It wasn’t that the dance with Morgan was bad. On the contrary, it was wonderful. He was an excellent dancer with precise timing. His longer reach and massive build made it almost seamless for Selina to move through the routines.
While she would never have admitted it aloud, she loved how his hand felt on her waist. His sturdy palm on the small of her back when she fell backward. His delicate grip when he held her in a spin.
She had forced herself to ignore how his touch made her feel, concentrating only on getting through the song. Her plan had worked in large parts as she went through the sequence through rote memorization.
As a matter of fact, she had successfully managed to blank her mind of all thoughts about how wonderful she and Morgan moved together. How beautiful they looked and how other dancers turned to watch them as they spun in perfect synchrony.
She had succeeded until he chose to ask her who she was. That was the true start of a horrible disaster. While she had memorized her story, it still took an effort to sell the story to the very attentive Morgan, and also concentrate on moving naturally.
And then, right at the end, Morgan had decided to mess with her mind, turning her head upside down. Selina shuddered as she remembered his words again.
Fortunately, the music had stopped soon after, giving her a moment to escape. She hated how hot she had felt, and wondered how many other people could see her embarrassment.
She had run far away afterwards, avoiding Morgan for the rest of the ball. It took her the better of an hour to return to the Dowager Duchess’s side, and even then, the older woman could tell that something was amiss.
Against her wish, Selina had spent the whole evening and all morning thinking about what Morgan had said. Well, what he had gotten out before he got a hold of himself.
Selina knew it felt too good to be true, but still… The question had plagued her mind for hours, making her turn endlessly in bed.What if Morgan meant what he said?
Did he really feel something for her? Her questions were endless.
She sat on the edge of the desk and looked out the window at the garden beyond. With a deep sigh, she shook her head regrettably.
There was no use thinking so much about what Morgan had said. There was no chance of anything happening between the two of them.
I need to get my head right and move on from whatever Morgan was about to say.
She was not going to allow herself to get carried away with thoughts of Morgan any further.
Selina glanced up at the clock and saw that Barbara was now half an hour late. She buried the events from the previous night’s ball and set out in search of her ward.
Selina went back up the stairs to the living quarters. She stood in front of Barbara’s bedroom door and knocked softly on the door.
Selina waited a few seconds and when she got no response, she knocked again. This time, she thought she heard some movement behind the door.
So she is awake... why did she not come down? Is she sick?
“Barbara?” Selina called with worry. She pressed her head against the door, listening intently. “I’m coming in.” She pushed the door open a crack, peeping into the bedroom through the slit in the doorway.
Barbara sat huddled in her bed, her arms wrapped around her knees. Selina felt an immediate sense of relief, letting out a deep breath she had been holding for several long minutes.
When she stepped into the bedroom and saw Barbara’s face wet with tears, though, her relief turned to distress in an instant.
Selina hurried over as she heard sobs from the usually happy child. She was trying not to panic.
“Barbara,” she said softly. “Are you fine?”
Barbara looked up, her eyes wide with fear. She shook her head once, still sobbing.
“What’s wrong?” Selina asked. “You can tell me. You can trust me. I was searching all over the house for you. What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Barbara stared at Selina, discomfort written all over her face. Just when Selina thought she would not get a response, Barbara finally spoke.
“Something is wrong with me,” Barbara said in a small, shaky voice.
Concerned, Selina leaned closer. “What’s wrong with you, dear? What’s the matter? Please tell me so I can get help.”
“Blood…”
