She moved with surprising ease, guiding David through steps that were far too informal to qualify as proper instruction. Her hair had loosened slightly from its pins, and there was a faint flush in her cheeks that made her look unexpectedly alive. When she turned and saw Gabriel, she did not stop. Instead, she smiled as though his presence had always been expected.
“Your Grace,” she called over the music, lightly catching David’s hand mid-spin, “you have arrived just in time.”
Gabriel remained where he was for a moment, considering the wisdom of immediate retreat.
Valerie noticed him and straightened at once, her expression tightening into something far more guarded. David, however,simply waved enthusiastically before continuing to spin under Amelia’s direction. Amelia released the boy and stepped toward Gabriel without hesitation, as though his arrival required no adjustment whatsoever.
“You cannot simply observe,” she said brightly, extending her hand toward him. “That would be very dull.”
Gabriel looked at her hand, then at the room, then briefly at Valerie, whose eyes had narrowed in suspicion. The slightest shift in Valerie’s expression was enough for him to decide.
He sighed once, almost imperceptibly, and took Amelia’s hand. “I do not recall learning to dance to this kind of music,” he said dryly as she pulled him into the movement.
Amelia laughed, the sound immediate and unrestrained, and something about it made the room feel warmer than it had any right to be.
Her hand was unexpectedly small in his, yet steady. Gabriel guided her into the rhythm as best as the chaos allowed, though it bore no resemblance to anything he had ever been taught. Still, Amelia moved with confidence, adjusting easily to his steps as though he were not a duke but simply another participant in her improvised rebellion. He found, to his considerable irritation, that it was not unpleasant. In fact, it was rather the opposite.
He looked away too quickly.
Amelia, apparently unsatisfied with leaving Valerie on the periphery, guided him gently across the floor.
“Come on,” she murmured, steering him toward his niece with a determination that brooked no refusal.
Valerie stiffened as they approached, her earlier hesitation returning in full force. For a moment, she looked as though she might retreat entirely. Gabriel extended his free hand instead, offering it without comment. The room seemed to hold its breath.
Valerie stared at his hand. Then, slowly, she took it. The change in Valerie was immediate but subtle, like a door unlocking after years of disuse. Her posture remained cautious, but she allowed herself to be drawn into the movement. Amelia smiled quietly between them, stepping back as though satisfied with her work. Gabriel adjusted his hold slightly, guiding Valerie into a simple step.
“You will be a success at your debut,” he said gruffly, as though stating a fact rather than offering reassurance.
Valerie blinked at him, then, unbelievably, smiled.
It was small, fleeting, but real. The music continued to stumble forward, growing louder as more servants joined in uncertain enthusiasm. David collapsed into laughter near Grover, who appeared convinced this was the finest day of his life. Gabriel found that he did not entirely mind it.
When the final notes eventually faltered into silence, no one moved at once.
Then reality began to reassert itself.
Gabriel released Valerie’s hand first. The room felt suddenly too large again, too bright, too aware of itself. He straightened his coat and regarded Amelia with a look that attempted sternness and failed almost immediately.
“Rules still exist,” he said firmly, though his voice lacked its usual edge. Amelia tilted her head, breathing slightly harder from the dancing.
“If you had come to me first,” he continued, gesturing vaguely at the chaos around them, “I would have arranged the finest orchestra in the county.”
Amelia smiled at him then, slow and unguarded, as though the suggestion itself was amusing. It was not a polite smile. It was something far more dangerous.
It stole his breath in a way he was not prepared to analyze.
Gabriel looked away before anyone could notice.
He cleared his throat, regaining what little composure remained.
“And do not make a habit of ignoring rules,” he added, though it sounded less like a warning than it should have. Amelia’s eyes brightened again at that, and she gave a small, infuriatingly confident nod.
“Of course, Your Grace,” she replied, far too pleased with herself.
Gabriel turned away before he made yet another mistake. Behind him, the house still felt different from how it had that morning.
And worse still, he suspected it might remain that way… because of her.
