It turned out that Clara was willing to help, since it had been a while since she’d attended any kind of dance, either. Although Danica still felt bone-tired at the end of the day, she roused herself enough to go into the parlor after dinner, pull off her boots, and practice the waltz and the polka with her housemate, along with more arcane dances such as quadrilles and the Virginia reel.
“Of course, it’s a lot easier when you have more people to dance with,” Clara said, stopping to catch her breath after leading Danica through a figure of the reel. She put a hand against her waist, as if her stays felt too tight, then sent a curious glance in Danica’s direction. “I’m surprised you aren’t more familiar. Surely you must have danced back in St. Louis.”
“Oh, we did,” Danica replied, searchi
