Page 53 of The Beautiful Pretender

Avelina studied her friend’s expression. “What do you mean? Of course . . . I-I like him very much. Who wouldn’t? But that is certainly not important—”

“Stop saying things like that!” Magdalen shook her head and looked as if she might laugh.

Avelina’s face burned. A rock seemed to settle in the pit of her stomach.

“Magdalen, I have to tell you something. I should have told you already, and I can’t go another—”

She turned to face the Duke of Wolfberg.

“Good evening, Lady Magdalen. Lady Dorothea.” He nodded to them both.

The music started. The Duke of Wolfberg asked Magdalen to dance, and with an anxious glance at Avelina, she moved with himto the middle of the floor, along with many of the other guests. But there was still a cluster of people around Lord Thornbeck.

One of the young nobles from the first ball approached Avelina and asked her to dance. Since she was familiar with this dance, she agreed. It was much easier to forget what was looming ahead of her while she was forced to concentrate on the steps and on what her partner was saying to her. But always in the back of her mind was Lord Thornbeck, in his blue outer tunic, looking very handsome, and soon to be a distant memory.

For now, she was Lady Dorothea, dancing with a nobleman, smiling and dressed like all the other ladies in the room.

As they performed the rather slow steps of the dance, her partner said, “You look beautiful, Lady Dorothea.”

“I thank you, Lord Dreigers. And you dance very well.”

“I thank you, Lady Dorothea.”

They smiled and complimented each other a few more times until the dance was over. She simply had to keep this up for the rest of the night. One last night to pretend. One last night to feel important and beautiful.

Carefully, she stayed in the small crowd of older people, except for the three dances she danced. She chatted with Lady Applonia’s mother. For a moment she thought Lord Thornbeck was coming toward her, but he was stopped by Lady Otilia’s father, who spoke with him for several minutes, then they were joined by two more fathers.

When Magdalen finally stopped dancing, she came over to Avelina. “Have you spoken to Lord Thornbeck?”

“No, why?”

A worried look came into her eyes. “Perhaps you should talk to him. I am sure he wishes to speak to you.”

“Why would he wish to speak to me?”

Magdalen bit her lip again, as if in frustration.

“What is wrong?” Something was bothering Magdalen. “I’m sorry if I was rude to Lord Thornbeck, but Magdalen, there is something I need to tell you.”

Just then, the music stopped and everyone turned toward the head of the room, near the staircase. Jorgen Hartman and his wife, Odette, were standing with Lord Thornbeck.

“May I have your attention, please,” Jorgen said.

All conversation ceased.

“You all know that for the past two weeks, Lord Thornbeck has been deciding who he will marry from among the ten ladies here tonight.”

Avelina and Magdalen glanced at each other. Magdalen had such a strange look on her face.

“And now, before we retire to the Great Hall for the feast that is prepared for you, Lord Thornbeck’s guests, our margrave would like to announce his choice.”

Avelina’s next breath stuck in her throat as her heart beat fast and hard.

Lord Thornbeck thanked Jorgen, then turned his eyes on Avelina. “I wish to thank all the ladies who came to Thornbeck Castle for these two weeks.”

Why was he staring at her?

“I expected to learn a little of each lady’s character and temperament. I did not expect . . . to be so impressed, by one lady in particular.”