“Yes?” she asked innocently.
“In two nights’ time…” He took a breath to calm himself. “The Whitcombe Ball. I have decided that we shall attend.”
She balked and then smiled. “We will?”
He nodded once. “It is imperative that we be seen together, for the sake of appearance. Since the wedding, people have begun to wonder why we have not been seen publicly, and if we do not address these rumors, it will impact this marriage in a way that makes it redundant.”
“Oh…” She considered that smile still on her lips. “That makes sense.”
“I am glad you think so.”
“Is that the only reason?”
He frowned at her. “Of course. What other reason could there be?”
To this, her smile grew. It was knowing, and it made Alaric’s stomach flutter as if a butterfly had been released inside and was trying to escape. “None that I can think of.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, as if to warn her off the idea she was so clearly implying. She responded with that same coy smile. They held it, staring across the table, silently testing the other to break…
“That will be all.” Alaric pulled his gaze away and rose quickly. Then, he powered from the dining room.
“Good night,” she said after him, as she always did.
He paused at the doorway. Back facing her, he allowed himself a smile because he knew she could not see it. “Good night,” he responded, not letting the smile reach his voice. And then, for the first time, he added, “Sleep well.”
Alaric sped from the dining room. He was trying so hard to keep his distance. He was doing everything in his power not be drawn toward Clara. But bit by bit, she chipped away at his defense. How much longer could he resist her? How much longer would he even want to?I wish I knew… and for her sake, I hope it is longer than I suspect I am capable of.
Ten
“You look… beautiful.” He sounded surprised, as much by her beauty as by the fact that the compliment had managed to escape his lips. His eyes widened, and then he quickly looked away.
“Careful.” Clara beamed as she started down the steps and into the foyer, where Alaric stood waiting for her. “You do not want to waste all your compliments when there is nobody around to hear them.”
To this, the duke allowed himself the glimmer of a smile as he looked upon her again. This time, the hesitancy he had shown previously was gone. The nerves, too, faded. For possibly the first time ever, the duke watched her with a sense that she was the only person in the room, and that he was glad for this fact. His wife felt like a sensation she could get used to.
“I will take the risk,” he said to her as she reached him. There, he offered her his arm. “Shall we?”
“Just try and stop me.” She linked her arm through his own, beaming to see that he did not retract it or flinch at his touch. If anything, she seemed to melt into him, comfort found in a way it never had been before.
Could this be it? Is the beginning of this marriage for real? And do I want such a thing…
The duke was dressed in his usual all-black suit. But with his hair properly combed and the glimmer in his grey eyes, he looked as handsome as ever. In fact, it looked as if hewantedto look his best for her. Gone was the gloom and morose cloud that so often clung to him. Clara knew this whole night was for appearances’ sake, but that did not stop her from seeing what she thought to be his true feelings.
Clara was dressed in a light blue gown, another of her mother’s pieces. It was tailored to her body, however, clinging tightly to her waist while billowing around her legs. No sleeves, a neckline which ran vertically across the nape of her neck, it was as elegant a piece as she had ever worn. And she did look beautiful too, of that she had no doubt. But that the duke had thought to say as much…
I am torn, more than I have been this entire marriage. A part of me wants the dispassion and isolation, because that means when the year is over, I can be on my way, and there will be no ill feelings. But the other part cannot help but wonder what it might be like if this marriage were to turn into something real.
It had not felt real once since she walked down the aisle. Not for a moment had she felt like the wife of a duke. But that all changed tonight, the very second that she and the duke entered the ballroom together.
“Make sure to smile,” the duke whispered under his breath as they crossed the threshold into this new world.
“I might say the same to you,” she joked.
His smile was amused. “If I do that, everyone will know that this is little more than a ruse.”
“Is it?”
He frowned at her. “That is the idea.”
