He had Eliza for barely two minutes before someone cut in, and after that Eliza was passed from partner to partner for the next half hour before Romano finally claimed her.

"Think you can spare some time to dance with your husband, cara?" he asked sulkily, and Eliza blinked up at her husband uncertainly until she recognized that Romano was a little jealous. 

The fact boosted Eliza’s confidence and brought a delighted smile to her face.

"I have a few minutes to spare between dances." Eliza ...