Andi's Unfortunate Dance

by Junebug

Andi rolled her eyes and stroked the chubby leg peeking out from beneath her nephew Sammy’s nightgown. “Ever since Governor Stoneman’s beastly son danced me off into a corner at the Christmas ball and tried to kiss me, I’ve been on my guard.”

Her sister-in-law Lucy gasped. “What did you do?”

   “I kicked him in the shin, naturally. He yelped like he’d been walloped by a mule. I ended up making a spectacle of myself while half of Sacramento watched George Stoneman Jr.--who is definitely not a gentleman--hobble off the ballroom floor. They all looked at me like I’d committed a crime.” Andi frowned.*                               

*from Courageous Love

December 1884

    Andi Carter gaped at her mother’s news. “The governor of California has invited Justin’s and our families to the Christmas ball he’s hosting?”

    Elizabeth Carter nodded. “Justin can’t exactly turn down his offer, now can he?”

    Andi sputtered. Mother was right. Her lawyer brother could never refuse an invitation like that, but--

“But Cory and I were planning to go riding that night! What’ll I tell him?”

  Mrs. Carter looked sternly at her daughter. “You will tell Cory your ride will have to wait, Andrea.”

  “Yes, Mother,” Andi replied meekly. Silently, she thought, Just my luck to get stuck at a cotillion when I would much rather take a ride on Shasta.

“Justin’s bringing Lucy and Samuel to the dance. When he dances with Lucy, I’m sure she’ll want you to hold him for her.”

Andi brightened at the thought. She adored her little one-year-old nephew Sammy and was eager to help Lucy, his mother, whenever she could. I don’t have to spend the whole evening dancing, she reasoned.

    A few days later, the Carter family arrived in Sacramento. As their buggy pulled up in front of the governor’s mansion, Mother whispered to Andi, “I don’t need to remind you to behave yourself, Andrea.”

    “You’re right, Mother, you don’t. I’ll be on my best behavior tonight, I promise.”

    The party was in full swing when Andi entered the governor’s spacious entertaining room. When the music for a new waltz started, Justin and Lucy began to dance. Little Sammy was safe in the arms of his Grandma Elizabeth.

    “May I have this dance, little sister?” Mitch’s voice came from right beside her.

    Andi jumped, but recovered herself quickly. “Sure, big brother.” Andi danced two waltzes with Mitch. Then she went over to the refreshments table to pour herself a glass of punch.

    “Allow me, miss,” said a well-dressed young man.

    “I can do it my--” Andi started to say, but he already had the pitcher of punch in his hands and was pouring it into a glass for her. “Thank you,” she said grudgingly. She finished the punch and was surprised to see he was still standing there.

    “You cut a fine figure, miss,” the young man said with a flirtatious look on his face. “I would love the honor of dancing with such an attractive girl.”

    This young man’s flattery made Andi extremely uncomfortable. The last thing she wanted to do was dance with him. “No thank you, I’m sorry, I must decline your kind offer.”

    The young man looked outraged but kept himself composed. “You would refuse to dance with the son of the governor of our beloved state?”

    Andi was stuck. She could tell that the governor’s son wouldn’t let her go anywhere until she danced with him. It looked like she had no other choice. “All right,” she consented, and hoped she wouldn’t regret it.

    She allowed herself to be led to the dance floor, and the governor’s son immediately struck up a conversation. “My name is George Stoneman.”

    “I’m Andi--I mean, Andrea Carter.”

    “I should have guessed. Your family is one of the most well-to-do in Fresno, isn’t it?” George didn’t wait for her to answer. “I’ve heard the Carter ladies are some of the prettiest in Fresno,” he said slyly.

    Andi was nervous all over again. Just then, she noticed that George had waltzed her away to an isolated part of the room. He held her closer to him and snaked his arm around her waist.

    “What are you doing?” Andi’s voice slightly rose in pitch.

    “No need to yell, darling.” George’s words were as smooth as honey as he leaned in to steal a kiss.

    Before Andi had time to think of the repercussions, she flung her foot forward and rammed it into George Stoneman Jr.’s shin. He howled, and suddenly all eyes were on the two of them. “No need to yell,” Andi couldn’t help saying.

    But George was already limping away from her. “Good evening, Miss Carter,” he said angrily.

    “Good evening, Mr. Stoneman,” Andi returned and bit her lip to keep from adding, “and good riddance, you pig!” She clenched her fists. She had experienced two situations similar to this: once with the town bully and once with a cowhand on a cattle drive. Andi grimaced. George Stoneman Jr. was worse than Johnny Wilson and Toledo McGuire put together.

    “Andi, what’s going on here?” It was Justin.

    Oh great, Andi thought, he’s going to give me a big brother talk about my actions. Please not in front of everybody! But Justin had more sense than that. “We’re leaving right now.”

    Andi was ashamed. I’ve embarrassed our whole family and ruined the party. She climbed into the buggy and Justin drove back to their hotel. 

“I thought you said you were going to behave yourself, Andrea,” Mrs. Carter looked disapprovingly at her daughter.

“I was, Mother, but Governor Stoneman’s son was about to kiss me, and I had to stop him.”

“Still, Andrea, don’t you think there was a better way you could have handled that?”

“I think Andi did the right thing, Mother,” Mitch said. “What else could she have done in that situation? If she chose not to make a scene, she would have been disgraced by George’s kiss anyway,” he pointed out.

“I suppose so, Mitchell,” Mother said thoughtfully. To Andi, she said, “I agree with your brother. I’ll let this particular incident go, but please don’t do anything like that again!”

Andi was about to say, “I promise,” but she remembered earlier this evening when she had already made a promise. Instead, she said, “I won’t, Mother.” She thought to herself, I’m never going to another dance again!

Four months later, her brother Chad got engaged. Andi learned he was going to hold a formal dance party in town, and she would have to attend.

She stifled a groan. What am I going to do now?