“I hope that you enjoy the evening. After all, you are the guest of honor,” I say, hoping my tone doesn’t betray how tense I feel.
Evengi smiles slowly as he holds out his hand palm up. “As the guest of honor, I suppose it’s only fitting I use my auspicious title to claim a dance with the prettiest woman here.”
I pull back slightly with surprise as Brom stiffens this time. Evengi Ichabod thinks I’m the prettiest woman here? Sunder Hollow may not be large, but there are a number of pretty lasses here who I catch standing huddled together staring at Evengi with admiration.
He could have his pick of any woman here; he is handsome and novel enough that if he proposed marriage, he would have a wife before the night is through.
Why would he go for the engaged woman here?
I can’t help but feel flattered. Am I really so beautiful that Evengi would go for a hapless cause over someone readily available?
“Assuming it’s fine with your betrothed, of course,” Evengi adds after a moment, and I realize that I have left him standing there with his hand outstretched just a moment too long.
Brom laughs, but there is no humor in the sound. “Of course, just know I’ll want her back before the evening is through.”
I place my hand in Evengi’s before I have the chance to consider my eagerness to do so. I tell myself that I’m just caught up in the beguiling mystery of Evengi Ichabod. That is why my heart races as I look up at him, the exhilaration of figuring out a puzzle. Just because that puzzle happens to be tall and handsome has nothing to do with it.
I glance over my shoulder at Brom as I move away. His jaw ticks as he watches us, and I can’t help but feel a little good about that. It’s nice to know that I’m desired.
Evengi pulls me into a dancing position and begins moving me through the steps, however, as he dances, I notice that he keeps his eyes on Brom who is watching us with his arms crossed. “You and your fiancé seem like quite the couple.”
“I’m the woman of Brom’s dreams,” I say with a small laugh repeating the corny line he used on me when he first proposed. I can’t help but smile slightly at the memory. If there is one thing that I can be assured of, it’s that at least life with Brom will be quite amusing.
“Do you love him?” Evengi asks as he sweeps me under his arm. My skirts fan out around my legs as I twirl. I blame them for why I stumble.
“Love?”
He arches his brow as he steadies me. “You know, butterflies in your stomach, falling asleep with his name on your lips, the desire to start a family with him? That feeling.”
I bite my lip as I look up into Evengi’s eyes. He stares down at me awaiting an answer, and I silently curse myself for not immediately replying with an affirmative. It wouldn’t be the first lie I’ve ever told. It certainly wouldn’t even be the most egregious.
I pull my eyes away as I step to the side. Evengi follows making it look like just a part of the dance. “What does it matter to you?” I ask before I wince. Why can I not just sayyes? I am only opening myself up for more questions from Evengi.
I never should have agreed to this dance. If I’d known it would turn into an inquisition, I would have remained safely by Brom’s side. At least, he takes me at face value and knows better than to ask me ridiculous questions such as whether or not I love him.
So, what if I am trapped in a loveless engagement? Love is not something I lack nor is it something I need.
I have my father’s love, my mother, my sisters. I have more love in my life than is entirely necessary.
“I am trying to figure out who you are is all,” Evengi says simply like it’s not the single most terrifying sentence I have ever heard.
The last thing I need is someone trying to figure me out. “Whatever for?” I ask as I paste a smile onto my face with great difficulty. As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I realize that I should have just laughed it all off and said something insipid such as “there isn’t anything to figure out,” or that I’m an “open book.”
Evengi studies me. “Let’s just say that I have a vested interest in Brom and leave it at that.”
He drops me into a dip, and I gasp as my heart lurches into my chest. “You can’t just say something so cryptic and leave it at that.”
Evengi smirks. “I just did.”
I open my mouth to protest but just then he leads me into another twirl. I’m dizzy as I am swung back around, finding my chest pressed against Evengi’s hard one. I gasp for air as I look up at him. “Where did you learn to dance like that?”
“I’ll tell you,” he says gripping my waist and tugging me closer as he hooks his foot behind my ankle and takes off dancing across pavilion. We’re moving so fast that it’s like we’re flying, and it takes every bit of what I learned about dancing while staying with Taryn to even manage to keep up. I have no chance to talk as we move back and forth and up and down the village square, as if we are one. I don’t know where my foot ends or Evengi’s leg begins. All I know is his guiding hands around my waist, gently but firmly holding me steady despite feeling as if his arms on me is the only thing keeping me from lifting into the air.
Suddenly, Evengi puts out his leg, draping me over it in a graceful dip. The sudden stop jolting me after the blur of motion. My skirts flare out around us both, creating a false sense of isolation. Like for a second, it’s just him and me here instead of a village full of people watching us dance.
He stares at me for a long moment the both of us gasping for breath before he slowly straightens, pulling me up with him. He loosens his hold on me, but I notice that he doesn’t entirely let go. His eyes sparkle offset by his flushed cheeks as he says. “But only if you tell me what you want with Brom the Bones.”
I stare at him unsure how to describe the way this stranger makes me feel. He makes me feel almost how I always imagined the dead things I play with do. Marinette’s on invisible strings, hanging to his every word and yet disgusted by it.
