Page 12 of The Midnight Blizzard (The Christmas Chronicles)

M ost unfortunately, it was Prince Stephen who danced with me for the majority of that evening. He politely inquired about my interests and childhood but didn’t ask any questions about Kodiak, and I was unsure how to address his misunderstanding from before. When was the appropriate time to bring up that I wasn’t a widowed, single mother? I debated asking him about funding options for the school, but if the bill was passed, as it should be, I would be able to drop out and get my inheritance back. I wouldn’t need to trouble Stephen about finances when he was looking for a wife.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jack staring at us, not writing anything down on the papers he clutched with an overly tight grip. Stephen hadn’t been holding me any closer than was normal for two dance partners, but I found myself pulling away ever so slightly, trying to show Jack from afar and without words what my feelings were toward Stephen.

“I wish we could walk out to the balcony for more privacy,” Stephen said, casting an eye at the windows where drifts of snow swirled past. “I have a great deal I’d like to discuss with you.”

My insides clenched, well aware that Stephen was showing more attention to me than to any other woman here. Should I tell him I was planning to withdraw once my stepmother handed over the will? I should, but if Stephen had me leave before I had the will in hand, there would be no way for me to get the inheritance I needed to reopen the school. Valencia wouldn’t hand it over when she could keep it and have her daughters advance. Then there was the issue of the meeting with the king tomorrow. I couldn’t have him let me go yet.

“Perhaps a stroll down the hall, then?” I suggested. “I love the tapestries in the north wing.”

“An excellent suggestion,” Stephen said, guiding me toward the door. Vanessa glared daggers at me as Stephen and I left the ballroom, and Vallia stared at her shoes.

It was as though I could feel the relationship-heavy questions churning in Stephen’s mind as we walked toward the north wing. Eager to avoid that topic, I hurriedly told him, “My stepmother and I have a bill we’re presenting to your father tomorrow. It’s to grant equal rights to mages.”

He perked up. “I’ve been hoping for that,” he said warmly as he patted my fingers looped into his elbow. “That is something I care deeply about. I’m hopeful that the person I marry shares my same concern for the mage population.”

“I’m sure you’ll do a great service for mages in your time as king,” I said evasively before abruptly changing the topic. “This tapestry is beautiful.” Eager to redirect his attention, I pointed at the nearest tapestry without examining it first .

Stephen raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t describe it as beautiful, exactly.”

I looked at it. The tapestry depicted a battle scene of knights hunting a wild boar. Crimson blood was splattered at the base of a pear tree, a spear jutting out of it while a partridge flapped its wings in the branches above. “I…I just meant…the stitchery is well-done. The realism is admirable. Do you need to get back to the other women? I’m sure they’re all eager to dance with you.”

“I’m sure they are,” he sighed. “Several of them are rather aggressive in dropping hints about wanting a proposal.” Then he blanched. “I didn’t mean to sound unkind about any of them. I apologize. I know you have two stepsisters here as well.”

“Then you will know how much I understand their behavior. Nothing you’ve said surprises me, particularly if you meant Vanessa.”

Tension melted from Stephen’s shoulders. “I should think more before I speak.”

“If you did that, you might end up eternally silent.”

He chuckled quietly. The entrance back into the ballroom was visible at the end of the long corridor. Already, some of the women had poked their heads out, waiting for Stephen’s return. His arm stiffened under my fingers and his footsteps slowed until we were moving at glacial speed.

“I’d like to see you again tomorrow,” Stephen said.

“Assuming I’m allowed to stay.”

“I can tell you right now that you will be asked to stay. I enjoy your company.” Stephen said it in a matter-of-fact tone that wasn’t the least bit romantic, but still, guilt crept in. It felt like I was betraying Jack’s trust by receiving such comments from Stephen.

“And I enjoy your friendship as well, but…I must be ho nest.” I swallowed and braced myself. No inheritance was worth toying with someone’s affections. “You’re wonderful, but I…I’m not in love with you.”

“I know.” Wholly unfazed by my confession, Stephen smiled. “As a matter of fact, I struggle to believe that anyone can fall in love in the short period of time we’ve had together. It is concerning when women profess to love me when they know nothing about me.”

My muscles relaxed. “And how often are you receiving these confessions of love?”

“As of late, several times a day,” Stephen responded heavily.

“I’m sure many men would be elated to have so many declarations of love,” I teased.

Stephen wearily shook his head. “One woman is more than enough for a man to handle. Any man who wishes to entertain multiple women has either never done so or is a cad.”

“A very honorable outlook,” I told Stephen. We began walking at a normal pace again. Once we got back, he would be nabbed by one or more of the girls hovering around the threshold.

“If you see your father tomorrow morning,” I said in a rush, “would you encourage him to sign the bill? I used to teach at a school for young mages, but it was recently shut down. I’d love to see mages be granted equal rights.”

“I’ll do what I can,” Stephen answered with a smile. “We share the same goal. I wish you luck with your meeting and look forward to hearing all about your school tomorrow night.”

He led me back to the ballroom, and the second he kissed my hand in farewell, he was mobbed by three of the remaining ten women, all clamoring for his attention .

I did my best to fade into the background, near Jack and the other advisors. “You were gone a long time,” Jack said in my ear. He had his notes out in front of him and pretended to be scribbling on the papers, but his quill never touched the parchment. He raised his head and addressed another advisor. “Has anyone danced with Noelle tonight besides the prince?”

The other man consulted his notes. “Not yet. Want me to?”

“I can handle it,” Jack said, calmly handing over his notes.

No one paid us any mind as Jack slowly revolved with me until we were in the darkest part of the ballroom, unnoticed and forgotten. Across the dance floor, Stephen had selected another girl to walk with, and the advisors were milling around the nine other ladies, asking them questions or steering them onto the dance floor.

It was infuriating to maintain the distance between me and Jack for the remainder of the evening as we danced then staged a lengthy interview at a far table while he jotted down notes. Most girls hurried back to their rooms after they’d had their turn walking with Stephen, well aware that their time with him was ended for the day. As the last girl left, the orchestra ground to a halt and packed up their instruments while Stephen came to bid me good night and the other advisors trickled away.

Finally, it was just me and Jack left in the ballroom. Every sound echoed in the vast, empty space, but it was peaceful without the commotion of everyone else. For several minutes, we sat in silence, waiting until the last distant footsteps faded. I stayed seated while Jack rose and looked out the door down the hall. As he re-entered, he kicked the doorjambs out so the heavy doors slowly thudded shut, closing us into the dim, empty ballroom together.

“Would you like to dance again?” Jack asked quietly.

“I’d love to.”

He pulled me to my feet and pulled me into his arms even though there was no music. This time, I rested my head against his chest and wrapped both arms around his neck, breathing in his peppermint scent that I loved so much.

“I wish I could kiss you,” he breathed.

“No one is watching,” I whispered back. “They wouldn’t ever know.”

“It’s still illegal,” he reminded me, but his hands flexed on my waist.

My pulse quickened and I leaned back so I could face him instead of resting my head against him. “Technically, it’s only illegal for you to be courting someone. You could probably kiss whomever you want.”

“I’m still the prince’s advisor. I need to set an example.”

“You need to set an example for all the vast crowd here?” I inquired, nodding at the completely vacated room. “What if…what if a woman kissed you?” I could barely breathe as I asked. “If you were just innocently standing there and a wild woman was the aggressor, you wouldn’t be at fault in the slightest.”

His features were lit up as a sly smile elevated the corners of his mouth. “You’re right. I would be entirely blameless.”

My ears rang with a tinny whistle as I dropped my gaze down to study his mouth. A sudden shyness battled against my brazen suggestion.

“You wouldn’t feel attacked?” I asked, trying to build up the courage to close the final gap between us .

“I would welcome it,” he breathed, tilting his head down toward mine. “Please attack me all you want.”

Fueled by the irrational fear that we might be seen, I felt compelled to pull Jack into the shadows, even though no one else was around. “I don’t want you to get in trouble,” I explained, looking for some excuse to procrastinate the kiss that I desperately wanted but suddenly felt shy about. “Just in case someone misinterprets what they see.”

“We can’t have that, can we?”

We were in the most shadowed part of the deserted ballroom, quite alone. There had been so many opportunities to kiss in the past and we had held ourselves back each time. Now that we were on the eve of having the bill signed that would allow our romance, it still felt forbidden and dangerous enough that I couldn’t stop staring around, waiting for someone to jump out and catch us in wrongdoing. “I’m nervous,” I admitted.

“You aren’t the only one.” He visibly swallowed. “I think the other advisors already suspect we may have something going on. You’ll notice that they made themselves scarce and no one offered to take over questioning you.”

“They suspect us?” I squeaked. “What are we supposed to do?”

Jack stroked my face. “There’s nothing much we can do if it’s true. But if I’m going to be punished for a crime, I at least want to have committed it.”

I could barely breathe. “You really have a penchant for breaking rules, don’t you?”

“If there is a cause worth breaking rules for, yes. Look.” He pointed upward.

A sprig of mistletoe hung underneath the pinnacle of the tall, arched window we were standing under. The heavy silence filling the vast room pressed on my ears, making me keenly aware of my beating heart and of how loud each breath sounded.

“You look beautiful.” There was that piercing look in his vividly blue eyes again. They somehow appeared both frosty and as though they could melt even the coldest heart. He pulled gently on my hand, and I obeyed the pressure, allowing Jack to guide me directly under the mistletoe. “May I?”

Suddenly so shy that I found myself unable to form words, I nodded. Jack appeared equally as nervous as he leaned in. He closed his eyes too soon and miscalculated how short I was compared to him, and his lips pressed against the tip of my nose.

“Hey,” I scolded softly. “No nipping at my nose.”

I raised up to my tiptoes, holding on to his shoulders for support, and eagerly waited for him to lean in again. This time, his aim was true. Elation flooded through me as I sank into the kiss, allowing Jack to press his lips against mine.

Heat flared up inside me as I returned the pressure. Jack’s hands clutched at my waist, and a sudden, permeating cold swirled through the air and up my sides. Snowflakes began falling around us and frost crept up my dress from where Jack was touching my waist.

Jack began brushing the frost away, his face darkening to maroon, which only made his hair appear whiter and his eyes bluer. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t know that would happen!”

I caught his hands. “No need to apologize.” I dropped my gaze down to his mouth again. “Does that happen often?”

“I can usually control it better than that,” Jack said, gazing around at the sparkling snow falling from the ceiling .

“You’ll have to give me a demonstration sometime. For the time being, do you need to keep your hands behind your back or something?”

“I don’t think I could do that,” Jack confessed, his hands creeping back up to circle around my waist.

“Good. I really don’t want you to, anyway.”

He kissed me again, and I wished the moment would never end.