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Chapter Twenty-Two
There was a knock on the door. Belle’s heart began to thud heavily in response, and she looked up, as if she would see Stephen standing at the threshold. The conversation paused at the knock and she wasn't the only one who looked toward the door.
“Is that Stephen?” Julia asked aloud.
“I’ll go see,” Robert said as he got to his feet. Belle watched him, biting her lip in anticipation. Where she was sitting, she could only see Robert but not whoever was on the other side of the front door.
The older man’s eyes went wide. “Well, would you look who it is? I thought you would not be coming tonight.”
Her heartbeat tripled.
“Are you still celebrating?” came Stephen’s voice. “I was afraid I would be too late.”
Robert stepped to the side. Belle steeled herself. “We were almost through with dinner, but you’re still welcome to join. The girls say they have a special item to share with us after we’re done.”
“I’m happy I didn’t miss that at least.” Finally, Stephen stepped into view. Belle lifted her lips into a smile to cast away the sudden nervousness she felt.What will he think about how I look?
Stephen’s eyes went straight to her and he stopped in his tracks. He drank her in, from the curls atop her head to the slippers on her feet and when he finally came closer, it seemed to be on unsteady legs.
“Hannah...” he breathed.
“Doesn’t she look lovely?” Julia asked before Lily nudged her in her side and lifted her finger to her lips.
Stephen nodded, swallowing. “She does. She looks absolutely beautiful.”
Belle blushed furiously. She couldn't help the pleased smile that came over her face. “It’s because of the dress you got for me. It’s really lovely.”
“It’s not the dress,” Stephen said in a low voice. Belle’s breathing hitched.
“Now, that you’re here, Stephen,” Lily said, getting to her feet. “We can all go over to the living room so Julia and I can do what we prepared.”
Belle hadn’t looked away from him. She lifted her hand to his, a silent request to help her to her feet. Stephen moved as slow as a man in a daze. He caught her hand in his and pulled her to her feet. She collided lightly into his chest and when she looked up into his eyes, she saw that growingly familiar sight of longing and need shining within them.
“I didn’t think you would come,” she murmured to him.
“Were you waiting for me?” he asked.
“We all were.” She knew she was avoiding answering his true question, but she didn’t think she could do it around the others. Even though they were obviously pretending they weren’t paying them any mind.
“I’m sorry I took so long to arrive,” Stephen went on to say. Belle couldn't tell if he remembered that they had an audience. With the way he was looking at her, she didn’t think he did. “I ran into some unexpected trouble.”
“Unruly tenants?” she asked, lips quirking upwards.
Stephen’s smile made her heart sing. “Something like that.” Then he gripped her hand a little tighter and asked, “Do you need my help or can you make it on your own?”
“I’ve been doing a lot of walking, so I think I can make it on my own, thank you very much.”
“Ah, how disappointing.”
Belle laughed. The others had finally finished clearing away the table and were heading toward the living room. Lily came in behind them with a large cake in her hand. She set it down on the table in the center of the room, Julia coming to her side with a near identical one.
“Two cakes?” asked Anne. She and Robert chose the smaller couch and she rested her hand on her husband’s thigh, leaning into him.
“One for you two,” Lily said. “And one for Hannah. As her prize for getting the books from the corner of the room.”
Belle gasped. “Oh, Lily, I didn’t think you were serious about that.”
“I’m always serious, Hannah,” Lily said with a shake of her head. "I would have thought you’d know that by now.”
