Page 67 of Duke of Myste
And it was, he realized with stunning clarity. This moment, this woman in his arms, the way she fit against him as though she had been created specifically for his embrace—it was all exactly as it should be. More than that, it felt inevitable, as though every choice he had ever made had led him inexorably toward this dance floor, this music, this perfect alignment of hearts and souls.
“Richard?” Jane’s voice carried concern at his continued silence. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Not a ghost,” he said softly, his thumb drawing small circles on her waist as they moved through the waltz. “A revelation.”
“What sort of revelation?”
Richard was quiet for another moment, trying to find words for something that felt too vast and profound for the primitive sounds man used for communication.
“Do you believe,” he asked finally, “that some people are meant for one another? That, beyond chance or choice or practical consideration, certain souls are simply… created to complete one another?”
Jane’s breath caught audibly, her eyes widening as she absorbed the weight of his question. “I… yes,” she whispered. “I do believe that.”
“So do I,” Richard said, his gaze never leaving her face. “I feel as though I’ve been walking through life with only half my heart,” he murmured, his voice dark. “And you’ve somehow restored the missing piece I never knew was gone.”
The words hung between them, profound and transformative, as they continued to move through the waltz.
The music swirled around them, but Richard heard only the whispered cadence of Jane’s breathing, felt only the warmth of her body as they moved together with an intimacy that transcended mere physical proximity.
Other couples danced nearby, but they might as well have been phantoms—shadows in a world that had contracted toencompass only the circle of their arms and the one other person who had managed to become essential to the other’s very existence, more vital than air or water or the steady rhythm of a heartbeat.
Around them, the spectacular entertainments of Vauxhall Gardens continued—acrobats soared through the air, jugglers kept impossible numbers of objects aloft, and musicians played melodies that seemed to capture starlight and transform it into sound. But Richard was aware of none of it, his entire universe narrowed to the circle of his arms and the woman who had somehow become essential to his very existence.
“I felt it too,” Jane admitted, her voice barely audible above the music. “From the very beginning, there was something… familiar about you. As though I had been waiting my entire life without knowing what I was waiting for.”
“And you do now?”
“I was waiting for you,” she said simply, rising on her tiptoes and brushing her lips over his ear.
The simple statement hit Richard with the force of absolute truth. This was not merely love, though love was certainly a part of it. This was recognition—bone-deep certainty that he had found his match, his other half, the person who made him not just happy but complete.
“I love you,” he confessed, the words carrying new weight and meaning in light of his revelation. “With the entirety of my heart and soul.”
“I love you the same way,” Jane replied, her eyes bright with unshed tears of joy. “Completely, eternally. Loving you is as natural and necessary as breathing.”
The music swelled around them, and Richard spun her through one final turn as the waltz reached its crescendo. When it ended, they remained standing close together, neither willing to break the spell that had settled over them.
“We should return to Harriet and Diana,” Jane said eventually, though she made no move to step away from him.
“We should,” Richard agreed, equally reluctant to end the moment.
But as they made their way back toward their party, Richard felt fundamentally changed by what had passed between them on the dance floor.
The knowledge that Jane was his destined partner transformed everything about their relationship. The careful negotiations and gradual understanding that had characterized their courtship suddenly seemed like elaborate preparations for this moment of recognition.
“You both look remarkably pleased with yourselves,” Harriet observed with a knowing smile. “It’s quite disgusting, really.”
“The waltz was particularly enjoyable,” Jane replied with admirable composure, though the flush in her cheeks and the brightness in her eyes betrayed the depth of what had happened.
“I can see that,” Harriet teased. “Though I fear you may have provided quite the spectacle for the other guests. That level of… intensity is rarely witnessed on public dance floors.”
Richard realized he did not care in the slightest what spectacle they might have provided. Let the entire world bear witness to his devotion to his wife—to hissoulmate. He was no longer capable of pretending that Jane was merely a convenient duchess or a suitable partner. The truth of what she was, was written all over his face.
“Shall we explore more of the gardens?” Diana suggested, apparently oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around their group. “I understand there is to be a hot air balloon demonstration shortly.”
“An excellent idea!” Jane exclaimed, looping her arm through Richard’s with possessive grace that sent warmth through him. “I should very much like to see everything Vauxhall has to offer.”
As they moved through the gardens, marveling at fire-breathers and rope dancers and musicians who coaxed impossible melodies from instruments he could not even begin to name,Richard found himself cataloging Jane’s reactions with the dedication of a scholar documenting rare phenomena.
