She held his gaze for one more second, then placed her hand in his. He did not hesitate. The moment her hand settled in his, he turned and led her toward the dance floor.
They took their places just as the music began. Eleanor cast him a sideways glance.
"You do realize," she said, "that you could have chosen any number of ladies for this."
"I do."
"How flattering. I am selected as your shield."
"You were the most capable option available."
"That is not the compliment you believe it to be."
"It is the only one you will receive."
"I shall treasure it accordingly."
The dance drew them into motion before she could reply further. His hand settled at her back, guiding her into the first turn. Eleanor followed without hesitation, her steps precise and her balance effortless. He noticed it immediately.
"You move well," he said.
"I always have," she replied. "You need not say as much for the sake of it."
"I say what I see."
"And yet you have spent years overlooking it."
"I was not observing you closely then."
She glanced at him again, though there was something different in the way he looked at her. She wished that he would continue as he always did, for his sincerity unsettled her.
"And what prompted that change?"
"Necessity."
"Of course," she said. "Everything with you returns to necessity."
"It is a reliable principle to have."
"It is dull. It prevents errors, yes, because it prevents everything."
He did not answer that at once. Eleanor became aware of the steadiness of him, and the quiet certainty in his touch, the way he anticipated each turn before it came leaving no space for hesitation.
She had never thought of him in terms of presence, only in terms of opposition.
"You are very certain of everything," she said, softer than before.
"It is preferable to the unknown."
"And yet here you are," she replied. "Relying on me."
"For a single dance."
"Which I am fulfilling well, I believe."
"You are."
The movement of the dance shifted again, drawing them into a slower turn. For a brief moment, the conversation faltered, not entirely, but enough that the silence between them became noticeable.