Page 62 of Cinderella and the Outback Billionaire

‘Of course I waltz, Ree...’

Everyone waited for the end of Reid’s name to drop. It didn’t.

‘May I call you Ree?’ his half-sister asked in dulcet tones. ‘I’m doing my very best to fit in and failing miserably, I can tell.’

Ari’s estimation of the haughty lady rose exponentially. ‘Have you seen the sunset yet?’ she asked.

‘Vulgar,’ Lady Victoria proclaimed. ‘And yet somehow captivating.’

Bridie lured a hovering waiter forward and rescued three champagnes from a sparkling silver tray. One for Ari, one for Lady Vic. The other one she drained.

‘Lady Victoria. Sister,’ said Reid at his warmest. ‘Have you ever tried to teach a woman to dance in the middle of a crowded ballroom?’

‘No.’

‘Would you like to?’

‘No. I far prefer to make a fool of myself and other people in private.’

Which was how, at the end of a beyond perfect evening, Ari found herself in clearing ringed by ancient stones, beneath a giant redgum tree, barefoot in the dust in a Valentino dress, and with a couple of strings of fairy lights and a waxing moon to guide her way. Five people. Two brothers, a newfound sister, and the women those brothers had chosen to love.

And no one else to witness them making a spectacle of themselves.

They’d been learning how to waltz beneath Victoria’s steely gaze. Swapping partners. Learning how to touch and to move together in acceptable ways. Someone to lead and not always the male partner. Someone to follow. Give and take and perfect moments of togetherness to be found in there somewhere.

‘Waltzing is respect wrapped in gossamer,’ Victoria declared. ‘It’s intimacy tempered by society. Waltzing properly with someone you love is perfection.’

Ari and Reid found their perfection as they shuffled closer and simply held each other close. ‘Is she real?’ asked Ari.

‘I think so, but I’m exhausted,’ murmured Reid. ‘If I don’t lie down soon I’ll fall down and I’ve done quite enough of that lately.’

Ari had an idea but she didn’t know if it would fly. Not in these clothes, but the stars were right there, millions of them in an inky sky. ‘Do you trust me?’

‘For ever and beyond.’

She was doing this. Stepping out of Reid’s arms, she raised her hands in a bid for attention and took control. ‘All right, people. Line up. Lady Victoria in the middle, Reid and Judah on either side, Bridie, you’re next to Judah on that end, and I’m here next to Ree. Now hold hands.’

‘Is this a dance?’ asked Lady Victoria suspiciously.

‘Kind of. It’s a soul dance. It’s how Reid and I first met, and it’s an ice breaker. Hold hands, please, and lie down.’

‘You mean in the dirt?’ Lady Victoria wanted clarification.

‘Yep. Right here. Right now.’

‘But our gowns will be ruined.’

‘But you’ll see the stars like you’ve never seen them before and feel the weight of your body pressing into the earth and you’ll get to say hello to this place in a way you’ll never forget.’ She took Reid’s hand. ‘They’re just clothes. Beautiful clothes, granted, but they’ve done their job this evening, haven’t they? They’re just clothes now.’

Ari couldn’t make anyone comply with her wishes. The men weren’t moving. Everyone was waiting on Lady V.

And then, with a dancer’s grace, Lady Victoria sat down and everyone else followed. Bridie laughed. Judah snickered. Reid cursed, and then they were all on their backs in the dirt and it was visceral and magical for those who knew how to lie back and close their eyes and feel.

Ari felt Reid’s hand tighten around hers. Silence had never been more serene.

‘Welcome to the family, Victoria,’ Judah said gruffly. ‘We might not be what you’re used to but there’s love for you here if you want it and beauty and truth and openness beyond imagining.’

Victoria was silent and time seemed to stop as everyone waited for her reply. Would she want what they were offering?

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