Meet me on the terrace.
Brunswick
Curt and to the point. No please or thank you. Just the expectation of being heeded. Sarah placed the note in her reticule and moved toward the French doors. Ordinarily, she believed, she would have taken issue with such arrogance. Especially after the way in which they’d last parted. But instead, she felt a secret thrill. Brunswick wanted to see her, so he must have something to say. Sarah couldn’t wait to learn what it might be. She also realized with some surprise that she was ridiculously eager to simply see him again.
She gave her head a little shake as she pushed through the doors. How could she possibly have missed this model of serious aloofness?
Because there’s more to him than that.
What she’d missed were those moments when he’d relaxed. He didn’t strike her as someone who easily smiled, and yet in the brief time she’d known him, she’d seen his face transformed as he gave way to humor, and it humbled her.
Surveying the terrace, she took a moment to spot him, but when she did, the strangest urge to run to him assaulted her. She resisted the pull and slowly crossed to where he stood, slightly obscured in a corner where the torchlight didn’t quite reach.
Tall and perfectly still, he watched her approach. Sarah’s pulse leapt and her stomach started to flutter in a way she’d not experienced since her presentation at court. He’d been strikingly handsome in his day clothes, but dressed in his evening attire, she didn’t think there was a man in all of England who could compare. Not even her brothers, who’d always struck her as being blessed with exceptionally good looks.
“Your Grace,” she said when Brunswick didn’t speak. “You wished to see me?”
His expression, cast in shadows, appeared as stern as ever. It was impossible for her to discern the emotion in his eyes which made it difficult to perceive his mood. The flutter in her stomach intensified until it turned into a whirlwind of utter confusion. Why did he affect her so? It didn’t make any sense.
“You look incredible tonight.”
His soft-spoken words felt like a caress, which only confirmed her descent into madness.
“Thank you.” She straightened her spine and hoped she didn’t look too pleased with the compliment. After all, the man was conceited enough as it was. She offered a smile. “You look rather dashing yourself.”
His eyes held hers until her heart hammered against her breast. Something was different tonight. He was different. She wasn’t sure how, but she could feel it.
“I would like to apologize to you,” he eventually said. “My behavior the last time we met was horribly rude. I’m embarrassed by it, Miss Townsbridge, but there are things that plague me - memories I cannot seem to escape. Sometimes, they creep up on me without a moment’s warning,and when that happens my instinct tells me to run.”
Sarah stared at him in rapt silence. She was captivated by his confession, both surprised and honored by what he was willing to share. She’d not expected it. Afraid to push him too hard yet needing to know a bit more, she carefully asked, “Do you know why this happens?”
“Yes.” He reached for her hand and twined his gloved fingers with hers. “Can you forgive my behavior toward you and your brothers?”
“Of course.”
His expression relaxed and he blew out a breath. “Thank God. I was worried you wouldn’t.”
Something else she’d not expected. “Really?”
The edge of his mouth lifted to form an incredibly roguish smile. “Does it surprise you to know I enjoy your company?” When she nodded, he raised her knuckles to his lips for a brief kiss. “It shouldn’t. You’re the only one who can make me smile.”
Speechless, Sarah could only gape at him. She wasn’t sure if he was being honest or deliberately flirtatious. Either way, he made her feel appreciated, as though she’d accomplished something meaningful, something he was grateful for.
“I’m glad,” she heard herself say. “More than you can possibly imagine.”
His eyes gleamed as he bowed his head toward hers. She sucked in a breath. Would he kiss her? She wasn’t yet sure. But what if he did? Should she allow it?
Her heart pounded harder as he drew nearer. She was asking herself the wrong questions. What she ought to be asking was, did she want to allow such intimacy between them?
Yes, her body insisted with wild jubilation. Yes, you most certainly do. You’ve never been kissed before. Don’t pass up this chance.
Her brain was far more hesitant, warning her to be careful, to not give him the wrong impression. If they kissed, surely he’d think they were on their way to the altar.
Before she could finish her internal debate, his cheek brushed the side of her head, and then he whispered against her ear, “Dance with me, Miss Townsbridge.”
A shiver raced through her. She knew she wasn’t a stunning beauty. If asked, she would describe herself as ordinary, perhaps even plain. Athena had always been the one with the almond-shaped eyes, delicate nose, and full lips set in a heart-shaped face surrounded by a thick mass of curls.
Not once in her life had Sarah felt desirable.
