Chapter 1
Amelia
* * *
Arabesque, pirouette, pirouette, glissade and a hop. That was it.
Then on my toes, arms out, head up and four skips into a leap.
That leap… Wow, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrors as I flew through the air and landed on the tips of my toes. I hardly looked any different to what I was years ago. I didn’t look any different to who I used to be.
“Dance, Amelia,” Dad called with laughter and pride in his voice.
And that was the moment I let go and truly unlocked myself.
The music took me, and I just went with it.
Jumping and spinning, flowing as if I weighed nothing, flying through the air.
When the music stopped, several people were clapping and I almost believed I was back at the performance for real.
My hand flew up to my cheeks when I saw both Luc and Millicent standing by the door.
Luc.
I moved to run to him, to throw myself into his arms and savor the euphoria that rippled through me at having been able to dance again.
But I stopped and turned to my father, who was beaming at me with a smile full of love and adoration.
I rushed up to him instead and hugged him.
“Thank you,” he whispered into my ear.
“No, thank you.”
He smiled down at me, then glanced at Luc, inclining his head toward him. “Go, go be with your guy. Have some normal if only for a few hours more.”
Normal.
Yes. I turned to go to Luc and skipped into his arms, giving Millicent a bright smile as I approached.
Alarms sounded just before I reached Luc, stopping me in my tracks.
What was that?
“Someone’s in the house,” Dad called out.
“You said the security was turned off.” I winced turning back to him.
“It is. This is a homemade trip wire I placed in the library.”
“What’s in the library?” Luc asked.
I looked back to him. “The safe.” My heart squeezed.
“What’s in the safe, Amelia?”
I looked to Dad before confirming that, and he nodded. “The key to the diamonds.” We’d put it there yesterday.
