"Yes," the taller one answered. "Only a year apart. We decided to make our debut into society together. So we have each other. She is Edwina, and I am Viola."
"How wonderful," Alice said and beamed. "It’s nice to meet you. I hope you’re enjoying the ball?"
"I never believed the rumors," the shorter one – Edwina – blurted.
Alice’s eyebrows furrowed, caught off-guard by her statement. "I’m sorry?" was all she managed to say.
Victor – only a few steps away – glanced at her but said nothing as he continued his conversation.
"The rumors..." she repeated softly, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "...that you had died. I never believed them."
Alice tilted her head to the side, curious. "Why not, if I may ask? Everyone seemed to."
"Well, there has to be a love story," Viola chimed in. "You and the Duke look so perfect together, it’s admirable."
"Like opposites attract," Edwina explained. "I’ve read books about it."
Again, Victor turned to them only briefly with a puzzled look. Alice caught it, and she tried her best not to laugh.
Alice stifled a laugh, but the incredulity must have shown on her face. "You think Victor and I have a love story?" she echoed, raising a brow.
The young ladies blinked, almost in unison, as though the question was confusing. "Doesn’t everyone?" Edwina asked. "Surely the Duke fell in love with you, and you with him...that’s why he proposed, right? Can you tell us, please? We would like to hear all about it."
Alice couldn’t help but give them an amused smile, her expression a mixture of disbelief and bemusement. It seemed unfathomable that anyone would believe she and Victor shared some fabled romance. The very idea of a love story seemed ludicrous when held up against the reality of their relationship,if it could even be called that. She glanced at Edwina and Viola, each leaning forward with wide, expectant eyes, as if she were about to teach them life lessons.
"My goodness," Alice said to herself.
It was as though she had stumbled upon a pair of rare birds who still believed in innocent dreams of romance, blissfully ignorant of the complexities of life. For a fleeting moment, Alice envied their naiveté.
"Well, if you must know," she began to say, hastily formulating a story that she hoped sounded believable. "The Duke proposed not long after hearing of my broken engagement with Lord Pembroke. He told me later that he’d noticed me before, though we hadn’t officially met."
Alice glanced at Victor. She knew he was listening, and a spark of mischief flickered within her. She wondered how far she could stretch the truth about their marriage before he reacted. After all, he was the one who was adamant about remediating their reputation. What better way to do it than to rewrite the story of their marriage?
"You see, the Duke claimed that he had been severely heartbroken when he heard that I got engaged,’ Alice continued with a soft smile on her face that she hoped was convincing enough. She clasped her hands together and brought them to her chest. "You’ve heard of the man. He is quiet, reserved...keeps to himself all the time."
Victor glanced again, but his gaze did not linger.
"People like that find it difficult to express their feelings," Edwina said.
"Exactly," Alice said. "He was heartbroken and had no idea what to do. For days, he berated himself for not making the first move. But then, as fate would have it, Lord Pembroke found love in someone else, and Victor saw his chance. He wasted no time, seizing the moment to propose to me."
Edwina and Viola both squeaked, hanging on her every word. "And what about you? When did you realize that you were head over heels in love with him?"
Alice opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. She was all for teasing Victor, but she didn’t want to get trapped in the web of lies she had started to weave.
"Well, I didn’t know what to think at first," Alice said. "I mean, I was flustered by his determination to wed me, and in a way, it impressed me. He was so impatient, he couldn’t wait to make me his wife."
Alice smirked and attempted to check Victor’s reaction, but she jumped when she noticed he was now fully facing her, listening intently. Before she could react, he walked up to her and stretched out his hand.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked, his voice low but steady.
Alice blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in his demeanor. She half-expected him to scold her for the fabrications she’d spun for the girls, yet here he was, inviting her to dance as if nothing were amiss. But she was determined to see his reaction to the lies she had spun.
"I would be honored, my love," she teased, taking his hand.
Victor’s initial response was a soft chuckle that caught Alice off guard, surprising even him. But as quickly as it came, he suppressed it, clearing his throat and adopting a more serious expression. Alice stared at him in shock as he led her to the dance floor.
"You laughed," she pointed out, still surprised. "That’s the third time you’ve ever laughed in front of me. Well, the other times weren’t as loud as this one, but you actually laughed in public."
