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The right woman. For some reason his thoughts turned to the redhead and he sighed in regret. “Tempting. But, no.”
“Are you certain?” Shayne set the sword against the pillar next to him. “You wouldn’t like to go downstairs for a little while and see if Cupid strikes?”
“Quite certain, thank you.” He caught her chin in the crook of his index finger and lifted her face to his. “What about you? You’ve gone out of your way to find me a bride. Are you interested in finding a husband?”
For a brief instant, her lips trembled before firming. “I did that once,” she confessed in a low voice. “There won’t be a second time.”
Regret filled him. “My apologies,” he said, releasing her. He wasn’t often so clumsy with women. Nor would he deliberately cause such distress. “That was careless of me.”
She shrugged, turning to stare out at the dancers twirling across the floor, the costumes creating a kaleidoscope of vibrant color. “You weren’t to know.”
“If it makes you feel any better, losing a woman like you makes him a fool,” Matteo offered gently.
“He didn’t lose me.” The yearning in her voice was painful to hear. If he didn’t sense it would be a mistake, he’d take her in his arms and offer the only comfort he could in a situation such as this. “I was young and foolish. We never had a chance to discover whether or not it would have worked.”
“Perhaps sometime in the future you’ll have another chance with him.”
“It’s unlikely.” She bowed her head. “A few years ago, perhaps. But not any longer. I’m not the woman I was.”
“There’s not a man on this planet who wouldn’t want the woman you’ve become. Shayne...” He waited until she glanced over her shoulder at him. Waited until she’d accepted the sincerity in his eyes. “What you need to decide is whether or not he’s worth having in your life again.”
“And if he is?”
“Follow him to the ends of the earth,” Matteo advised. “Show him what he lost when your relationship ended. Make him fight to take you back.”
“Is that what you’d do?”
It didn’t require any thought. “If I found that sort of love, I’d never allow anyone or anything to get in my way. I’d fight for her, protect and cherish her. And I’d love her every day I drew breath. She’d never know a moment’s doubt about how I feel.” He smiled to lighten the mood. “What can I say? It’s how my parents raised me.”
“May I tell you something, Matteo?” She linked arms with him, her smile restored. “The woman you marry will be very lucky.”
He returned his attention to the festivities far below and to a certain striking redhead surrounded by a group of eager admirers. “No, my sweet. Finding such a love would make me a very lucky man.”
Hannasmiled into yet another friendly face, but her enthusiasm flagged. She’d met so many men and enjoyed talking to each of them, even though she found it exhausting. Out of fairness, she’d opened up and been herself, slipping cautiously from beneath the tight yoke of control that so often governed her actions. It allowed a more natural vivaciousness to take hold. Unfortunately, it worked too well. She had her pick of men—young, old, smart, less-than-brilliant. She only had to select one that met her lengthy list of criteria and she’d have what she’d always wanted. A husband to come home to when the days were long and the nights unbearably lonely.
Only one thing stopped her.
The process seemed so cold. Despite telling herself she didn’t want emotion intruding on a companionable relationship, she also couldn’t see any of the men she’d met so far sitting in her living room, let alone tucked up in her bed. In fact, the idea of any of them touching her in an intimate manner filled her with such nervous dread, she struggled to string two coherent words together.
All around her the party glittered, the laughter bright and merry, while behind her mask, an inescapable pain and longing took hold. Pru had meant well. But clearly, it wasn’t meant to be. Hanna wasn’t Cinderella destined to find her prince. At least, not this night.
“Excuse me,” she finally murmured to the men surrounding her. “I’ll return in a few minutes.” Before anyone could stop her, she darted through a narrow opening in her circle of admirers and escaped into the crowd.
Somewhere nearby the clock struck midnight and Hanna couldn’t suppress a smile at the irony. She felt like Cinderella fleeing the ball, turning from a beautiful princess back into a common cinder girl. Or in her case, from a mysterious swan princess into a simple duckling.
She left the ballroom and headed downstairs. One of the rooms offered a huge banquet with every conceivable delicacy available, but she wasn’t in the least hungry. Beyond a set of French doors the gardens beckoned, offering peace and quiet and a welcoming solitude. She followed the pathways until she found a bench beneath a large tree, one mercifully absent of fairy lights. Taking a seat, she tucked her knees close against her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.
“This was a big mistake,” she announced to the world at large. Then to her horror, she did something she couldn’t remember ever doing before.
She burst into tears.
Matteowatched his pretty redhead flee her circle of admirers. They might not realize she was running away, but he knew it with a bone-deep certainty. He didn’t hesitate. Snatching up the belt and sword Shayne had provided, he secured it to his waist. He took the stairs leading from the balcony to the ballroom floor, arriving in time to see his swan princess dart down the next flight of stairs leading toward the dining area. A woman dressed in a stunning black gown blocked his path. He couldn’t quite place which romantic figure she represented, but it didn’t matter. She had something he needed.
For the first time, he blessed his father for the Italian lessons Dom had insisted were a vital part of his sons’ education.“Signorina,”he said, executing a graceful bow. “I believe your costume is the most beautiful I’ve seen so far tonight.”
The accent worked like a charm. She blushed, deep dimples flickering to life in her cheeks. “If I hadn’t already found the perfect man, I’d ask you to dance.”
“A shame. For if I had not found the perfect woman, I’d have happily accepted.” He hesitated. “May I make one small suggestion in regard to your dress?”
