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“Oh, Antony.” It was the Dowager Duchess. “Would you open the dancing please?”
“I–”
“I am sure Hermione would be happy to partner you,” Cordelia said from the Duchess’ side. Hermione winced at the unsubtle words, but the Duke merely pretended not to notice.
“Lady Hermione, would you dance the first with me?” he asked, gesturing to the floor.
“Of course,” she said, longing to be that close to him again. His hand slipped from her arm to take her hand too. With the touch, she felt her heartbeat quicken as he led her to the dancefloor.
Once they had taken up their positions in the center of the floor, others followed including Officer Stenham and Phoebe. Hermione barely looked at them; she was too busy staring at the Duke opposite her who appeared to be gazing at her with just as much intensity.
As the musicians began the first few notes of a waltz, Hermione and the Duke curtsied and bowed to each other before he walked toward her and took her in his arms. With one hand in his, the other resting on his shoulder, and his free hand on her waist, Hermione felt she could have been back alone with him in the library or down at the beach, away from any of the guests at the ball around them.
“You are staring a lot this evening, Lady Hermione,” he teased her, pulling a smile from her.
“Are you surprised?” she asked.
“Well, I could sound arrogant and say how could you not,” he mocked himself, “or I could sound humble and say I am pleased by it.”
“Are you? Pleased by it?” she asked, just as he steered them through other couples.
“Could you doubt that?” he asked. “After what you and I have shared?”
“Shh,” she urged him quietly. “What if someone were to hear us?”
“They are all more occupied with their own dances than ours,” he said, looking around them and nodding his head at the other dancers. He pulled on her waist just slightly, tugging her to dance even closer to him. It made the heat in the room pick up, so that she could feel sweat beading down the center of her back. “I am beginning to think I should not have asked you to dance so soon.”
“Why not?” she asked, watching as he smirked.
“Well, I cannot dance with you again now without starting gossip. What a shame, there is no other dance I’ll look forward to tonight.” His admittance made her smile grow even wider. “You’re blushing again.”
“How can I not when you say things like that?” she asked. “Besides… would it be so bad if we were to dance with each other again?” She was testing the waters now. Her mouth went dry as she uttered the words, knowing this was new territory for them. She was suggesting that maybe there could be an understanding or a betrothal between them.
“I am afraid it would be,” his smile vanished, and he looked away from her up to the dancefloor and the other dancers, as though he were preoccupied with navigating their way around it.
“Oh,” she felt pain in her gut at the rejection. “Why?” Her question came out as a kind of breathy whisper, urging him to look back to her.
“I have vowed never to marry, Lady Hermione.” He did not look happy about saying it.
She felt as though she had been kicked in the gut. In her surprise, she nearly tripped in the dance on the hem of her skirt. The Duke had to hold onto her tighter to keep her standing.
“Why?” she asked, stunned.
“That doesn’t matter now.” He turned her once more, still whispering to her. With his words, she thought he would have loosened his hold on her.Is this not a rejection? Is he not using this as a chance to escape me?
Yet those arms still held tightly to her. “Lady Hermione, this… flirtation between us is difficult for me,” he said with a sigh.
“That is all it is to you?” she asked, feeling the pain in her chest grow worse. “A flirtation?”
“It has to be,” he answered, keeping his voice low.
They fell into silence as they danced with Hermione staring at his chest, unable to lift her eyes to his face. She couldn’t explain what she was feeling. She knew she should be thrilled that because of his resolution he was safe from her and her father’s plots, but the pain was something else entirely.This is heartache.
As they spun around each other, she caught a glimpse at the side of the dancefloor of people watching on. Her father was amongst them, his stare unrelenting. The sight of his gaze and the urge of what she was supposed to do tonight to the Duke was gut-wrenching.I cannot do it now.
She had made up her mind. She wouldn’t do it. “Your Grace,” she said, looking up at him. “You should stay away from me.” He frowned at the words.
“Why?”
