The Dance ANTICIPATION Anticipation of the 'Coming Out Party' filled her mind from the moment she awoke. Thinking of Him, anticipation choked her breathing and her heart raced wildly in her breast. She had watched and waited for so long, not daring to speak, knowing her heart would break if he showed no interest. Her entire life of eighteen years had been spent on her families Plantation in central South Carolina, mostly in cotton shirt and faded jeans. Puberty and her sudden interest in the handsome young rider, who inspected the fields daily, seemed to arrive at the same time. She managed to just happen to be walking in the vicinity as the rider on the dappled gray horse rode by. She had lately become self conscious of her faded cotton shirt, which seemed to have become too tight in the chest, and the blue jeans that were too small in the seat, as she shyly watched him from the corners of her eye. He sat so tall and straight in the saddle always looking at the fields, but never at her. Her father had promised a Grand Ball on her 18th birthday, for her 'Coming Out Party'. Today was the day of the party. PRELUDE TO THE ENTRANCE She watched Him from the shadows of the balcony high above the ballroom floor. He was so handsome in black collared dinner jacket and formal riding breeches tucked into highly polished dress boots. Beneath the gray jacket he wore a white linen shirt which contrasted so perfectly with the black collar and the white lace cuffs that protruded from the jacket sleeves. Even from this distance she could see the blinding whiteness of his smile as he nodded and chatted with the guests about him. She noted with a sudden surge of sickness that many who crowded around him were girls. There was that Elsie Goodard who was reputed to be available to any man who so much as looked at her. "Oh God", she thought as panic gripped her with the realization that he would be polite and stay only long enough to wish her good luck before he slipped off with Elsie. She looked down at her dress, sewn with so many hours of loving care by her mother and aunt. The dress of deep dark red silk and satin which she thought expressed deep love and devotion. The white elbow length gloves so striking against the deep red of the lace bunched abut her shoulders. The red color which set off her skin tone in perfect harmony now seemed garish and out of place. She wished she was out in the barn wearing jeans, with Red, her horse or in the fields with Peanut, her dog, anywhere but here in this foolish dress. She would be humiliated and disgraced and everyone would think she was ugly. Maybe she could crawl out the back window and climb down the trellis as she used to do. She was ready to bolt as she watched the servants moving through the crowds of guests with trays of champagne. The drum roll came like a sudden explosion of sound and the lights came up in blinding brilliance. As had been planned and rehearsed she was spotlighted in the bright white light at the head of the stairway. She heard form a great distance away, her father's booming voice. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to present my daughter as she enters into the adult society of the great state of South Carolina!" THE ENTRANCE She stood mute at the top of the staircase, a frozen smile on her face. The band struck up the strains of Pomp and Circumstance and dozens of champagne glasses were raised in salute. She slowly moved down the staircase one step at a time. The unintelligible sounds from below now became clear. "Ooooooh, she's beautiful", My God, that is an angel", "A heart breaker if I ever saw one", "As graceful and poised as a doe". As she slowly descended the stairs she saw Him as he shook off Elsie's hand and moved through the crowd at the foot of the stairs, gently making his way to the front. While the tears streamed down her face she heard her father's deep voice, "The young Gentleman in the riding boots has been pestering me for months for the first dance. Everyone step back and clear the center of the floor please." The lights dimmed and he stood at the bottom step, his hand held out to her, his brilliant white smile flashed as he looked up at her with deep devoted love in his eyes. THE DANCE She stood at last on the floor before HIM. He took her hand and before all the guests, dropped to one knee and pressed her gloved hand to his lips. Still holding her hand he looked up into her eyes and said in a clear loud voice. "I am deeply honored to have the first dance." His smile flashed again as she murmured, "The honor is mine to dance with a gentleman of such refinement as yourself, Sir." He stood, and placing her hand on his arm led her to the center of the room, nodded to the band and the music of her favorite song, Lady in Red, started to play, He placed one hand in the small of her back, holding the other at shoulder height, pulled her to his body and gracefully guided her though the steps of the dance as they circled the open space while everyone in the room knew that love had blossomed in that moment. As they danced the perimeter of the open space their eyes locked on each other. She whispered, "I have watched you in the fields," He answered," I watched you watching me." He smiled and said, "I was afraid you would stop coming to the fields if I shows any interest." "Pfffft" she fluttered and with a toss of her hair said, "I was afraid you would stop coming to inspect the fields." "Oh that," he murmured, "I was finished months ago but kept coming back just to get a glimpse of you." His gleaming smile flashed. "I love this song she said, it is so perfect." "I know," he answered, "I had asked your father which song you liked the best, so we could dance to it." The other couples now entered the dancing area and the room soon filled with people moving in harmony to the soft music. He expertly guided her as he wove around the dancers making his way to and through the open French doors that led to the small stone balcony that overlooked the winding road through the pecan groves. There in the starlight of a soft South Carolina evening with the scent of honeysuckle and night blooming jasmine he spoke softly of his love for her and placed the first of many heart warming kisses upon the lips of the Southern belle, the Lady In Red. Sartor 10-11-2002