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“Trust me. It is for the best. Stay away for me,” she said the words gently.
“That’s what I find so difficult,” he whispered to her, pulling her in closer as the dancefloor grew busier, hiding them from the guests’ view a little. “Though I know I should stay away from you, I can’t.”
His words made her grip on him tighten a little more. He seemed to respond with the same urgency, grasping onto her. The music drew to a soft close, forcing them to release each other, though they both did so tortuously slowly. Soon, they had just one hand connected as he bowed, and she curtsied. When the other guests applauded, and the Duke escorted her off the dancefloor, she was breathing heavily, not from the dance but from the proximity to him.
“If you would excuse me, Lady Hermione,” he said, lowering her hand and abruptly sounding much more formal than usual. “There is something I must do.”
“Now?” she asked, frowning.
“Well, somewhere else I have to be,” he said with apparent honesty. He bowed to her before turning and leaving through the crowd. She watched the path he made until he reached the door of the ballroom and left.
Is he coming back?
She doubted it. Before she could think any more on the subject a vice-like grip appeared on her arm. “Oh!” she yelped quietly.
“You must go after him.” It was her father. “Now is your chance. Go. Now.”
“No, I won’t do it.” She tried to snatch her arm out of Rufus’ grasp, but it was impossible without causing a scene.
“You have no choice in the matter, remember? Now… go.” He pushed her forward, toward the exit of the room.
She glanced back at him a few times to see his glare before she reached the door. Once she was there and slipped through, she held true to her promise.I will not entrap the Duke. I cannot do that to him.
She wouldn’t search for him or go hunting for where he might be in the house. Instead, she would retire to the place she loved best in the house. Somewhere that no one would think to look for her, and she could be alone, away from the heat of the Duke’s touch and away from the anger of her father’s glare.
She crossed through the corridors heading to the library. It seemed absurd to be going to read a book whilst there was a ball in the house, but it would be the perfect place to hide from everyone. She pushed through the door, seeing the light of a candle from inside bouncing off the shelves. Frowning at the sight of it, she wandered through the shelves until she reached the center of the room, finding she was not alone after all.
Her plan to hide had failed at its first step. He looked up from the chair where he sat withThe Modern Prometheuson his lap though he didn’t seem to be reading it at all.
“I was not expecting you would be here, Your Grace.”
