They Mocked Her When Her Groom Arrived In A Farmer's Cart — He Was The Duke In Disguise
Chapter 15
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"Dance with me," he said, holding out his hand."I do not know the steps to a piece this fine," she admitted."Then follow me," he said, "and trust that I will not let you fall."She took his hand. He drew her close—closer than any ballroom in London would have permitted—one hand warm against the small of her back, guiding her through slow, unhurried turns beneath the candlelight. She felt the heat of him through the thin muslin of her gown, felt his breath stir the loose curls at her temple, felt her own pulse quicken with a hunger she had never before allowed herself to acknowledge, let alone want.The music slowed; their steps slowed with it until they were barely moving at all, simply standing close, breath mingling in the small space between their faces, his gaze dropping briefly to her mouth before lifting again to her eyes, dark with something restrained and aching.Matilda felt the warmth of his hand pressed against her back, felt her own pulse quicken to match the low, unsteady rhythm of his breathing, and understood, with a clarity that frightened her slightly, that she wanted nothing more in that moment than to close the small remaining distance between them and let whatever waited there simply happen."Matilda," he said, low and rough, her name sounding entirely different in his voice than it ever had in any other.She thought, quite certainly, that he meant to kiss her. She thought, with a rush of longing that startled her with its own intensity, that she wanted him to.A log shifted and cracked in the hearth, loud in the charged silence, and the moment broke as suddenly as it had built. Callum stepped back, his jaw tight, his hand releasing hers with visible reluctance."Forgive me," he said, though his voice suggested he was not entirely certain what he was asking forgiveness for. "It grows late."Matilda lay awake long after, her skin still warm where his hand had rested against her back, and understood, with a certainty that frightened her a little, that she was falling in love with a man whose true self remained locked behind a door she had not yet found the key to.Lady Vivian arrived at the cottage unannounced on a gray Thursday afternoon, while Matilda walked the lower fields distributing bread to the tenant families, as had already become her habit.Callum received his mother-in-law in the small front room with perfect, unhurried courtesy, though something watchful settled behind his eyes the moment she began to speak."I will be direct, Mr. Robinson," Vivian said, seating herself without invitation. "This marriage has served its purpose. The settlement has cleared the family's debts. Debts. There is no further need to maintain the pretense of affection for my stepdaughter's benefit."