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The moment she stepped forward, the light caught her gown. Midnight blue, dark, enchanting, rippling like water, mesmerizing him. It clung to her curves in a way that made him swallow thickly, the fabric shimmering with each measured step she took. Her raven hair was arranged in an elegant updo, and yet one curl was caressing her neck. James was jealous of that curl.

And those eyes! God help him, those eyes. Green as storm-tossed seas, burning with something that he could not decipher. Till they landed on him.

James exhaled slowly, steadying himself, but it was no use. For the first time in his life, he was thrown off, unable to muster that distance that accompanied almost all of his interactions. All he longed for was to be closer to her. So, he moved.

“I am so happy to see you again, Lady Diana,” Solomon greeted warmly.

James smiled at how his wallflower had bewitched all of the Pemberton household. Him, most of all.

He stopped right in front of her. “Dia—” he almost blurted out. “Lady Diana.” He bowed.

Diana curtsied, but James did not miss the way her fingers curled slightly into her skirt, nor the way her breathing was just a fraction too controlled. She was nervous.

Good. So was he.

“Lord Crawford,” she greeted, her voice smooth, too composed.

“I must have this dance,” James said and took her hand.

Diana stared at him as if assessing him.

If he was about to enter the afterlife facing judgment, he would feel less turbulence. He didn’t care what Heaven and Earth thought of him. All that mattered was that she found him worthy of this. Just a chance.

“Well, if youmust,” she answered graciously.

He guided her to the center of the ballroom, and the whole world faded away. Her hand was warm and steady in his, her body so soft against him, his palm feeling the curves of her body.

Life was poured into his body after days of agonizing limbo.

They just looked at each other as they danced in perfect sync. It was quiet. Tense. Unspoken words hung in the air between them, thick and suffocating. Then, Diana coughed lightly, her fingers tightening around his. James braced himself.

“My Lord, I must apologize.”

“No, you don’t,” James said softly. “You came.”

Diana gasped upon hearing the longing in his voice. She swallowed and looked over his shoulder.

“And yet I do,” she insisted. “At our last promenade, I was… cruel.”

“I remember you being anything but.” James leaned a little bit closer. “You had every right to behave the way you did. Hell, I deserved far worse. One might say you were too lenient with me.”

She blinked up at him as if taken aback.

“The fact that you came,andyou are apologizing, is a testament to how courageous you are,” James continued. Then, he added in a wicked light tone, “I didn’t make it easy on you, after all.”

Diana shook her head, trying to hold back a smile. “No, you certainly didn’t.”

“But would you say that I have been sufficiently chastised?”

Diana’s eyes lit up. This was them. This light, witty banter. Only now, they had added another layer—that of trying to be honest.

“I would say that chastisement is not nearly enough, My Lord.”

“Fair point.” James chuckled. “I should beg, then. I confess I have little experience in the matter, but I’m a fast learner, and for you, I’ll apply myself.”

Diana couldn’t suppress her smile anymore. And James felt his heart lighten, his body relax, his breath come easily. He had a fighting chance, and he would not waste it.

The night unraveled with music and laughter, and everyone was having a great time. Couples swirled under the golden light, men engaged in discussions animated by brandy, and ladies laughed at some absurd gossip.