“How did you hear about this party?”

“The grocer’s daughter is very forthcoming.”

“Oh.”

His gaze flittered over the lines of Sadie’s body, and she could see the appreciation in his eyes. She felt a bit shy about the open stare, but there was also pride that she could make a man look at her twice. It must be the dress, she thought.

“How is Miss Olivia doing?”

“She’s up and about. Though steer clear of my cousin. He’s still angry about the accident.”

Sadie grew silent and suddenly questioned if she should be here. She had promised her mother she would be good but was not sure about this place.

“I can hear your thoughts even with the music,” Malcolm said with a grin.

“You can’t hear anything.”

“Don’t worry about Edward. He’ll cool off, and Olivia will give him a baby. The world will get back into its axis.”

Maybe for them it would, but Sadie did not have a clue how she was going to right her course.

“This is your first party, isn’t it?” He reached for a punch glass, filled it with lemonade, and handed it to her.

“How can you tell?” She took a sip, loving the sweet citrus flavor of the cool drink that somehow did little to cool off her flushed cheeks.

“It’s the excitement in your eyes,” he said. “I can always tell when a girl attends her first dance.”

“You go to a lot of these dances?” she asked.

“Almost every weekend in Richmond.”

“I can’t imagine doing this every week. It must be so much fun.” The music was chasing away her worries, and she was not feeling so out of place.

“It can be work,” he said, laughing. “But I always get a second wind when I meet a pretty girl like you, Sadie. It’s worth every bit of trouble it took to get out of that stuffy old house.” He fixed himself a cup of punch and stared at her over the rim of the glass like she was the only girl in the world.

Sadie sipped and looked past him to see Ruth and her beau moving in time to the tune. They were laughing, and when Ruth missed a step, she was not worried at all but just laughed all the harder.

“Do you want to dance?” Malcolm asked.

“I don’t know how,” Sadie said.

“I can teach you.”

“I’m not sure my body knows how to move that way.”

“Everybody’s body moves that way. It’s easy.”

Nerves fluttered in her stomach. “I don’t know.”

Malcolm took her glass from her and set it on the table beside him. He took her hand in his and pulled her toward the dance floor. She hesitated but then smiled.

Challenge sparked in his gaze. “Don’t be scared.”

“I’m not scared.”

“You look worried.”

“I don’t want to make a fool of myself, is all.”

Malcolm looked toward the band and signaled them with a wave. One of the guitarists nodded, and he said something to the band. They wrapped up the song several notes later, and the music turned to a much slower pace.

“How does that work for you?” Malcolm said. “It’ll be easier to learn now.”

Some of her trepidation eased, and she figured everyone had to learn at some point. “All right.”

The smile grew wider. The color burned in her cheeks, and before she knew it, she was in the middle of a dozen couples. Malcolm put a hand on her hip, and her first reaction was to push it away. He stood still, waiting for her body to relax, and when she drew in a breath and ordered the worry to go away, he placed his other hand on the small of her back and coaxed her body toward his.

She stiffened, resisting the urge to touch him any more than she already was right now. He chuckled. “Put your hands on my shoulders, and I’ll guide us around.”

Sadie laid her hands on his wide shoulders. His gaze was filled with amusement as he started to move their bodies in time with the music. Several times she stepped on his feet, and her gaze dropped from his to her feet.

It took all her concentration to figure out the moves of the dance, but finally after several minutes she began to relax into the steps.

“You’re a natural,” he said.

“I don’t know how I could be. My feet have no idea where they really are going.”

“You’re doing just fine, Sadie.”

They continued to move through this slow song, right into another just like it. Somewhere along the way, her body moved closer and closer to his until her breasts were pressed against his chest.

She thought about her mother. Good Lord, the hell she would pay if her mother saw this. She should pull away. Take a break. Where the devil was Ruth? But each time she either looked around or tried to put distance between them, Malcolm held her tight.

When the song ended, the crowd called for another quick dance, and Sadie saw that as her opportunity to take a break. “I believe I’ll have that lemonade right now,” she said.

“Sure. I’ll refresh our glasses.” Malcolm took her hand in his and guided her off the floor. As he refilled their cups, she looked out on the floor, watching the quick steps of the couples. She tapped her foot.

Malcolm returned and handed her a brimming glass of punch. “Drink up, Sadie.”

She took a sip. It was sweeter than she remembered, and the tang of citrus had more bite to it. “You put something in this.”

“A little bit.”

The shine she had sipped before had had a bite to it, and it had burned on the way down. This was sweet and smooth and did not taste strong at all. Before she knew it, she had finished the glass, and he had pressed a second into her hand.

When he was refilling her glass for the third time, Ruth and her beau broke away from the group and came toward her. “Looks like you’re having a good time.”

“I am.” Her muscles had relaxed, and she was fairly sure she could dance as fast as any of the other couples.

Ruth raised a brow and smiled at her beau, as if they shared a private joke. “Yes, some girls always have a good time, don’t they?”

“What’s that mean?” Sadie asked.

“Nothing. Have a good evening.”

When Ruth and her date vanished out the front door, Malcolm returned. “Would you like to step outside? You look a little flushed.”

She sipped her punch. The idea of stepping into the cool air did appeal to her. Not only did she feel a little flushed, but she realized if she was going to kiss Malcolm, then she better do it outside, where there were no prying eyes.

“Sure, I’d like that.”

His grin returned. He watched as she drank the last of her punch and then set their glasses aside. A hand on the small of her back, he guided her outside. She was aware of some of the people staring at her. They were judging her again, but like Ruth, they always were judging her. That was the way in Bluestone. No matter how fancy her dress, she would always be Sadie Thompson.

She followed Malcolm into the darkness broken up only by the stars in the clear night sky. The moon was just a sliver. It would have been a good night to make a run of shine. Just enough light so that the driver did not need headlights, but dark enough to hide you from the law.

Malcolm walked her over the dirt patch of land toward a polished Pontiac coupe parked off by itself. The paint was faded, and she could see that it was an older car. “This your car?”