Kurt looked across the carriage at Rachel. She was nervously wringing her handkerchief. He reached across to place his hand on top of hers. “What did that poor handkerchief do to you?”
Rachel stilled her hands. “I’m sorry. I’m just so nervous. I get so few interactions with Mr. Hudson that I’m worried he won’t find me desirable anymore. I have not spoken to him directly since the ball. He visited Father, but Father wouldn’t let us see each other.”
Quinn hummed. “It is because Kurt was not in the house at all during the times Mr. Hudson came to visit. Father wants every meeting you have with Mr. Hudson to be chaperoned. But do not worry, I have heard from Lila that Mr. Hudson is very interested.”
Rachel frowned. “That is not fair though. Mr. Smythe and Lord Anderson visited you last week and you had no chaperone.”
Kurt flashed a disapproving glance to Quinn at the mention of Lord Anderson. Quinn raised her eyebrows at Kurt before replying. “That is a different situation since both Lord Anderson and Mr. Smythe are inclined towards men.”
Rachel’s frown deepened. Clearly she was thinking and Kurt felt his nerves swell within him. Anytime Rachel thought hard about something, it usually involved Quinn or Kurt. Rachel’s head popped up, eyes bright and worried.
“Surely, you will dance with Mr. Hudson tonight, won’t you brother? I feel that he will more readily tell you his feelings for me.”
Kurt grimaced. “He’s not exactly light on his feet. I worry for my toes if I should. He does not strike me as someone who is capable of hiding his feelings. I’m sure I do not need to dance with him.”
“Not to mention Lord Anderson would be sulking in the corner if you did,” Quinn muttered under her breath.
Kurt snapped his head towards Quinn. “What?”
Quinn smiled charmingly. “Nothing, brother. Did you hear that Lord Anderson’s driver, Samuel, is now steward of Anderson Manor?”
Kurt was sufficiently distracted by the new information. “Really? How fortunate for Samuel to be able to increase his rank. I am sure Mr. Evans is happy for his son. It is surely a dream come true.”
Quinn nodded, but didn’t reply. Rachel looked between the two. “Yes, that’s very fortunate for Samuel, but what about me? Please, Kurt. Dance with Mr. Hudson.”
Rachel was pouting now. Kurt sighed. “I shall dance one set with Mr. Hudson if he accepts my hand, but only one. Spring is approaching, and I must make sure that my intentions towards Mercedes are not mistaken.”
Quinn nodded, well aware that she should not start a fight, but Rachel scoffed. “Surely you are still not planning to marry Miss Jones? Lord Anderson has all but proposed to you. The town is rampant with rumors about your future marriage. He has more to offer you than Mercedes.”
Quinn winced inwardly. Kurt’s eyes widened. He had heard the rumors, but it was different if Rachel actually acknowledged them.
“Rachel, Lord Anderson wants nothing more than a bed warmer. We have all heard the rumors. I must be the last gay man in Lima. He is only going to so much trouble because I am proving to be resistant. If I were to give in, he would kick me out before the sweat had even dried.”
In his head, Kurt acknowledged that he was lying. Lord Anderson was showing himself to be more romantic. He had met Kurt on the forest path only two days ago, and had been nothing but delightful. They had talked of books and music. Lord Anderson had even invited Kurt to come visit his house in London and attend a concert with him. Kurt hadn’t told anyone, but he had accepted the invitation. Kurt blushed just thinking about it. Lord Anderson had been the picture of decorum during their entire walk. When they parted ways, Lord Anderson had kissed his hand. When Kurt felt Lord Anderson’s dry lips on the back of his hand, he had felt a flutter in his stomach that was becoming increasingly familiar. Of course, he couldn’t tell anyone that. He had to marry Mercedes for her sake and his own. He ignored how flimsy his excuse was starting to sound.
Rachel groaned. “You can’t believe that. Lord Anderson has been the model for decorum, even by your ridiculously high standards.”
Kurt mirrored Rachel’s frown. “I do not wish to talk about this right now, Rachel. If you will drop the subject, I will dance two sets with Mr. Hudson for the purpose of gauging his feelings.”
Rachel looked as if she wanted to say more, but her desire to find out Finn’s feelings were stronger. She remained silent.
Content that Rachel wouldn’t say any more, he turned to Quinn. “I must apologize. I have not found a husband for you yet.”
Quinn shrugged. “It is of no matter yet. Make sure Rachel is secure first. The more I age, the more I find myself not wanting to marry. I shall be your child’s governess, Kurt. Of course, this makes me dependent on you. I hope you are prepared to take care of my expenses. I need at least ten new dresses a year.” Quinn finished her speech on a teasing note and a true smile.
Kurt smiled back, though he was a bit confused. “Are you sure you do not wish to marry, Sister? I know that Lima does not offer much in the way of men, but we can find a man in London. People will talk if you do not marry first.
Quinn tilted her head, eyes soft, and quietly spoke. “People will always talk, brother. I am quite content to teach your future children. I think I have more to offer if I do not marry.” Quinn straightened up and her voice was louder. “But this hardly the topic for an assembly. I believe we are here.”
She was right. The carriage was slowing down. When it stopped, the driver hopped down and opened the door. Rachel and Quinn both accepted his hand with gracious smiles as they stepped down. Kurt followed behind.
All three made their way quickly into the assembly hall, Quinn and Rachel being handed their number cards. Kurt shook his head when the Master of Ceremonies offered him one. He wasn’t feeling up to dancing tonight.
Rachel turned excitedly. “Look! I got one! I’m leading the dances. I should find Mr. Hudson.”
As Rachel scurried off, deal with Kurt forgotten; Kurt called out, “No more than two sets.”
“Let people talk, Kurt. Let Mr. Hudson declare his intentions by dancing every set with her.”
Kurt didn’t respond, but he listened to Quinn. If people wanted to talk, then they would talk. Of course, he couldn’t forget about societal expectations altogether. He’d prefer if Rachel didn’t dance more than two sets. Perhaps he could convince Quinn to at least dance one set with Finn.
Kurt and Quinn made their way to their normal little alcove to watch the first set. Both were too set in their thoughts to even thinking of dancing. Kurt vaguely followed Rachel as she danced across the floor with Finn. She looked so happy that Kurt was reconsidering asking Quinn to dance with Finn. It was one assembly; it couldn’t hurt.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Mercedes. Confused as to whom she was dancing with, Kurt focused on her. She was dancing with Samuel. Kurt smiled. They had all been friends when they were younger. That had stopped when Samuel had gone to work for Blaine, but now he was a steward. Kurt was happy for him. If anyone deserved the job, it was Samuel.
Kurt let himself observe his two dancing friends, but he noticed something was off. Mercedes seemed different than when she danced with Kurt. It took a few minutes for Kurt to figure out what it was. She was smiling differently. It was softer and happier. It was a smile exactly like Rachel’s when she looked at Finn.
Suddenly, Kurt was remembering a time when all three of them were fourteen. He and Mercedes were crouched behind the rosebush in Mercedes’ garden. They were giggling. Samuel was working in the garden with his father and had taken off his shirt. Mercedes and Kurt had both blushed and run off giggling. It was in that moment of privacy that both of them had confessed to a crush on Samuel.
Much to Kurt’s chagrin, his affections had moved quickly to Lord Anderson, but Mercedes had retained hers on Samuel. Now that Kurt thought about it, he hadn’t asked Mercedes about Samuel since he had started courting her. He watched Mercedes and Samuel dance. Mercedes looked happier than she ever had with Kurt and now Samuel had rank. There weren’t enough reasons for her to remain with Kurt.
Kurt shook his head. He was discovering a lot of things that he needed to talk about, but weren’t appropriate for an assembly. Quinn caught his movement and followed his line of sight. She held back a smile at the sight. Good, one less reason for Kurt to deny Lord Anderson.
Kurt pushed himself off the wall and started to walk around the hall. He needed to think. His plan was quickly falling apart and it seemed like everything he had been working towards in the last four years was for nothing. He had never felt so out of control before. It was a horrible feeling.
He sensed rather than saw when Lord Anderson fell in step with him. He smiled wanly at his walking companion. “Good Evening, Lord Anderson.”
Lord Anderson smiled brilliantly. “Good Evening, Kurt. How are you?”
Kurt wanted to laugh at the absurdity. Everything was wrong, but that wasn’t what you shared in polite company. “I am well. And yourself?”
“Very well now that I am able to see you. May I ask why you are not dancing?”
Kurt felt the blush hot on his face. “I promised Rachel that I would dance with Finn, but I never grabbed a number card. She didn’t notice. I do not feel like dancing tonight.”
Lord Anderson frowned. “What a pity, I was hoping to ask you for a set.”
Kurt smiled. “I apologize, Lord Anderson, but I’d rather not step on the floor at all.”
Lord Anderson nodded and smiled. “I understand. Would you mind if continued to walk with you?”
Kurt would have liked to walk alone, but Lord Anderson had, as of late, started respecting his personal boundaries. Kurt nodded. “You may.”
Lord Anderson’s radiant smile at the answer made Kurt smile softly.
They walked in silence around the room. Neither man made an effort to talk, and, for that, Kurt was grateful. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Sam and Mercedes danced a second set together. He wrinkled his nose. He wished they had had a chance to talk about this before she danced with Sam. Now everyone would think that Mercedes didn’t want to marry Kurt. She didn’t, but now she looked like she was blatantly cheating on him.
A maroon frock coat swirled into his vision. It was Mr. Smythe and Mr. Karofsky dancing. Kurt smiled. Good for them. They looked somewhat happy. Well Mr. Karofsky did; Mr. Smythe looked smarmy. Kurt wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to like the man. Quinn got on with him well enough, but Quinn also was manipulative. If she was voluntarily talking to Mr. Smythe, there was reason to believe that Mr. Smythe was also manipulative.
“You are burning a hole in Sebastian, Kurt. Why has he caught your attention so fully?” Lord Anderson’s smile was a little strained, and his voice oddly clipped and precise.
Kurt shrugged. “Mr. Karofsky and I talked about a week ago on his love life. I gave him advice to dance with Mr. Smythe at the ball. I’m just glad to see that it worked out.”
The tension in Lord Anderson’s face melted away as he looked to watch the dancing duo. “Yes, they have had a weird relationship for the last few years. I am glad that they are finally acting upon their feelings. But I am curious as to why Mr. Karofsky came to you.”
Kurt hummed absentmindedly. He was watching Quinn talk to the Master of Ceremonies. He was a little worried as to what she was doing. “He did not come to me so much as we met by accident. I was walking along my favorite path and he happened to be there as well. Sometimes it is nice to talk to a stranger about personal matters. They share no connection and can often see the situation clearly.”
Lord Anderson nodded. “I quite agree. I am glad to see that you helped him. I just wonder that Sebastian agreed to dance with him. Sebastian is very particular about showing emotion.”
Kurt shot a quick glance at Quinn. He had no doubt that it was Quinn who had convinced Mr. Smythe. They had become very quick friends and Quinn was very persuasive when she wanted to be. Of course he couldn’t give away his sister. She lived for the female stereotypes. How else was she supposed to manipulate weak-minded men?
“Perhaps he realized there was really nothing holding him back.” Kurt replied instead. That was a safe evasive answer.
“How fortunate for David that Sebastian has found that nothing is holding him back.” Lord Anderson replied neutrally.
Kurt stiffened, but made himself relax. “Mr. Smythe’s reasons for holding himself back may have disappeared, but they were valid all the same.”
Lord Anderson’s face was the epitome of hurt. “I never said that they were invalid.”
Kurt frowned. “Perhaps Mr. Karofsky heavily implied that Mr. Smythe’s reasons were invalid.”
Lord Anderson mirrored Kurt’s frown. “Perhaps David didn’t mean to imply that. Regardless they are much happier now that Mr. Smythe’s fears have been alleviated.”
“How fortunate then that all of Mr. Smythe’s fears were alleviated.”
Lord Anderson didn’t reply after that, and Kurt took silent victory in the fact that he had won. They turned around the hall once more before Lord Anderson spoke again, “The concert next week is sure to be enjoyed. Have you asked your father?”
Kurt shook his head. “No, My Lord, I was planning to ask him tomorrow. I must confess that my sisters have never been to London and both greatly enjoy music.”
Kurt felt horrible for asking, but if his sisters came, he was given the excuse that he wanted to take them to London. That was much better than telling people he wanted to be with Lord Anderson.
Lord Anderson smiled politely. “But, of course, what was I thinking? I’d be delighted if your sisters would join us. There are plenty of rooms in my house.”
Kurt gave Lord Anderson his best smile. “Thank you, My Lord. I am sure that they will be pleased with you generous invitation.”
Lord Anderson’s smile softened. “As long as you are pleased, that is all I care about.”
Kurt’s blush returned in full force. He didn’t say anything, not confident that he wouldn’t bluster his way through a reply. Lord Anderson hummed happily and moved closer so that their arms were touching. Kurt wanted to tell him that their proximity was too close for polite company, but he wasn’t quite able to summon up the will to do so.
As they continued to walk, Lord Anderson pushed close enough to Kurt that it was hard to walk normally. Kurt stopped moving. Lord Anderson followed presently. They stood close together, neither saying anything, just enjoying the close proximity.
It was ruined when Quinn came up to them with the Master of Ceremonies. She looked entirely too delighted to catch them so close together. Kurt quickly stepped away, ignoring the look of hurt that crossed Lord Anderson’s face.
“Mr. Hummel, Lord Anderson, I was just talking to Miss Hummel and she gave me a wonderful idea. Lord Anderson, in the eyes of our government, you serve as the model of our county, and what a better way to show that than to lead the next set?”
Lord Anderson’s smile was a little strained. “Of course, I completely agree. Mr. Hummel, would you be my partner for the next set?”
“Oh I didn’t take a number.”
The Master of Ceremonies slapped Kurt on the back. “Nonsense, since Lord Anderson is going to lead the next set, you don’t need one.”
Kurt mirrored Lord Anderson’s strained smile. “Then of course I will dance with you, My Lord.”
Lord Anderson smiled softly and held out his hand. Kurt wasn’t too keen on dancing the girl’s role, but Lord Anderson was serving as the model of their county. Kurt didn’t really have a choice.
Kurt reached out to place his hand in Lord Anderson’s, but Lord Anderson had a different idea. As Kurt was reaching out, Lord Anderson moved his hand so that he was placing his in Kurt’s. He grinned. “I lead us last time. I do not see why you cannot lead this time.”
Kurt was beyond surprised, but managed to lead them both out on the floor. When they turned towards each other to bow, Kurt gave Lord Anderson a genuine smile.