Page 36 of The Marquess's Imperfect Brid
Gareth bit his tongue to keep from snapping at her about how his affection could not be won with empty flattery, especially after what she had just said. He simply nodded again, not speaking another word until the dance was over. And once it was, he delivered her back to her mother without so much as a smile. He was tired of keeping up the pretense that he could even tolerate a woman like Lady Cecilia. He had no idea how he would find his way out of his parents’ plans to marry him off to her. But he vowed that he would do anything before he would bind himself to such a vile woman for the rest of his life.
***
Grace lost sight of Lord Hayewood once the dance he had shared with Lady Cecilia came to an end. She had hidden herself behind a block pillar, not wishing to continue drawing the attention of her cruel fellow ball guests. There were some who kept directing their gazes toward her as they whispered. But most of them seemed to forget about her after she made herself harder to notice.
When she did not see the marquess remaining on the floor as people prepared for the last dance set of the evening, sheglanced around the rest of the room. She thought she caught a glimpse of the tail of the dark green jacket he had been wearing. But when she blinked, it was gone, and her heart fell. Had he left the ball after his dance with Lady Cecilia? Had he left with her?
A rustling beside her caused her to start and whip around so quickly that she strained her neck. She winced, but the pain faded instantly when she saw the face smiling down at her.
“Lady Grace, how fortunate that I found you,” Lord Hayewood said, holding out his hand. “The last dance set is about to begin, and I was hoping against hope that you might be willing to share it with me.”
Grace’s heart skipped as he held out his hand. His smile was warm and endearing as always, and his eyes spoke of the urgent sincerity of his request. She shyly put her hand in his, marveling at his true desire to dance with her, and grateful for it all the same.
“Nothing would please me more, my lord,” she said.
The entire time he was leading her onto the floor, the marquess did not take his eyes off her. She might have felt self-conscious, had she not been utterly lost in his eyes. They took their positions as the music began to play, and only then did she realize that it was the waltz which was starting. Her heart stopped as the marquess pulled her close to him, causing her cheeks to burn.
“Are you ready?” he asked, sounding as breathless as she felt.
Grace nodded, swallowing to try to lubricate her dry throat.
“Yes,” she whispered as her heart began to beat again, more wildly than it ever had before.
As they twirled around the floor, everything else around them disappeared. There were no more scandal mongers, no more scars and no more obstacles standing between Lord Hayewood and her. There was nothing at all outside their spaceon the floor. In that moment, they existed alone together, for nothing other than one another.
The marquess’s strong arms guided her through the dance with the gentlest reassurance she had ever experienced. Even Neil’s loving embrace could not compare to the safety and affection she felt in those moments. His eyes never left hers, and she felt as though she was floating somewhere outside of the life she had always known. And she was happier than she had ever known she could be.
She had never felt so complete. In the years following her accident, she had come to believe that she would never belong anywhere ever again. But with the meeting of the marquess, she had begun to feel more confident in who she was, not what she appeared to be from their poorly conceived misconceptions. And in those moments, she knew where she belonged. Her place in the world was in Lord Hayewood’s arms, for as long as he would hold her.
Her heart sank when the dance ended, and she reluctantly followed the marquess off the floor. But as he bowed with sadness in his eyes and bade her a good night, she was filled with a sudden flush of confidence. And that confidence led her to a decision that she had not expected herself to make. She sought out Abigail with a big smile on her face.
“Do you have a moment?” she asked, smiling nervously at the vicar’s wife.
The older woman nodded, excusing herself from her husband’s side to step into the corner with Grace.
“Is everything all right, my dear?” she asked.
Grace nodded, her smile widening as she drew on the strength that still pulsed within her after her dance with the marquess.
“I would like to perform at the musicale,” she said, sounding surer of herself than she had felt in years. “If that opportunity isstill available to me, of course.”
Abigail’s face lit up and she threw her arms around Grace.
“It most certainly is,” she said with immense joy. “This is such a wonderful surprise. I could not be prouder of you for taking such a big step.”
Grace smiled warmly at her when she pulled out of the embrace.
“Thank you for granting it to me,” she said.
Chapter Twenty
As Grace was heading down the stairs the following morning, a maid came rushing up to her. The woman hurriedly curtseyed to her, giving her a timid smile.
“Lady Grace, your father and mother would like to speak with you before breakfast,” she said.
Grace blinked, surprised. She studied the maid’s face, trying to discern the nature of the meeting.
“Of course,” she said, feeling perplexed at the out of the way request. “Is everything all right?”
