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Blair’s tutoring session for the day took her to the ballroom, as it often did. Miss Privet said she had ‘character’, but apparently character doesn’t help you stay on your feet. Poise and dancing were not her strong suits, and they were apparently important to royalty.
Miss Privet was waiting by the record player. She didn’t look up from her phone as Blair scurried in. “Two minutes late, Willows.”
“Sorry!” she squeaked. “I ran into Portia; she forgot her locker combination again and needed to borrow some books.”
“Say no more,” said Privet, who was used to teaching Portia by then. “Shall we get started?”
“Okay,” Blair agreed.
Miss Privet raised an eyebrow.
“Err, yes, Miss Privet.” Okay, so she hadn’t exactly mastered royal speak either.
Dancing with her tutor was a mixed bag that Blair both dreaded and eagerly awaited. On one hand, it was an excuse to touch her, to feel her firm but gentle hands on her waist, to feel the bare skin on their hands together. Plus, they would practice dipping and spinning, which ended with Blair (if she managed to do it correctly) in Miss Privet’s surprisingly strong arms. On the other hand, Blair was constantly stepping on her toes or otherwise messing up, and the slightest frown from her teacher made her feel like an utter disappointment.
She tried her very best to concentrate that day, minding her feet as Privet counted, “One two three, one two three... ok, now twirl...”
To both of their amazement, Blair executed the move flawlessly, returning smoothly to the dance steps. She beamed as she met Miss Privet’s eyes. “Very nice, Willows, that was gracefu--”
Blair winced as she stepped on Privet’s foot.
Miss Privet sighed. “I supposed I jinxed it.”
“Sorry!” She couldn’t help it, she had been completely distracted by Miss Privet’s praise.
“No worries, lets try again.”
The started from the top and this time Blair was able to get through the move without any slip-ups. Miss Privet smiled, but said nothing, not wanting to distract the girl. They continued to practice for a while, Blair gaining confidence as they did.
“Are you ready to try a dip?”
“I think so,” said Blair carefully. She was starting to feel a little outside of her body, like her feet were learning the moves without her brain. She hoped that was a good sign.
Then Miss Privet moved to dip her and Blair held her breath. It was nearly impossible to breathe with the object of her affections so close, supporting her body almost completely. Their eyes met as Blair was completely lowered. Then, too quickly, it was over and they were dancing upright again. Blair let the air out of her lungs.
Miss Privet chuckled. “That was very good, Blair. We’ll work on your breathing later.”
“Thank,” said Blair between breaths. “You.”
Miss Privet let go of her. “Let’s take five.” She shrugged off her blazer, revealing perfectly toned arms and a sleeveless blouse. Blair almost stopped breathing again. “Blair?” said the headmistress, noticing her red face. “You look warm. Let’s get you out to the balcony to cool off.”
Blair nodded wordlessly as Miss Privet led her outside with a hand on the small of her back. She knew her flushing was not just due to the heat, but was glad her tutor had attributed it as such.
Refreshingly cool air hit their skin outside. It was late afternoon by then, and the balcony was in the shadow of the school, the gardens below lit with dapplings of golden sunlight. Miss Privet didn’t let go of her until she was seated on a bench. “There. Last thing I need is you passing out from heatstroke.”
“Thank you,” said Blair.
Miss Privet went to get some water and by the time she returned with two glasses, Blair seemed to be back to normal. “Feeling better?”
“Yes, I’m fine, thank you.”
Miss Privet smiled. “I’m really proud of you, Blair. You’ve made so much progress.”
“And I still have so far to go...” said Blair, somewhat dejected.
“No farther than you’ve already come. I have full faith in you.” Miss Privet patted her on the knee. “You’ll be dancing like any princess by the ball at the end of the year.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I’m sure of it.”
Blair let out a heavy breath, not quite believing it herself, but seeing that Miss Privet did. “I guess we’ll both feel pretty silly when no one asks the lottery girl to dance.”
“Don’t be silly, Willows. You’re a beautiful young woman.”
Blair felt her face grow hot again. She stood and turned away, pretending to be looking at the gardens, not wanting Miss Privet to see her blush again. “I, umm... what else do I still need to learn?”
“Well, you’ll need to learn to let your partner lead without them telling you the steps, for one,” she answered, standing and leaning against the railing next to Blair. “You’ll want to be able to carry on polite conversation while you dance.”
“So, like ‘nice weather we’re having’?”
“Something like that.” She was leaned casually against the rail, eyes on Blair, who looked determinedly ahead. “And of course, you’ll need to be prepared to respond if a prince requests to formally court you.”
Blair’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, I wouldn’t...but that wouldn’t happen.”
“Oh, it’ll happen,” said Miss Privet playfully.
“Do I have to say yes?”
Miss Privet laughed. “Of course you don’t have to say yes, dear. It’s your life.”
Did she just call me dear? Okay, she probably meant nothing of it, but it made her heart skip a beat nonetheless. “Good. I don’t think I could stand to court any prince.”
“Yes, I felt the same way when I was in your place,” said Privet, looking at her student curiously. She knew it was inappropriate to think, but she couldn’t help but wonder what exactly she had meant by that statement. Little did she know, Blair was wondering the same.
“What if someone does ask me to dance? Do I have to say yes then?”
“Well, no. If you are really uncomfortable with them, you shouldn’t. But it's not bad to keep an open mind, a dance can just be a friendly gesture.”
Blair stole glances at her tutor, who looked as lovely as always, but in this moment her professional front was lowered slightly, producing an air of familiarity between them. “I bet you got asked to dance zillions of times.”
Miss Privet only smiled mysteriously. “I should warn you, though. Just because a boy looks and acts like a prince, doesn’t mean he is one. Even if his parents are technically a king and queen.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, some boys are only interested in one thing. Every young girl should take care not to let one embarrass her. It’s one thing to be seen sitting close or holding hands, but any more than that and people will talk. And it can reflect rather badly on the lady, especially if they don’t end up courting.”
“What about the boy?” said Blair indignantly. “If he was doing the same thing and--”
“I’m not saying it’s fair. But it usually does not harm the man’s reputation until he’s done it several times. It’s...” She paused, collecting her thoughts. “It's a tough world to navigate, especially for women. That’s why I do what I do. I want to equip my students to handle it, and maybe, someday, change it. You especially.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you,” said Miss Privet, somewhat exasperated by the girl’s constant lack of confidence. “You know more about the real world than any of these girls. Why do you think I singled you out to tutor?”
“I thought it was because I was struggling,” she admitted.
“Well, yes. But if that were it, I’d be tutoring Portia, wouldn’t I?”
They both laughed. “Oh, dear, don’t tell anyone I said that. I’m not supposed to pick favorites, but...” She winked at Blair playfully.
Blair bit her lip, heart racing. Her? Miss Privet’s favorite student? She struggled to keep her voice even. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell.”
Their eyes met again and a silence fell as they gazed at each other, for perhaps a bit too long for a headmistress and her student.
“So, holding hands is ok then?”
“Hmm? Yes, sure.”
“I’ve always wondered...” said Blair, feeling emboldened by being labeled as the favorite. “What’s the proper way to do that? Like this...”--she slid her hand into Miss Privet’s-- “Or like this?” She laced their fingers together and looked up hopefully.
Goosebumps traveled up the headmistress's arm, but she retained composure. They touched hands all the time while dancing, but somehow this was different. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I don’t think there is a proper way. Whatever feels more comfortable, I suppose.”
They were still holding hands, both unwilling to let go. Miss Privet gently tugged her away from the railing and the two of them strolled across the balcony at a leisurely pace.
“Maybe I’ll just stay away from all the boys. You know, to be on the safe side.”
“Not a bad strategy, my dear. It’s worked quite well for me.”
They both looked at each other, blushed, and quickly looked away. They had been holding hands for much too long now, they knew, but when Miss Privet tried to let go, she instead found her hand snaking up the girl’s arm, coming to a rest against her neck.
Blair felt her breath catch. She slowly backed into a small, ivy-covered alcove where they would be out of sight of anyone below, pointedly taking Miss Privet’s other hand and pulling her along.
“Blair, I...” She struggled to form words. Alarm bells rang somewhere in the back of her mind, reminding her that she could not be intimate with a student, but she found Blair’s innocent blue eyes much more persuasive.
“So, exactly how much trouble would I be in,” said Blair, her voice irresistibly low and husky. “If I was, say...outside the ballroom...on the balcony...kissing someone I shouldn’t?”
The headmistress swallowed hard, feeling her pulse quicken. “Well, that depends.”
“On what?”
Miss Privet leaned in close to whisper in her ear. Each woman could now feel the other’s breath on their skin. “On whether or not you get caught.”
With that, Blair cupped her hand around Miss Privet’s face, pulling her close to finally close the gap between them. Their lips touched softly at first, but with growing passion. Blair could hardly believe her fantasy was actually becoming a reality. Shivers went down her spine as Miss Privet’s tongue slipped inside her mouth. She returned the kiss eagerly, pressing their bodies closer together, savoring every second of it.
When they broke apart they looked at each other breathlessly, desire apparent in both sets of eyes. Blair closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against Privet’s as she caught her breath. Privet let out a happy sigh and ran her fingers through Blair’s soft blonde hair.
“Thank you,” Blair breathed after several long, lingering moments they both hoped would never end.
“For what?”
Blair grinned. “A really good lesson.”
“Oh?” The headmistress pinned the girl to the wall, not so hard to hurt her but enough to make her gasp in surprise. “Well, It’s not over yet, darling...”