“Benjamin?” she whispered, still searching for his brother. “What is going on?”
Two heartbeats later and she found his rich, brown eyes again. They held the warmth of the worn spine of a book, holding together the precious pages of her favorite story. But for the first time since he marched his way into the ballroom, uncertainty entered his eyes. He too glanced towards the figure standing at the top of the stairs. Felicity could have sworn she saw the woman nod, but it had been so slight and so fast that she could not be sure.
“Dance with me, Felicity.”
His request drew her attention back to him.
“Tell me what is going on,” she refuted.
It was not a rejection, and that seemed to bolster his confidence. She wanted to dance with him, but more than that, she wanted to understand what was going on.
“I will. But first, dance with me, before Lord Roberts makes his way back inside.”
The last time they had danced together, everything had felt magical, and it was not only because of his years of dance lessons. But it had also spurred her tailspin of emotions that had landed her here in the first place. The last thing she should be doing at her engagement ball was accepting an offer to dance with an uninvited guest who had intruded on the evening’s festivities. Not to mention the fact that the dancing had not yet begun for the evening. Even still, when she saw the way his fingers reached out for hers, she felt nothing but perfect acceptance.
Speechless, Felicity nodded with a slight smile. He sent her a wide grin back before folding his warm hand around her cold fingertips. She could feel hundreds of eyes on her as he walked them through the crowd, not stopping to see if people would move out of their way, his focus centered solely on her. She was surprised to hear rain pattering against the windows through the hushed opinions of the ton. She had not realized the band had stopped playing until Benjamin had them both centered in the ballroom, waiting for the music to start once more. With a firm nod in their direction, the violin began to play, and he bowed.
The melody of the music wrapped Felicity up in a warm, welcoming embrace. The sonata was one she had come to love this season. The cry of the strings as the violinist moved his bow silenced the crowds and the fall of the rain. She curtsied in return, keeping her eyes locked on his. She did not know how long this moment would last. She wanted to make every second of their last dance together count. Even now, she held her breath waiting for a handful of servants to come escort Benjamin from the property, ending their dance before it truly began. She knew that as soon as the music stopped playing, she would be expected to return to the Earl’s side to continue the charade of being happily engaged, so for now, she would enjoy the moment.
They stepped together in time to the music, mirroring each other as they moved. In only a few, short steps, Benjamin’s face was inches from hers, his arm wrapped around her waist. Heat blazed where he touched her, even through all the layers of fabric separating them. It was not the blistering, uncomfortable heat of an August afternoon in the sun. This was more like the kind of heat that radiates from a fireplace on a cold day, the kind that makes you want to curl up and never leave. His fingers splayed out across the small of her back, gently nudging her in circles around the dance floor. It was the same proper position she had taken with every other gentleman she had danced with this season, and yet it was unlike anything she had ever experienced before.
“Have I told you how lovely you look tonight?” he asked, interrupting her thoughts.
“You have not,” she quipped with a grin, trying to hide the giddy pleasure she felt at his compliment, but as she felt her cheeks flush, she knew her blush had given her away.
“Allow me to correct that oversight then, Felicity. You are the most lovely creature in this room. I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I have decided that this, this purple, or maybe blue, color is my new favorite. At least, it will be until you don a new gown.”
“Periwinkle,” she said with a chuckle.
“What?” Her response had caught him off guard, and he looked at her as if she had spoken another language.
“The color is called periwinkle,” she explained, loving the way his furrowed brows and cinched expression melted into an easy smile.
“Whatever it is called,” he said, lowering his voice for only her ears, “I have never seen a more enchanting vision than you.”
She blushed again, unused to his directness. The last letter he had written her had been bold. He had told her plainly how he felt about her, and yet she had not expected that he would have the same boldness out in society. Despite her blush, she found it refreshing to not have to guess what someone was thinking of her.
“What has gotten into you tonight, Benjamin?” she asked, matching his whispered tones. “You have never been quite so forward.”
“Do my compliments offend you?” he replied, avoiding her question altogether.
“Not in the least. But it does offend me that you will not tell me what is going on. You show up, here of all places, demanding a dance, only to shower me in flattery and avoid my questions. What am I to think of all of this, Benjamin?”
“I love you,” he said in a rush, like he had been holding back those three little words for hours, maybe even days.
She stumbled, shocked by his response. His arm tightened around her, keeping her from falling to the floor. She reveled in the strength he emanated. It was the kind of strength that made her feel safe, like he would never let her fall.
“Felicity,” he called, all uncertainty in his dark brown eyes gone, “there is so much I have to tell you. So much I want to tell you. But first, I must know, do you return my affections?”
His question shocked her almost as much as his admission.
“What?” she blinked, not sure if she heard him correctly.
“Do you love me?”
CHAPTER14
My dearest Felicity,