For the first time all evening, Delilah was catapulted into the present moment. Thomas’s lips on hers shocked her into reality. Her head fell back, and her lips parted as the kiss seemed to go on forever. Her toes curled in her slippers, and her body went hot and feverish. Her knees nearly buckled. The audience stood and clapped, and Delilah was vaguely aware that Jane and Garrett as Lysander and Hermia must be kissing too, before Thomas’s mouth pulled away from hers, and he whispered in her ear, “Happy birthday, my dearest friend.”
She could barely stand. He had to help steady her as they made their way back into the corridor.
The rest of the performance was over in a blur as Delilah recited her lines as best she could while trying to make sense of the kiss Thomas had given her. It hadn’t been a play kiss. Nothing they’d rehearsed. It had been more like a… real kiss. Like the one he’d given her in the Hillards’ garden. The one that had stolen her breath and made her knees weak too. Yes, that was it. Her knees had been weak again. But it all made no sense because it wasThomaswho’d kissed her. Not the Duke of Branville, but Thomas. And she’d been caught up in it. She’d looked up into his eyes and had a moment of wanting to wrap her arms around his neck, kiss him again, and never stop kissing him. What was the meaning of that?
It felt like only minutes had passed before Cade Cavendish gave his final speech to the audience as Puck, resounding applause followed, and then Delilah and the other players were whisked out of the corridor, back into the library, and onto the stage to take their final bow.
And then it was over. The play they’d all worked so diligently on all summer was complete. Relief flooded her, along with a sense of melancholy. No more rehearsals. No more costumes. No more reason to see her friends three times a week. At least she would no longer have to sneak about and lie to her mother. No doubt the fact that she’d kissed Thomas would make its way back to the London gossip mills, and therefore back toMère, but Delilah would worry about that later.
Tonight, she had a secret operation to carry out. But first, there would be a party where all of the playgoers would mingle with the players. She could only hope Lavinia wouldn’t give away their secret.
The party was well underway in the estate’s giant ballroom when Delilah made her way over to Lucy’s side.All of the players had gone up to their bedchambers to remove their cosmetics and change out of their costumes. By the time the ballroom was filled with the partygoers and players enjoying drinks carried on silver salvers by footmen, it was well past midnight.Mon Dieu. Delilah had officially failed to secure an offer from Branville by her birthday. But no matter. She intended to get one in the morning at her earliest convenience. Besides, as long as she had the offer before she returned to London, Mother would hardly quibble over that minor detail.
“We did it!” Lucy declared when Delilah stepped into place next to her. Lucy reached out and squeezed her hand.
“We certainly did,” Delilah replied. She leaned over and hugged Cass and Jane, who were drinking glasses of champagne nearby. They handed one to Delilah.
“Lucy,” she whispered, “I need to speak to you.”
Lucy nodded and excused herself from the group. She and Delilah made their way over to the wall near a potted palm, where Lucy turned to face her. “What is it?” Her two different colored eyes searched Delilah’s face.
Delilah clasped her hands together and squeezed them hard. “I kissed Thomas tonight.”
The hint of a smile played across Lucy’s lips. “I know, dear. We all saw. It was quite convincing. Well done.”
“No, I mean, wekissed. It wasn’t an act. I promise.” Delilah tried to keep the panic from her voice, but she feared she hadn’t done a good job of it.
Lucy’s tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. “What exactly are you trying to say, dear?”
“I’m trying to say IkissedThomas, and I… liked it.” Now that the admission was out, it felt good. She breathed a sigh of relief.
Lucy shook her head and squelched a smile. “Delilahdear, there’s absolutely no harm in enjoying a kiss with a handsome young man. Why, you’re only human, after all.”
“I know, but it makes me feel so… confused.” Confused wasn’t the precise word she wanted, but it would do.
Lucy rubbed her friend’s shoulder. “Because of your pursuit of Branville, dear?” Sympathy shone in her eyes.
“Yes. Meanwhile, I don’t think Branville has spoken two words to me all evening.” Delilah bit her lip.
She hadn’t told Lucy that Branville had asked for her help with Rebecca. Her reasoning being that once she used the elixir—if she used the elixir—how would she explain Branville’s abandoning Rebecca so suddenly? She glanced over to where Branville sipped champagne at Rebecca’s side.
Guilt sliced through Delilah again. Not only did she intend to drastically alter Branville’s life tonight, she would also be altering Rebecca’s. Only Rebecca was still glancing longingly at Thomas, she noted. Meanwhile, Thomas seemed to be deep in conversation with Lady Emmaline, whose attention was obviously fully attuned to Branville.
The entire thing had become so terribly complicated, and it wasn’t helping anything that when Delilah closed her eyes, all she could think about was Thomas’s kiss.
“Go speak to Branville, dear,” Lucy said. “He’s not going to notice you if you’re all the way over here.”
Delilah nodded, and Lucy folded back into the crowd, but instead of going to speak to the Duke of Branville, Delilah made her way over to the Duke of Claringdon’s side. She tapped Derek’s arm and the tall, formidable man turned.
“Delilah?”
With a nod, she motioned for him to follow her.
Derek walked behind her until they were several paces away from the others. “What is it?”
Delilah pressed a hand to her chest to slow the painful pounding of her heart. “I need a favor, Derek, but I must also request that you ask me no questions about why I want to know.”
He frowned. “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”
