One gasp, then another, followed by a ripple of startled silence cloaked in silk and candlelight.
Chapter Seven
The world didnot stop.
The music continued. The chandelier sparkled overhead. A footman crossed the far side of the ballroom with a tray of wine as if nothing had happened.
Marry me.
He had said it aloud. In front of everyone who mattered and everyone who didn’t.
Someone had gasped. She didn’t know who. It might have been her.
Ash stood motionless, his expression unreadable behind the mask. But she could see the truth in his posture. The steadiness. The sincerity. This was no jest. No mistake.
Except it was.
A chill ran up her spine. He believed she was someone else.
She had not meant to let the deception go that far. Hadn’t meant to answer him at all. But here she was, caught in green silk, borrowed feathers, and a name that was never hers.
But her voice had gone missing along with her breath and her reason.
Leticia opened her mouth and heard herself say it before she understood why. He didn’t know her name, but somehow, he had found her. And for one reckless heartbeat, she wanted the illusion to be true.
“Yes.” Not loud. Not strong. But it was enough. Enough to move through the ballroom, the crowd, her bones.
A few guests clapped. And then a few more. The sound grew. It was not jubilant, but obliging, like a celebration offered more out of habit than certainty.
Ash reached for her hand, not with triumph, but with reverence. His eyes never left hers as he lifted it gently to his lips. The kiss was soft, formal, and entirely public. And like a vow.
“You’ve made me the happiest man here,” he said softly. “He was wrong, you know.”
Leticia blinked. “Who?”
“Trenton. He said you didn’t believe in romance.”
Her heart folded in on itself. Of course. He believed she was Erica.
Before she could speak, a call went out from near the musicians’ gallery.
“Another waltz!” someone called. “Let them have the floor!”
The conductor nodded, and a new melody began lush and slow, as the dancers around them stepped aside.
She let him lead her again. One more moment she told herself. One more dance before the truth found her.
Just one more moment, she told herself. One more dance. In the morning, she’d explain everything.
Tonight, she could pretend that she danced in a sea of rose petals alone with him.
She had never danced like this before. Never been seen, wanted, cherished. For the span of a waltz, the rest of the world ceased to exist.
The music faltered beneath a sudden scream.
“My necklace! Someone has taken it!”
All eyes turned.
