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“Not even if you desired to have a sculpture made in your likeness?”
She laughed. “There are not enough elephants in Africa to make me hold a heavy torch for many hours without rest.”
“I beg your pardon?” Matthew asked cautiously, and Diana stiffened. He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around to face him. “Dee?”
Oh, no!
Chapter 4
“What?” Diana asked to gain some time to think of what to tell him.
Matthew looked hopeful, and something both tender and painful tugged at her heart. “The phrase, ‘There are not enough elephants in Africa…’ It has been said to me before.”
“I…overheard it from my cousin, Florence,” Diana said, surprised at how quickly the lie came out of her mouth. He wanted to find ‘Dee’ and had a good image of her in his mind. That image would be ruined if he learned the truth of a ruined Diana, and her heart would certainly break more than it did before if that happened. There was no future for them together anymore.
He frowned. “FlorenceDervin? I did not know that Florence Dervin is your cousin.”
“She is…and…er…she says that frequently.” Diana nervously took a step back, thinking. Something caught her foot as she walked backward, and she started to fall.
Matthew quickly caught her shoulders and pulled her against his firm body. Time slowed around them and her pulse quickened. The sheer force of him drew all of her senses and concentrated them on him; on the gentle eyes that regarded her as though she was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen, the mouth that curved so enticingly. If sensuality had a form, it would be this man.
His eyes darkened as they moved to her lips, and very slowly, he leaned forward. His lips brushed hers very slightly as if he was seeking her permission, and an excited shiver ran through her. Diana parted her lips in invitation, and he kissed her softly, his arm tightening around her waist and pulling her closer.
Her arms went up to wrap around a spot on his neck, and the scent of him, clean skin and musk, filled her with more desire than she anticipated feeling. He seemed to flinch at this, but then, his fingers slid up her back to caress the tender skin on the back of her neck while his tongue coaxed her to play. Diana moaned, wishing this moment and everything she was feeling could be held in place and made to last forever because she might never get this chance again.
“Tell me your name,” he murmured against her lips. “Please tell me your name.”
“Diana,” she whispered, and he kissed her deeply as if the revelation of her name had unleashed his hunger. Every stroke of his lips against hers stole her breath and she clung helplessly to him, seeking more of what he was giving her.
“Diana,” he muttered, his eyes still dark with hunger. “Names have power, Diana, and I am pleased you gave me yours.Dee.”
“No.” Diana instinctively shook her head. Her need frightened her, and she pulled away from the kiss, locking away her desire with great effort. She should not want him like this. After everything that had happened to her, she doubted he would ever accept her. If her parents were unable to accept her, she doubted anyone would and did not expect them to.
She frowned slightly. “I—I should go.”
His brows furrowed. “Do you regret what happened between us just now?”
Diana shook her head. “No, I do not, but there seems to have been a misunderstanding, and… my family will be looking for me.” It was not true but it gave her a good excuse to leave before he could confirm his suspicions. Margaret was no doubt dragging Florence about the ballroom introducing her to whoever she thought would make her a suitable husband and had completely forgotten about Diana.
“May I have a dance when you return to the ballroom?” he asked, raising her hand to his lips.
Grimacing inwardly, she nodded. “Yes, Your Grace.”
He grinned. “I cannot allow you to address me so formally after that kiss. Please call me Matthew.”
“Very well, Matthew.”
“I shall see you soon.” He started to lean forward again but she slipped out of his arms with a little laugh, which was playful enough to distract him from the fact that she was running away.
With one final smile, she turned and walked out of the gallery. Instead of going to the ballroom, she found her way to the foyer, then walked out of the castle to find the carriage that brought them.
She likely would not see Matthew again, and he might be disappointed if he did not find her in the ballroom, but it was better this way. The course of her life was very different from his, and they should never have met now. This was just some much-needed closure before Diana could live out the rest of her life in a country house somewhere away from the world and her troubles.
Diana climbed into the carriage and sat in the darkness, her heart thumping so hard that she could hear it. She closed her eyes, trying not to think of anything, especially not Matthew. She failed as she began to wonder why she met him after she had forced herself to stop dreaming of him, when he could never be hers.
What felt like hours later, the carriage door opened and Florence poked her head into the carriage, gasping when she saw her. “She is here, Mother,” she called, and Margaret’s face appeared beside Florence’s.
“Where have you been?” Margaret demanded. “I did not see you in the ballroom after we arrived.” Diana opened her mouth to respond but before she could say anything, her aunt asked, “Have you been doing something you should not be doing?”
