He chuckled. “So you are afraid.” His fingers splayed at her back, and with a tug, he turned and regained the lead. “What if what I want to say is private?”
Color tinged her cheeks and her feet stopped moving. The sudden stop made him stumble. He bent into an awkward bow to make it look intentional.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll take my leave.”
Miss Warstein pulled up her skirts and fled out the open door.
Chapter Twenty-Three
The sticky airoutside did little to cool Samantha’s cheeks. She weaved between happy couples until she found a secluded spot at the far end of the verandah. Leaning against the railing, she stared out into the darkness.
She’d known it would be hard tonight. But that was when she expected to stay with Abigail at the wall and hide from Christian. When the governor had called her over, she’d nearly lost the contents of her stomach.
She’d had to touch him, had to feel the frantic beat of his heart. And then, she’d had to dance with him. Her blood still pounded in her ears, her hand still clammy from where he’d gripped it.
“Was it hard?”
She spun to find Christian’s first officer standing in the shadows. “Was what hard?”
He waved his hand toward the open doors where music spilled into the night. “All of it.”
Was it so obvious? If his eyes weren’t so understanding, she’d turn away. She crossed her arms over her chest and clenched her jaw.
Yes.
Being near to Christian had brought all the last week’s events right back to the surface. And it hurt. Awareness had tingled along her bare arms the moment he’d walked in. She’d kept her back to him, prolonging the inevitable. Until Abigail had pointed out how he was staring at her so unfashionably. So she’d looked.
And lost another littlepiece of her heart.
Isaac nodded as if she’d answered aloud.
“I’ve never seen him so wound up. If it makes you feel better, I think he’s just as miserable as you.”
Her chest tightened as a heavy ache settled between her ribs.
“It’s amazing how much one’s life can change in the blink of an eye.” His lips twisted into a wry smile. “All because of one slip”
“Excuse me?”
He met her gaze. “When you nearly stuck him through with your fancy little rapier.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I—”
“You were about to win. I know.”
She blinked.
“I saw you loosen your dagger. Knew you were up to something.”
“Why didn’t you warn him?”
“It would have done him good if you had won.” He let out a soft laugh and brushed at something on his sleeve. “The question is, do you wish you had?”
He bowed and walked away.
Tears pricked at her eyes.
If she had won, she’d have gotten her immunity. Christian would be none the wiser to her identity. And her heart would be whole.
