Page 50 of The Duchess and the Beast
“Yes! But attending was only part of the deal. Don’t think I shall let you waste this special night away without sharing at least onedance,” Virtue declared, guiding him deftly through the throngs of crowds.
“Wh—what?” Sebastian stammered, only now realizing that she was in fact leading him toward the dance floor.
“A dance,” she beamed at him eagerly. “I would very much like to dance.”
He came to a sudden stop. Virtue, who had not expected it, carried on a few steps ahead before realizing and spinning back to face him.
She frowned at him and tilted her head adorably. “Something the matter?”
“You want to dance?”
“We are at a ball.”
“Virtue...” It might have been his imagination, surely some of it was in his head, but he knew that people were gossiping about him. Why had he come here? What was he thinking? Even at a masquerade ball, he still felt as if he stood out. “I… I don’t know if I can.”
She rolled her eyes and took his hand. “Of course you can.”
“Virtue...”
“Sebastian.” She stepped in closer, dropping her voice so only he could hear. “Look around you. Everybody is too involved in their own lives to care about our presence. I doubt many even recognize us here.”
“That is not true.” A quick glance about confirmed his fears. It did not help that he had the height advantage over nearly everybody present, so eyes would naturally gravitate toward him.
Virtue sighed. “Are you here for them or for me?”
He frowned and leaned back. “For you, of course. I came here because you asked me to—”
“Then show me.” She held out her elbow for him to link. “You think people are staring at you? Fine, let them. In fact, if they are going to watch, let us give them something to watch.”
He could feel his face turn red. And those whispers, they became louder and noisier; shouting, was what they sounded like. The room felt as if it was growing small about him, his body started to turn hot, and it was all he could do to keep himself from falling to his knees and ripping out his hair. Or was it all just in his imagination? He could not tell anymore.
But then something happened. Virtue, seeming to sense his panic, took both his hands and forced him to meet her eyes. Those big, beautiful emerald eyes of hers. No judgment in them. No bitterness at the way he was behaving. They were calm and peaceful and for him only.
Sebastian felt himself begin to relax. Under her touch, wrapped in her gaze, he was able to pull himself out of the hole he was spiraling down.
“All right,” he somehow managed. “One dance won’t kill me.”
She beamed. “I knew you would say yes.” Still holding him by the hands, she led him through the crowd and to the dance floor.
Sebastian felt nervous and exposed but he reminded himself again that this was not for him but for Virtue. Those letters came back to him, a warning that if he took her for granted, he might lose her. What was more, as they reached the dance floor, he was sure he spied none other than Lord Prescott watching them. The man scowled at the sight of Sebastian holding his wife’s hand, and he made sure to narrow his eyes as they met Sebastian’s.
He had suspected that Lord Prescott was the one sending those letters and where he had no proof, he felt that this was justification for his suspicions. He glared deep at the man, which had him looking away and then pushing back through the crowd as if to escape.
“There you are,” Virtue beamed when she saw his smile. “See, this is not so bad.”
“No, I suppose it is not,” he chuckled as they walked to the center of the dancefloor.
There were a dozen couples standing there waiting for the music to begin, but the floor may as well have been empty for how Sebastian felt. He held Virtue by her right hand, resting his other on the delicious curve of her hip. They stood face to face, so close that she was all he could see—all that he needed to see. The smile in her eyes gave him strength and the feel of her body against his gave him courage.
Let the people talk. Let them indulge in their gossip. Let them laugh and mock if they must. But also, let them witness how truly happy he and Virtue were. Let tonight be the night the idle rumors perished.
The music began and Sebastian fell back into old rhythms as if they had never left. Raised in the peerage, the art of dance was ingrained in him. Born for this, he was, and tonight it showed. With his wife in his arms, the two swept across the dance floor as one. A graceful waltz, gliding in perfect synchronicity, gazes locked, the music nearly superfluous because they didn’t dance to that but to the rhythms of one another.
And soon enough, those whispers died down and the stares faded. Soon enough, the onlookers began to see that there was nothing that needed watching, nothing sinister or wicked or evil about their pairing. They were here because they wanted to be; happy, content, and enjoying one another’s company in ways that he was sure many people tonight might envy.
Let the letters come. In that moment, as they danced, Sebastian found he no longer cared. Virtue had reawakened a side of himthat he had thought long since dead and all he could do, all he would ever do, was spend the rest of his life trying to repay her.
Before long, one dance faded into another, and then another, and countless many others. It had felt like hours had passed with them just in each other’s arms before Virtue had decided to pull him away for a short respite and some wine. Sebastian allowed himself a small smile as he led his wife to the refreshment table.