“Indeed. I will send word at a later time. Now, it seems your lady friend would like to dance.” Mr. Melbrooke shot her a knowing look as he caught her staring, and her cheeks flushed.
They said their goodbyes, and Rowan grasped Alice’s hand gently, leading her past the crowds to the dancefloor.
“I am glad it worked out tonight, Your Grace. I thought he was a bit uptight, but it seemed to have gone well.” She smiled as they stepped onto the polished wooden floorboards, dancing to the beat as he pulled her closer, the touch of his fingertips searing the small of her back and sending butterflies straight to her stomach.
“He definitely was. He was not sure what I was asking for because he figured we had plenty of money. Walking around my mother’s excessive spending was difficult. I am sure you would have thought of something quick-witted, as always.”
She smiled, shaking her head. “It went perfectly.”
“Everything is going perfectly,” he corrected, bringing his face ever so slightly closer to hers as his smoldering grey eyes bored into her. She felt her heart jump and her face heat up.
“You are blushing once again. You know I love that.”
“Stop teasing, Your Grace,” she breathed.
“It is so fun, though.” He laughed, spinning her around as the end of the song forced them back into the crowd, her eyes not able to look away from his. “Do you insist on staring at me all night, Miss Snow?”
“I think now is the time for fresh air, Your Grace.” She turned on her heel, not able to stare any longer if she did not want to grasp his face and smash her lips against his, causing the biggest scandal of the decade.
He simply followed behind her.
“Everything all right, Miss Snow?” he whispered over her shoulder, causing her to jump.
“Do not scare me like that, Your Grace,” she huffed, unable to keep the smile off her face.
“You stopped in the middle of the doorway. Grace was able to catch up because of you,” he mumbled quietly. “I was hoping to whisk you away.”
“We really need to be more careful, you know this,” she replied, rolling her eyes.
“I just want you to myself tonight. Come, let me show you something,” he said, and she turned around to see him offering his large hand to her.
It was so inviting, and she knew she should have listened to her instincts, but her heart was beating so fast for him that she immediately placed her hand in his and let him lead her down the dimly lit corridor. She knew he was trying to outrun Grace and get somewhere where she would not find them, which made her giggle.
“Be quiet, Miss Snow, you will give us away with your tittering,” he whispered to her, though he was grinning.
She had not felt this free in such a long time, and mindlessly running through the halls of a historic castle was cathartic. By the time she realized she probably should have paid attention to all of the twists and turns, he stopped at a pair of double doors, paned with glass so clear that it hardly looked like there was anything there.
“This is where my family used to come when we needed a break from the parties.”
He led her by the small of her back through the doors, and she was met with the most beautiful view of the grounds.
Below the stone balcony was the entire estate, and she could see several groups making their way through the maze garden, the farm in the distance preparing itself to be functional in the morning, and the forest on the edge of the property, mysteries hidden in its shadows.
“It is beautiful,” she said, awestruck.
“It is,” he said fondly, and she turned to him.
He was staring at her, giving her that perfect smile. Did he feel this pull toward her, as well?
“Your Grace, I am so pleased that our arrangement has gone so well,” she started, turning away from him as she felt the tips of her ears start to burn. “I wonder what else we could accomplish.”
“We make a great team, Miss Snow.” He leaned against the railing next to her, looking over the estate. “Mr. Melbrooke was an impressive catch. I did not believe I could get him to speak with me all Season, but whatever you said to him did the trick.”
“My parents were close, and he spoke fondly of my brother. I just had to throw his name out, and he was interested.” She smiled.
“He will be my biggest investor yet, Alice. This is incredible. I truly cannot thank you enough for what you have helped me accomplish. I think we can finally stop this game, I just hope I have returned the favor. Let me know what I can do for you to settle anything I may have come short on.”
She gazed up at the Duke as he turned toward her, stepping closer. She wanted him to lean closer, to kiss her like he loved her.
