But she was so quiet that he began to worry. He took her hands in his, silently begging her to say anything at all, just stop leaving him waiting breathless.
Finally, she said, “I’ve never loved any other man, and I never will.”
Cupping the back of his neck, Amelia tugged his head down to kiss him; he enfolded her in his arms.
Clara clapped herhand over her mouth to stifle her squeal of joy. It wouldn’t do to interrupt Dori and Amelia during this crucial moment, and she decided to leave them to their privacy now that she’d reassured herself that all was well. Better than that, it was glorious! She would consider her Grand Plan to be her Grand Success.
As silently as she could, Clara slipped through the shadows and back into the house to rejoin the party, her brief absence unnoticed.
Clara fell asleepon the carriage ride home, and it took some jostling for her to come awake when they arrived back at the castle. Amelia helped a sleepy Clara up to her chambers, instructing a yawning maid to see her off to bed. Taking her leave, Amelia bumped into Dorian in the hallway. Immediately, he wrapped her in his arms and reminded her just how well they fit together.
“I thought we might celebrate our secret engagement,” he murmured against her temple.
It took a strength of will she hadn’t known she possessed, but she knew she had to decline what would surely be a glorious experience. “I think I will feel better if we try to stay apart now that we suspect Clara is aware of our involvement—we should at least try to be a good example to her.”
Dorian groaned in disappointment. “Whatever happened to not wasting any more time?”
She laughed and flitted free from his grasp. “But imagine how sweet it will be when we do receive what we desire.” She glanced over her shoulder to find Dorian’s eyes narrowed at her retreating form. Despite this, the corner of his mouth was lifted in the barest hint of a smile. Oh, yes, she would enjoy teasing him for the rest of their days.
Her slippers practically floating across the flagstones, Amelia made her way to her chambers. Briefly, she thought it was odd that Faye hadn’t been waiting for her belowstairs like she usually did if Amelia went somewhere without her. She did not think much of it, though, and she suspected she’d find Faye lying on her bed or relaxing before the crackling hearth.
Entering her room, she discovered Faye curled up in her spot on the rug. The dog opened her eyes, but did not raise her large head, even when Amelia greeted her and during the bustle of her maid helping her to change for bed. When Faye did not move despite Amelia’s coaxing to climb onto the mattress, Amelia patted her and climbed into her bed alone. “That is fine; you sleep where you want. You know you are always welcome.”
Just as her maid was leaving, there was a knock at her door. Amelia was half terrified that Dorian had defied her wishes—and how on earth would they explain away his presence to the maid?—but Clara was there instead. The maid bid them goodnight before slipping away, and Amelia noticed Clara looked far more awake than she had when she’d left her only a short time ago.
“May I speak with you?” Clara asked, something clearly weighing heavily on her mind.
“Always, dear.” Amelia patted the mattress beside her.
Without hesitation, Clara climbed into Amelia’s bed, nestled beneath the coverlet like a true sister, and immediately demanded the truth. “What is happening between you and my brother?”
Amelia carefully schooled her features to remain impassive. “Well, we have not killed one another yet.”
Clara scoffed. “Hardly. Dori already treats me like a child…please do not do it, too.”
Amelia pulled her lower lip between her teeth, unsure just what to say, but Clara’s next words made the decision for her. “I saw you two out in the courtyard at the party tonight. I couldn’t hear what you were saying, but it looked like you were more than happy to be in one another’s company.”
Amelia’s cheeks burned instantly—thank God all they’d done was kiss!
“What were you doing outside? We left you with a chaperone for less than a quarter of an hour.”
Clara shrugged in a Gallic gesture. “Precisely. You left me in the care of the busiest woman at the party. It wasn’t difficult to follow you out, and I was back before she even knew I was missing.”
Dorian had already known Clara was a handful, but Amelia wondered if he knew to what extent.
Realizing she could no longer hide the truth, Amelia said, “Very well…your brother and I have reconciled…and we’ve agreed to renew our betrothal.”
Clara squealed in joy, pouncing on Amelia and then speaking so rapidly that Amelia could hardly understand her. “Oh! Will the wedding be soon? I hope it will. May I help you plan it? May I be your attendant? What color will you wear? I cannot believe things are going to go back to the way they once were! We will no longer have to sneak around with our letters!” There was a pause as Clara took a necessary breath. “Has he told you the truth of what happened?” Clara asked slightly tentatively, then answered for herself with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Of course he did. How splendid it all is!”
Amelia did her best to answer Clara’s excited flurry of questions as they flew through the air like so many arrows. It was almost a relief when their exhaustion grew too heavy, and Clara finally took her leave to curl up in her own bed.
Amelia settled herself in and half expected (half hoped) for Dorian to appear in her room, but the blasted man behaved himself for the rest of the night.
It was stilldark when Faye whined to be let loose from the chamber. Amelia stumbled to the door and freed her, knowing the kitchen staff would be up at that hour and they would let her outside to relieve herself. Amelia crawled back into bed and fell instantly back to sleep, eventually waking much later in the day than she was used to.
She rose and rang for her maid, noticing that Faye had not returned.
Chapter Twelve
