Calmly start to enfold escort in artful embrace (8)
I believe the answer is:
sedately
'calmly' is the definition.
(I know that calmly can be written as sedately)
'start to enfold escort in artful embrace' is the wordplay.
'start to' says to take the initial letters.
'escort in' becomes 'date' (escort can mean a date or partner. I am not sure about the 'in' bit.).
'artful' becomes 'sly' (similar in meaning).
'embrace' is an insertion indicator.
The first letter of 'enfold' is 'e'.
'e'+'date'='edate'
'edate' going into 'sly' is 'SEDATELY'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sedately that I've seen before include "With composure" , "Primly" , "Calmly, unhurriedly" , "without getting ruffled" , "Staidly or with dignity" .)