Page 20 of Her Heartless Duke

“Where are we, Your Grace? You have not answered my inquiry yet.”

A slow smile spread across his lips. “Are you scared?”

“Me? Scared?” she scoffed and proceeded to get off the coach by her own efforts. “It will take more than this to scare me, Your Grace.”

“Then come with me,” he urged her, reaching for her gloved hand and tugging her down the street.

Olivia barely had enough time to hang on to her bonnet, when Isaac dragged her down dirty alleys and—oh goodness, was that not the biggest, filthiest rat she had ever seen? She could only shudder inwardly and pray to the high heavens that he did not come to know of just how unsettled she was.

They came to a stop in an intersection between two streets, but tonight, there were no carts or horses or carriages in sight. Instead, there was a pavilion with a few rickety wooden tables and chairs set before it. In the middle of the intersection, there was a huge bonfire, the flames leaping high up into the sky as her eyes widened in wonder.

Is this a festival? What is this place and what is going on?

“I suppose you have never seen a celebration like this,” he remarked as he pulled out a chair for her. He laid his coat on it and invited her to sit. “This, my lady, is Lammas Day.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. “Lammas Day?”

He nodded. “That is correct. It is a rather big celebration amongst the common folk, and they sometimes build these big bonfires to commemorate the day.”

“You never hear about this during the Season,” Olivia murmured, her eyes taking in the bonfire before them.

There was a whole crowd gathered around it, enjoying the warmth it provided as a ragtag band of musicians played jaunty tunes to the side. The laughter of children and the sound of chatter filled the air, in symphony with the huge, crackling fire.

“This festival is often overshadowed by the balls and soirees thetonprefer to hold during the Season,” he explained.

A crying shame, Olivia found herself thinking. After all, there was a rather festive air, and she even found her foot tapping the ground to the beat of the music played on the streets.

As she took in the sight before her, she was vaguely aware of Isaac standing up and then, she saw his hand thrust before her in invitation.

“Come.”

She shook her head hesitantly. “I do not think we should.”

He leaned closer to her and when he spoke into her ear, his warm breath fanned against the sensitive skin of her neck, causing the little hairs in them to stand up. “No one will recognize us here, Olivia. Come dance with me.”

His voice had an almost hypnotic quality to it, threading through her consciousness. Mesmerized, she stood up and when she did, he grinned at her and his hand latched onto her wrist as he pulled her towards the bonfire, where a small crowd had gathered and begun to dance.

She shook her head at him as he twirled her around. “I do not know how to dance to this!”

“You don’t need to know!” he yelled at her over the din of the crowd. He pulled her close and whispered huskily in her ear, “Just feel the music flow through you and take you through the movements.”

She looked around her and found that he was speaking the truth—the people did not seem to be dancing to a particular set of steps. They were dancing solely to the music, moving their bodies to the tune and nothing else.

Feel the music…

She closed her eyes and for a moment, the world fell away. All she could hear was the music and it was a potent brew, as intoxicating as any wine she had ever tasted. It was like a fire in her blood, urging her to dance, dance, dance…

She laughed as she picked up her skirts and moved to the beat, drawing close to Isaac and then farther apart. He would catch her, hold her close in his arms, and then release her as if they were playing a game of cat and mouse.

She glanced at him coyly over her shoulder and saw his eyes go dark as they followed her movements, so unlike the regimented dances of the ballrooms of Society. Out here, on the streets, she was as free to do as she pleased, and she found that she ratherenjoyedit.

Immensely.

Moments later, they stumbled back to the wooden chairs, breathless and laughing, hair disheveled and clothes wrinkled and smelling of soot.

“I cannot believe we just did that!” Olivia crowed, her heart still thumping from their exertions earlier. “I never thought one could dance like that. It’s so… sowanton!”

“Well, you looked like you were enjoying yourself immensely that I did not have the heart to stop you,” he grinned back at her.