk on his face, but he knew his brother was only joking around.
“As a matter of fact, I am.” He winked and let the remark pass. Clay didn’t take the bait from the goading since Beau was only teasing. He supposed his brother inferred Mia might not know how to dance based on her track record of other behaviors, and that she might step all over his toes. Nothing could be further from the truth. He’d been practicing with Mia all week, every afternoon at three o’clock. She was a born dancer, and he realized he’d actually miss their time together when the night was over.
When they took their place in line with the other debs and escorts to do another grand march, this time onto the dance floor to open the dancing, Mia proved to everyone how advanced she was with her dancing skills. She was truly a natural, and nothing could stop everyone in the room from noticing it. He swirled her around and around. They did numerous spins, and waltzed in perfection with each other around both the perimeter and center of the dance floor. Clearly, their dancing technique was a cut above, but he and Mia added three dips toward the end of their introductory dance which caused guests to thunder with applause and appreciation for all of the new couples entering high society. Reporters flashed their cameras when he held her in the last dip as she held onto him with one arm while extending another in an elegant stretch. They both guessed photos would appear tomorrow that would delight New Yorkers.
“Thank you for making this evening and this week so much fun, Clay,” Mia commented when the dance came to an end and he brought her upright by wrapping both of his arms around her. “And I’m sorry I’m inept about a number of things. Thank you for showing me a lot of grace.” She smiled at him, as her father approached for the father-daughter dance, a customary point in the evening.
He bowed with a nod of his head. “I’ve enjoyed every moment. You’re doing just fine. I’ll see you at our table later.” He needed to ask her out on a date before the end of the night, but Nora kept giving him wistful looks that filled him with uncertainty. His mother had asked him to consider the Chandler debutante in particular at this event, and he’d barely spoken to her all week.
“Of course, and I hope we’ll dance more later on,” Mia had replied as her father whisked her away for the next dance.
The orchestra finished playing, and the real party began when a D.J. started playing modern favorite dance electronica and pop songs. An hour and a half of fast and freestyle dancing passed when something country western with a pop flair began to play. This was something new on guests, and it caught everyone’s attention. He’d danced with Mia through most of the evening, but now, back at their table for a break, Clay couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh at what he saw. His eyes found her front and center on the dance floor teaching all of the debutantes and a third of the guests how to do a country western line dance, barefoot. No one removed their shoes or line danced at these events unless it was for something like the “Macarena,” but if anyone was going to pull it off, Mia would lead the way.
Nora sauntered over to his table and plopped down beside him in one of the empty seats, eyeing him as he observed the dancing. “Having fun with your country girl from backwoods Kentucky?” she asked, a snide tone emerging.
Aunt Sylvia overheard the remark and rolled her eyes, ignoring Nora. Clay saw Sylvia’s smile and observed her shaking her head towards her niece, chuckling. Apparently, the LaVeque widow had grown accustomed to her niece committing one faux pas after another. She appeared to be taking it in stride when she said, “She certainly is a lady of distinction, don’t you think, Clay?”
Clearly, Mia had become popular among the guests. Numerous escorts and other guests asked her to dance, as well. He was sure some of the young gentlemen had heard she was the heiress to billions, worth more than many of them combined.
“Oh, I completely agree.” He nodded as Mia’s parents, Cassie and Charles Morgan, moved from the other end of the table to sit closer to Sylvia. It was his understanding they’d be in town for Christmas. Maybe he’d be able to visit her during the holiday week. Perhaps he’d ask her to go ice skating in Central Park.
As he watched Mia Delphine Morgan enjoying the dancing, he realized again how sad he was to see the evening coming to an end. It meant the end of their blissful week together. He’d never have this much time with the amazing Manhattan debutante from Kentucky. Country girl or not, he found her spunky, innocent, perhaps a little naïve, and refreshing compared to the other girls, like Nora—who finally wandered to the other end of the table to speak to his mother and sisters when he hadn’t responded to her.
He could hear his mom, Avis, greet her. “Nora dear, how nice to see you. How are you? Tell me everything that’s new with you. Your gown is absolutely stunning.”
He would chat for a few minutes with Mia’s parents, but with one final hour of dancing remaining, he hoped to spend every moment he could with her in his arms. He didn’t think a girl like her would ever want to be with someone who had a reputation and a past as jaded as his, but at least he could try to make the most of their time together.