Page 52 of The Secret Suitor

Oliver shot her a grin. “At least you have a strong gentleman to keep you from hurting yourself.”

Millie rolled her eyes as the heat of a blush warmed her face.

“Shall we compete for who can contrive the best spin?” Oliver asked.

“If you do, I shall merely observe.”

“Spinning has never been my forte,” Wesley said. “You can demonstrate instead, if you’d like?”

Oliver took the challenge and showed them a slow but complete circle.

The Stroud siblings approached, watching Oliver as well.

“My sister is fairly adept,” Mr. Stroud said proudly. “If you would like another demonstration.”

Goodness. Was he helping Miss Stroud in her efforts to attract Wesley?

“We would love to see your demonstration, Miss Stroud,” Wesley said politely.

Millie shot him a brief look before releasing one of his hands and trying to stand on her own.

“What are you doing?” he whispered as she tried to pull the second hand free.

“If you are going to flirt with another woman, I will not be holding your hands as you do so.”

“If you call that flirting, Mildred, you need to learn better.”

“Oh? Are you going to teach me?”

“Gladly.”

Millie’s face could not withstand any further embarrassment, so she pulled her other hand free and stood on her own. She was doing well, too. So long as she did not try to move forward whatsoever, she remained perfectly still and did not fall.

Miss Stroud moved away from them and spun in a delicate circle, then glided and spun again. She looked like an angel on the ice, her blonde hair gleaming in the sunlight where it peeked out from her bonnet, white snow glittering all around her in the distance.

Millie looked more like a wounded deer, doing her best not to injure herself.

The group applauded politely as Miss Stroud returned to them, wearing a smug smile.

“I think I will practice circling the pond,” Millie said, turning away and putting one foot in front of the other by small degrees. At this rate, she could reach the other side of the ice tomorrow morning.

“Where are you going, Millie?” Wesley asked patiently. He stood still, yet she was well within a conversational distance.

Had she not just told him? “To find Nell.”

“Shall I accompany you?” Oliver offered, standing beside Wesley with his arms crossed.

She shot her cousin a look. “I can do this.”

“Of course you can.”

And she would prove it. Millie pushed off, gliding along the ice, the breeze passing over her face and cold tingling her skin. She was doing it. A smile spread over her mouth. She was just glancing back to give the men a triumphant look when her skate wobbled, and she lost her footing.

The last thing Millie considered as she fell was whether Miss Stroud had been watching.

Chapter Seventeen

Watching Millie fall and hit her head on the ice made Wesley’s entire body convulse with fear. He had gone to her side immediately, and while she did not look pleased to have fallen, she had not appeared gravely injured.