Page 108 of A Touch of Charm
She moved with Andre, their movements far from perfect yet full of an ease that only came from love. Her world had been remade—not only because of him but because of herself and the people around her.
The glow of the chandeliers blurred into stars above as they danced, and Thea allowed herself to close her eyes, feeling the rhythm of possibility unfolding beneath her feet. One, two, three. One, two, three. Tonight was theirs, but it was also the beginning of something greater. Beyond the music, the evening, and even the warmth of Andre’s grasp, she could sense that freedom she had once only dreamed of was now a freedom earned and cherished, burning with a soft, reassuring glow in her soul.
Thea opened her eyes and met Andre’s gaze once again, the noise of the ballroom fading into nothing. He smiled down at her, his promise wordless yet unmistakable.
Thea felt truly, wonderfully, free for the first time in what felt like forever.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
“Where are wegoing?” Thea asked.
“We must face our fears, Miss Thea,” Mary said as she put her small hand into Thea’s.
Thea furrowed her brows. This was what she’d told Mary the night the highwaymen took them. And then the prince.
Mary led her through the corridor and into one of the bedrooms of Anna’s house.
“Whose room is this?” Thea asked, surveying the large bed chamber with a door connecting to another. It seemed like a room big enough for the masters of this grand house, but it looked as though it were made up for guests. The covers on the sizeable four-post bed were turned down; a fire crackled in the elegant hearth, with a brass clock and small dancing balls that caught the light from the crystal chandelier over her head.
“This way.” Mary led Thea to the white-framed double glass doors and onto a balcony.
The cool night air should have made breathing easy for Thea, but the sight before her cut her breath off. Andre was in all his evening finery: a small table set for two, a candelabra, chilled wine, and napkins folded as tiny hats on the fine china. Even though it was dark, the polished silver and the candles added a sparkle to the balcony scene, but nothing compared to the mesmerizing smile Andre cast her.
“Good evening, Princess Thea,” he said as he bowed and reached for her hand. She complied, and he placed a tender and lingering kiss on her knuckles that sent a jolt through her body.
And he didn’t let go of her hand.
“What are we doing on the balcony in the middle of the night?” Thea asked, unable to fathom the romantic scene that unfolded before her.
“Don’t worry if a branch out there frightens you; we’ll track it down and prove that it’s nothing more than twigs and leaves,” Mary said with a wink.
Then Andre nodded at her, and she pivoted like when she’d received praise.
Once Mary had left and closed the double-glazed doors, Thea stepped closer to Andre, still holding her hand.
She shivered.
“Are you cold, my love?” he rasped.
Thea shook her head. It wasn’t the crisp night air that made her shiver but the realization that she’d found the place where she belonged—or with whom. As long as she was with Andre, it mattered little where she was.
“I ordered a little dinner for us,” Andre said when he reached around Thea, and she stepped slightly out of his embrace. Not too far, for he felt so wonderfully strong, solid, and warm that she’d gladly remain there forever.
“There’s something you once said you’d missed.”
Thea couldn’t think of what she’d said when her stomach lurched as she held Andre’s gaze. His deep-brown eyes sparkled like their own universes, and the reflections from the room behind her, the lights from the chandelier and the crystal chandeliers sparkling in his eyes, were just too beautiful for her to form coherent thoughts.
Thea sank onto one of the two chairs and looked at the lovingly arranged plate.
“Where did you get this from?”
Andre took the seat across from her.
“Anna’s cook is from Bra?ov.” He reached for the spoon to his right but then waited.
His elevated upbringing truly shone through, especially when his manners were as impeccable as his looks. He wasn’t the doctor in charge of dinner but the gentleman treating her like a princess. And even though Thea had run away from this life, she was glad for the pieces Andre brought back to her. She had a different perspective on her life with him by her side—especially in her heart.
“Thank you for this,” Thea said, loading her spoon with the soft yellow corn and then a generous dollop of cream.
