Page 60 of Once Upon A Bear

The evening went downhill from there.

After what was admittedly the best kiss of her life—not that she’d had many—Gideon had led her back to the ballroom, where his brother continually handed a string of girls off to him.

While she understood that Kellan didn’t want to marry any of them, it would have been nice if he had realized Gideon didn’t, either.

But she couldn’t think like that, because she had no claim on him. Gideon Rendon was not hers, nor did she want him to be. Well, perhaps she wanted him to be, but she knew it wasn’t possible, and she didn’t dare to hope for the impossible.

This ball was only showcasing just how different they were, and how she didn’t fit in this world.

This world glittered, full of nobles in beautiful dresses and servants walking around in their uniforms helping people. Beatrice was talking to Duke Vaughn and his family, already fitting in with the nobility, while Guinevere tried to hide before anyone else noticed her.

She didn’t belong here.

She’d inched her way to the back entrance of the ballroom, ready to run away, when Lady Liliana appeared next to her, hooking her arm through Guinevere’s. Liliana looked as if she was around ten years old, but she was surprisingly tall for her age.

“I’m so glad you came to the ball,” Liliana said. “You’re much easier to talk to than the other proper young ladies here.”

Guinevere looked at the Duke’s youngest daughters, who appeared slightly younger than Liliana. “I thought perhaps you would be friends with them,” she said.

“They’re new,” Liliana explained, “and we haven’t spent much time together.”

“How can you expect to form a friendship if you don’t try?” Guinevere asked.

Liliana brightened. “You think I should try to be friends with them?”

“I’m sure they would love to make a friend as sweet and kind as you are,” Guinevere told her.

The young ladies were standing near their mother, the Duchess, while Dietrich and Ella twirled around the dance floor. Ella had only recently discovered that she was the Duke’s eldest missing daughter, and since discovering it, had quickly assimilated back into her place like she’d never been lost.

It was fun to watch Dietrich become a Duke’s son-in-law, too. He’d gone from the lighthearted boy teasing Beatrice and helping Thea at the café to being desperately in love with Ella and becoming part of her world.

Dietrich had done it…so perhaps she could too.

But Dietrich didn’t have a dangerous secret, and she had no business trying to become part of Gideon’s life when she did.

“I think perhaps you might find kindred spirits in those girls,” Guinevere said, unhooking her arm from Liliana’s and nudging her gently toward them. It would be better if she didn’t get too close to his little sister, either. “Why don’t you go see if maybe they could be your friends?”

Liliana hurried away, shooting a grateful smile over her shoulder at Guinevere, and Guinevere smiled back. Maybe she didn’t have to heal anyone physically tonight, but she could help heal the distance between Liliana and these other girls, and that was close enough.

Guinevere watched as Gideon was once again claimed for the next dance by yet another young lady of far better breeding and much less questionable legality than herself. Her stomach turned. They looked beautiful together.

It was silly. She had no claim on Gideon, and yet every girl he danced with was like a knife in her gut.

There was nothing she could do about it…but if he was claimed by another girl, perhaps it would be time to leave. She had no need to sit here and watch as the man she loved danced with everyone but her—not when she had no intention of trying to make him hers.

She could not make him hers.

There was a deep sigh as another person collapsed against the wall next to her. Guinevere turned to see Sophia.

“Hello,” she said, smiling brightly.

Sophia was Beatrice’s friend, which meant she was a good person.

“Balls are exhausting,” Sophia said, her hand resting on her stomach.

Guinevere glanced at her critically, with a healer’s eye for attention. “Are you feeling well?” she asked.

“I’m a little queasy,” Sophia admitted. “It’s warm in here.”