Page 15 of The Wayward Duke
The tender encouragement eased some of the tightness in her chest even as vicious whispers swirled around them now.
“My, aren’t they rather… intimate.”
“Barely a step above a fortune hunter.”
“I heard there was some scandal with her father…”
Humiliation flooded Caroline’s veins.
“Eyes on me.” Julian’s quiet command broke through her rising panic. His wintery gaze caught and held hers, an anchor in the fraying chaos. “Just keep looking at me.”
He was so handsome, black hair gleaming under the chandelier light, a perfect mouth made for wicked smiles, though he rarely indulged in such shows of mirth.
But he smiled for her.
And in that moment, she was painfully aware of how much she loved him.
“That’s it. Ignore them all,” he instructed as they swept down the room’s length. “Keep your gaze on mine and move as we’ve always done.” The hand at her waist squeezed gently. “Just us two alone in that meadow.”
She focused on him, allowing his steady presence to drown out the hostility pressing closer around them. The steps were etched into muscle memory until the outside world faded, her feet remembering this private language between them.
“That’s my girl.” His tender praise sank straight to her core as he spun her effortlessly through the next turns.
Around and around they whirled, lost in their own orbit. Until, too soon, the last notes dissolved into silence. They lingered a beat longer, neither willing to let go. But propriety reasserted its icy grip, forcing them apart once more.
Hastings bowed before turning to carve his way through the crowds. And the spell shattered. The vicious whispers and cruel laughter rushed back in like the tide.
“Well, that’s her moment over and done, I should think.”
“She ought to show some gratitude for the opportunity he gave her.”
The weight of their derision an almost physical force. They looked at her as if she were something foul, scraped off a boot heel.
Grace appeared at her side, slipping a supportive hand beneath her elbow. “Wait a few minutes until their attention settles on something else, then get some air.”
Chest heaving with barely contained sobs, she waited until Grace gestured to her, then slipped out the terrace doors into the darkened gardens beyond.
Out on the moonlit grounds, Caroline finally allowed the tears to fall. Furiously, she dashed them away, but more followed in an endless, bitter stream. She was the world’s greatest fool, losing her heart to a man who would never think of her as more than a friend.
“Hiding again?”
Caroline whirled to find Julian emerging from the garden shadows.
“I just needed some air,” Caroline lied, turning so he wouldn’t see the slick tracks on her cheeks.
“This is the third ball where I’ve found you slipping away outside.”
“I know,” she admitted with a watery laugh. “I’m terrible at this.”
Julian sighed. He drew a handkerchief from his pocket and gently dabbed her cheeks. The tender gesture threatened to undo her. “You were radiant.”
She swallowed. “Careful, you might mar your reputation as the stoic Duke of Hastings.”
“That’s because I’m just Julian to you,” he said softly, brushing his thumb over her skin. “Would you like me to get you something to drink?”
“I’ve drowned myself in enough lemonade tonight to float the navy. It didn’t improve the night.”
His expression softened. “Let them look and whisper behind their fans. But don’t ever let them see you cry.”
