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Chapter twenty-one

Alexander

Alexander glared at Dietrich, who lingered at the table even after dinner had ended. What he was waiting for, Alexander didn’t know, but if he didn’t leave soon, he would face Alexander’s wrath.

Alexander hadn’t realized until now how much he wanted to kiss Beatrice. There hadn’t been any signs or warnings; the feelings had simply crashed into him. Perhaps it had something to do with how she had saved him from his curse, or maybe it was just that she was the first woman he’d ever grown close to emotionally. Whatever the reason, the need to kiss her was stronger than anything he had felt before, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Why did she affect him so much?

It wasn’t entirely surprising that he wanted to kiss her. He’d nearly admitted that he loved her—an admission he hadn’t even made to himself. The fact that the words had almost slipped out when he least expected them seemed like a sign that perhaps the feelings were real. Maybe he wasn’t as stone-hearted as he thought. Maybe his wife was bringing out his human side.

As the servants began clearing the table, Beatrice stood and thanked them before leaving the dining room. She glanced back at Alexander as if to say, are you coming with me?

Dietrich bounded to his feet as though to follow her, and Alexander shot him a glare. The man grinned and sat back down, the audacity of it all only fueling Alexander’s irritation.

Alexander followed Beatrice out, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Dietrich stayed put. He did, remaining in his chair with a smirk that made Alexander want to pummel him.

Beatrice led him into the sitting room, which had been cleared of furniture and decorated in preparation for their second wedding. She turned to him, smiling as she held out her hand.

“I have a request,” she said.

Alexander raised an eyebrow.

“Will you teach me how to dance?”

He shouldn’t have been surprised by the question, but he was. It had never occurred to him that she didn’t know how to dance. Some part of him had assumed that everyone knew.

Maybe she only knew the simpler country dances?

“It would be my honor,” he said gruffly, taking her hand. “But we don’t have any music.”

“We don’t need music,” Beatrice replied with a smile. “We can pretend.”

Alexander took a deep breath before placing his other hand on her waist and pulling her closer. “Would you like to start with a waltz, or something else?”

Beatrice smiled up at him. “Whatever you think is best. You’re the expert here, not me.”

“Surely you’ve read about dancing,” he said.

“Reading and experiencing are two very different things,” she replied. “For example, I could read about magic all I want—and I have these past two days—but I’d never be able to perform it like Guinevere. It’s simply not my gift.”

Alexander frowned. “That seems like an odd example.”

“And yet, you understood it,” Beatrice said. “I’m sure you’ll be able to teach me to dance much more easily than Guinevere could teach me to use magic.”

“I think you’ll learn quickly,” Alexander said. “You seem to be good at thinking on your feet.”

His voice grew quieter as they stood there, poised to begin but unmoving.

“I would love to dance with you at our second wedding,” Beatrice said softly. “So hopefully, it will be easy enough for me to learn.”

“I think it will be,” he replied.

“You already said that,” Beatrice teased, her lips curling into her ever-present smile.

“Did I?” Alexander asked. For some reason, he felt breathless. Why couldn’t he move?

“I think this is where you spin me,” Beatrice said. “But I’m not the expert.”

Alexander nodded. “Yes, this is where the dancing begins. And this is the proper position, is it not?”

“It is,” Beatrice replied. “At least, I think so.”

He couldn’t explain why he was frozen. Something about holding her like this—standing so close to a beautiful woman who smiled up at him with such trust—rendered him unable to move.

Perhaps, for the first time in his life, he wanted something more than just a fleeting moment.

“You want to dance?” he asked, his voice low.

“Yes,” Beatrice replied, her eyes twinkling.

Her gaze seemed to acknowledge how ridiculous he was being, and he knew it too. Why couldn’t he just start?

Maybe he needed to kiss her first. Maybe that would fix everything.

“I… don’t know what to say,” he began.

“I think it’s as simple as telling me which way my foot is supposed to go,” Beatrice replied, a saucy smirk on her face.

Alexander shook his head. “Not the dancing part. The rest of it.”

She must have understood what he meant because her smile softened.

“You don’t have to say anything,” she said. “We can just dance. We’ll have the rest of our lives to say things.”

Alexander could barely breathe. Why did she have to be so wonderful?

He leaned down, and she pressed closer. The world seemed to stop as the distance between them vanished inch by inch—

Until the door to the dining room swung open, and Dietrich popped in.

Alexander turned and glared at the man, who, for perhaps the first time, looked genuinely repentant.

“I’m sorry,” Dietrich said. “I didn’t think you’d still be here.” He grimaced, glancing between Alexander and Beatrice. “Sorry. I’ll just… go.”

The man practically ran out of the sitting room, and Beatrice started giggling.

“He has the worst timing,” she said.

Alexander sighed. “He does, doesn’t he?”

She smiled up at him. “You should teach me how to dance.”

Acknowledging that the moment had passed, Alexander began to spin her around. Beatrice picked it up quickly, proving once again that there was little she couldn’t do.

After only a few short dances, Alexander felt confident that she would handle their wedding dance with ease.

“I don’t suppose you have any other friends who might show up at inopportune moments?” he asked as they paused, letting her go reluctantly.

“I think Dietrich is it,” Beatrice said, her eyes twinkling. “I’m sorry he has such a knack for interrupting moments.”

“At least he’s protective of you,” Alexander said. “I’m glad you have someone on your side.”

“But I already have someone on my side,” Beatrice replied. “I have you.”

Her words filled him with a warmth he hadn’t felt before. His heart seemed to understand what his mind hadn’t yet accepted: he loved Beatrice.

Now, he just had to find a way to show her how much.