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“I want to,” he said in a soft voice, that she had to lean across the table to hear. “I want to dance with you. Very much.”
His voice was so husky with desire that she gasped inwardly. She knew how dangerous it would be to dance with him. She had resolved to stay away from him as much as possible. She had promised Sister Mary Majella that she would guard herself against him. There was no future in it. They could never be more to each other than what they were now.
But her resolve weakened against the intensity of his gaze. Those dark eyes, with such depth that they were fathomless, made her tingle all over.
What harm could one dance do?
A lotof harm, said a small, alarmed voice in her mind.Quite a lot, actually.
She ignored the voice. She would probably never have a chance to dance with him. This night would never roll around again. And she would have the memory of it forever. She could hold it close to her on dark, lonely nights and take it out to examine it like a precious gift.
“Delia?” His voice was filled with longing.
She took a deep, ragged breath. “Very well,” she said, her heart beating erratically. “Since everyone else is dancing, we may as well.”
He smiled. “Yes. We may as well.”
He got up, holding out his hand to her. She hesitated for only a brief moment before taking it. He led her into the crowd. Her hand felt heavy within his own.
The music seemed to swell around them as they joined the dancing. It was a lively jig. Everyone was clapping in time to the music, spurring the dancing on. And suddenly, she was transported to another world.
She had never danced like this before. Dancing in her old world was sedate, very choreographed, and quite stiff. This was much more spirited, with much whooping and linking of arms as the dancers spun around the room together in a circle. It was so much fun that Delia couldn’t help laughing with joy. She felt her cheeks flush and her heart race harder still as she tried to keep up the pace.
The song ended. The dancers stopped, catching their breath. After a round of wild applause, the musicians started again. But this song was slower, almost mournful. It was an old ballad of lost love and regret that she had heard Minnie singing often. She had always thought it beautiful.
It squeezed her heart now. Another man had gotten up with the musicians and was singing. His voice was deep and melodic. The dancers started to pair up. Too late, she realised that Ambrose would expect her to pair with him.
And he did. He didn’t even ask. He simply took her hand, pulling her into his arms.
“My mother used to sing this to me when I was a child,” he said, his dark eyes moist. “I had forgotten what a beautiful song it is.”
Delia couldn’t reply. Her voice had fled entirely. He pulled her closer, gazing down at her as they gently swayed together to the song.
“The song is as beautiful as you, Delia,” he whispered.
She was starting to feel overwhelmed by it all. His proximity to her intensified the tingling all over her body. The bittersweet ballad added something to the moment as it was indeed so heartbreakingly beautiful that it almost made her feel like crying.
I will never forget this moment, she vowed. I will never forget this song, this place…and him.
It struck her like a clap of thunder from above. She loved him. She had been teetering on the edge of the knowledge for a while, but now, she was certain of it.
She knew that they had only known each other for a very short time. She would never have believed it possible. But it was true. She loved him with her whole heart.
Panic assailed her. She had fallen in love with this man, but she could never be with him—not in the way she wanted to. She wanted to be with him forever. She never wanted to let him go.
But she was a runaway, pretending to be someone she wasn’t. He had no idea who she truly was. She was lying to him. And besides that, he wasn’t in love with her. He didn’t evenbelievein love or marrying for love.
It was doomed. She had always known that as well. But now, the weight of that knowledge was like a stone within her chest.
She dropped his hand abruptly, running out of the crowded room.
Chapter 26
Ambrose pushed through the crowd, seeking her. She seemed to have vanished. One minute they had been slow dancing to the song, and the next, she had turned and fled.
He cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair. He should never have asked her to dance. It had been a foolish and dangerous thing to do. What had happened to his firm resolve to keep his distance from her?
But the temptation of dancing with her had been simply too much. And when the slow ballad had commenced, and he had pulled her into his arms, he knew that he was truly bewitched. Having her in his arms had seemed like the most natural thing in the world—as if she really belonged there.
