Page 160 of A Curse of Hope and Shadows: Part I
“Dimitri is to inherit the dukedom, some day. He can’t be dallying with the servants. He needs to start mixing with the highest of society, not be marred by childish infatuations with the maids. You, I think, know this. You need to convince him of it too.”
But that will crush him. You’re asking me to hurt him—
“Let me be clear, my initial offer is now off the table. If you refuse, you will be dismissed from his place with nary a reference, and I will have Dimitri shipped off to a school somewhere where he will never see you again. I heartily encourage you to take my offer.”
No reference. No reward. Nothing for her family, no fees for Leonie’s school. It would all be for nothing, everything that had happened, nothing to show for it at all but Dimitri’s fixed face and broken heart.
But, like always, she did not have a choice.
“Of course, Your Grace,” she said. “As I need to do nothing but tell the truth.”
Adeline had heard the expression ‘heart feeling like lead’ many times before. She thought she understood it. But now she could think of no better way to explain the heaviness in her chest as she made her way to Dimitri’s room. It was more than lead, more than just her heart. It felt difficult to breathe, to move, to place one foot in front of the other.
Stop me,she begged.Someone, please, stop this from happening!
But she had to do it. For her family. Maybe even for Dimitri, for herself.
You always knew this had to end. Maybe, if it’s over, you can both move on. Maybe it’s for the best.
Dimitri opened the door before she could knock, his beautiful face breaking into a smile.
“Adeline,” he breathed.
His arms were around her in seconds, dragging her into the room. He closed the door behind her and held her up against it, lips on hers in a instant, kissing with bliss and relief that sparked like flint inside her, making her forget what she was here to do, forget everything as his hands went to her cap, freeing her hair from the clumsy knot she’d tied it in on the way to the Duke’s study. It spilled about her shoulders, and she found herself inching towards his hair, fingers sliding round his neck…
How could leavingthisever be for the best?
Dimitri pulled back, holding her by the shoulders and staring at her. She buckled under his gaze, that storm doubled and twice as brilliant.
“You’re all right?” he asked. “Everyone said you were all right, but when they wouldn’t let me see you I thought that maybe they were just trying to spare my feelings. I know I hurt that other chap… they said he’ll be fine… butyou’renot hurt, are you?”
He didn’t remember. He hadn’t heard what she’d said. He didn’t know how the curse had been broken. He didn’t know that she loved him.
“No,” she said quietly, “I’m not hurt.”
“Good. That’s good.”
“You?”
“Fit as a fiddle.” He grinned, flexing his left arm and turning on his heels. “I’d forgotten this was what people were supposed to feel like, that you could have this much energy, move this fast. That everything could be this clear and crisp and perfect…” He reached out to touch her again, but Adeline pulled back, turning sharply towards the window.
“This doesn’t change anything,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re still going to be duke someday.”
“So?”
“There are... there are rules, rules we have to play—”
Dimitri glared. “Since when have we ever cared about those?”
“You cared, in the beginning.”
“Well, I don’t now!”
“You... you speak of things you don’t understand! You’re a child!”
