GENEVIEVE
Our hands clasped, Avery and I made our way to the end of the rows of dancers. I was loath to let go of his hand, but it was required to dance a chaconne properly.
Squeezing his hand comfortingly, I released him to join the ranks of the other people who would not be leading during this particular dance. Avery joined the other line directly across from me with a bow.
I curtsied to him, as was proper, and he grinned.
I am fairly certain I’m in love with those dimples, I thought, then amended my statement. I am fairly certain I am falling in love with him entirely.
The music picked up and I began to follow the dance pattern I had learned as a page. The chaconne was a simple dance made up of three basic steps, though there were more fanciful ones if you were a more skilled dancer than I.
Both groups of dancers moved in synch to the beat of the music, nearly double the speed of my heartbeat. Avery smiled softy at me as we circled each other, and I felt its warmth even when I couldn’t see it. The gown swished and clanked around me as I moved, catching the eyes of the other dancers.
We wove around our neighbors in rows and squares, not sparing a second’s attention for anyone but each other. I could tell that he was adapting to my simpler dance pattern from the small twirls and flourishes that he added to his own part.
It was more difficult than I’d expected to keep my arms in the raised position they needed to be in for this particular dance, thanks to the pauldrons that covered my shoulders. I was just grateful he hadn’t asked me to join him for a minuet or an allemande, both of which required a lot more leaping than I was comfortable with in my current attire. However, I was definitely enjoying the view whenever Avery turned and leaped. His steps were elegant and graceful, with beautifully toned calves showing under his tailored pants.
My arms were starting to get stiff, making it a relief when the dance called for me and Avery to link arms. I loved every glimpse that I could get, and had to stop myself on more than one occasion from wondering what I might see under the fine clothes he wore. Every touch made me feel like he was lighting a candle inside my body, and I loved it.
Between the heat of the fire and the small jumps that were part of the dance’s basic steps, I could see sweat beginning to bead on Avery’s forehead and neck, but still he smiled. I could even see the outline of the binder he wore when he turned. That extra layer had to be roasting him.
I was sure that anyone behind me could see the sweat on the back of my neck, but for once, it didn’t bother me. Not with Avery staring at me like I lit up the world. I wasn’t sure that I had ever found him more attractive than I did at that moment. I felt as light as air as he led me around the dance floor. If there were a way to bottle this feeling, I would have been a rich woman.
“I wish you didn’t have to go back to work,” he whispered when he whirled me in a circle. “I know it’s really important for you, but I don’t want to stop dancing with you.”
My heart ached in the best way possible.
“The feeling is mutual, my darling.”
The pet name slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. The other couples, who had not been talking, were now staring at the two of us.
“I plan to fill your dance card at the next ball,” he informed me. The twinkle in his eye left me a little breathless.
“I would be delighted to have you fill my dance card,” I laughed. “The nobles will talk, though.”
“I couldn’t give less of a damn about what the other nobles have to say. I don’t want this dance to end.”
The band moved into the chaconne’s coda, signaling that it was time for us to separate and go back into the rows we had begun in.
This time, Avery was the first to pull his arm away. I felt my face fall just a little bit, but I planted the smile back on my face. I gazed across the aisle at the Duke with the goofy grin on his face and knew I had it bad.
AVERY
As the music wound down around me, I found myself struggling to breathe and cursing myself for wearing my binder under my dress coat. I’d wanted to save my energy for the dancing and socializing, rather than spending it all before the evening even started. The spell that allowed my chest to look the way I wanted it to without external forces was an intense one that took a lot of strength.
However, I knew I couldn’t blame the binder for all of my breathlessness. I was fairly certain there was no spell in the world that could make me feel as starry eyed as I did right now, staring at Genevieve.
“I should go back to my work,” Genevieve whispered.
I simply squeezed her hand and let her go, instantly regretting the loss of contact. She sauntered away from me, and I wasn’t sure if the sway in her hips was intentional or not, but it did not go unappreciated.
“Avery, darling! Come here!”
My mother’s voice rang out across the ballroom, and I waved. A waiter passed by with a tray of champagne flutes, offering them to the groups of dancers. Grabbing a glass, I made my way to where my parents sat near the ballroom’s large stained glass window. I wasn’t sure it was actually safe to have this many people packed into the room, but when had Bayard let that get in the way of a good party?
The sun had long since gone down, but as I got closer, I could see the lights from the lanterns that spread out throughout the manicured hedge garden through the colorful, many-paned window.
Father wore a traditional black suit with simple gold ribbing that suited him. If I could see his lapel, I knew I would see the bit of gold embroidery in the Wolvington crest that would match my own. It was well fitted and attractive without being ostentatious, just the way he liked it, with his black hair pulled back from his face with a simple golden circlet that marked his status as the King Father.
Beside him, Mother wore a teal gown with a corset that emphasized her thin waist and broad shoulders before billowing into a wide skirt. She looked beautiful. A long, thin gold chain held a delicately carved Wolvington family crest just above the neckline of her bodice, making it clear to everyone who she was. Her hair was braided into an intricate updo that almost looked like a crown. Father’s hand rested gently on one of her shoulders, like always. They were almost always touching when they were together.
It was the perfect party outfit for the serious old man and his fun-loving wife. The glint in their eyes, however, were anything but serious.
Mother peered at me over the half lens of her glasses, one eyebrow cocked and a crooked smile on her face. I knew that look - that meant trouble.
“You were dancing awfully close with that girl, my boy. You are going to cause the whole court to talk about what is going on with you. I presume that was our Ser Genevieve?”
“Yes, Mother,” I laughed and tugged at my collar. “May I sit with you? I’m a little overwhelmed after the dancing.”
“Let the boy sit, Celeste,” Father admonished her with a smile. “You can get all your dirty details while he’s comfortable.”
She nodded at me, patting the plush chair beside her at the table. I sat with relief, untying the bottom row of the binder so that I could breathe more easily.
“We weren’t dancing that closely, were we?”
Mother’s almost black eyes glittered with amusement.
“No, not too closely. But I know you. You are always making sure to be at the height of decorum when it comes to your feminine friends, to avoid gossip.”
She leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands.
“You were not worried about decorum when you were dancing with her. You weren’t worrying about a thing. There’s romance on your mind, my boy. I can see it.”
Heat spread to the tips of my ears. She was speaking so loudly! I was sure that the entire ballroom had heard her.
I hadn’t been this embarrassed since I’d drunk too much and vomited all over Queen Ines’s brand new dancing slippers. And I hadn’t even done anything but dance with a beautiful girl this time!<
br />
“Mama, don’t talk so loud,” I muttered. “Look, Julian’s coming over! You can bother him about how much he’s enjoying his first ball!”
She wagged a finger at me.
“This isn’t over, Avery. You forget, we’re all going home to the same place tonight and spending the rest of the season together as a family.”
“Of course, Mama. I’ll tell you all about it when we’re home, in private.”
She nodded and turned to my nephew with open arms. I knew she wouldn’t forget.
CORMAC
The evening had flown by. While there had been a lot of work to do to get the shop back into its usual tidy state after the frenzy of the last few months, the five of us had made easy work of it together. I surveyed the store with tired but proud eyes.
“You go ahead and head home,” Poppy told the three apprentices. They didn’t hesitate to grab their things and go, chattering about their plans for the rest of the evening.
I had no idea what time it was. The streets around the shop had cleared hours before when the sun went down. Meeting Poppy’s eyes from across the shop, I realized that I didn’t care. As long as I was with Poppy, I didn’t care. The past weeks had been like living in a dream. We had been spending nearly every night together, either in their apartment or mine.
“Would you like me to stay tonight?” I asked, crossing the room in a few long strides and wrapping their small form in my arms. I could feel their heart fluttering where our skin touched. I didn’t want to let them go.
“I would like you to stay forever,” they murmured.
I was stunned, sure that I hadn’t heard them right, but their expression didn’t change from the hopeful smile. I took a step back and ran a hand through my hair.
“I’m sorry, can you say that again?”
They were suddenly shy, fiddling with the drawstring on the trousers they had changed into to clean the shop. I stuffed my hands into my pockets to avoid doing the same thing while I waited for them to speak again.
“I said… I want you to stay forever. What would you say if I asked you to move in with me?”
I stared down at them for a moment, taking in the hope that was written all over their face. Their warm eyes were wide under raised brows and they were leaning toward me ever so slightly. Something fluttered in my chest and I knew my answer without thinking for even a moment longer.
“Of course I’ll move in with you…” I looked around the shop thoughtfully, chewing my lip as I smiled back down at them.
“Is there a but?” their voice trembled. “I’m sensing more to that sentence.”
“I think we’re gonna need someplace a little larger. I don’t really want to live somewhere I have to duck under the doorways. But I want to live with you for as long as you’ll have me.”
Poppy laughed, wrapping their arms around me and snuggling their head into my chest.
“I think we can manage that. We’ll start looking for someplace new tomorrow. But for tonight, let’s go to bed.”
It was like they had read my mind. Taking me by the hand, they led me up the stairs.
GENEVIEVE
The music had wound down, and the guests had long since returned to their respective rooms, or that of a chosen partner, the prince among them. The guard had fulfilled their duty, and I was glad to have rid myself of my sword and pauldrons. After tucking them away in the barracks, I had pulled out a lantern and a knit shawl that Papa had gotten me the prior midwinter, and marched out to the gardens.
It was frigid outside, but there was nothing better than the feeling of the breeze against my skin after the stifling heat and rest of people in the ballroom. To be able to sit instead of stand was also a blessing. The glow of the lantern and the mazelike shrubs around me made me feel like I was the only one in the world, even though I knew that was ridiculous. Closing my eyes, I let myself get lost in the sound and feeling of the wind.
A rustle that had nothing to do with the wind pulled me out of my reverie. My eyes snapped open and without hesitation, I reached for the dagger I always kept in my left boot.
“Who’s there?” I called, grateful that my voice didn’t waver. I rose from my seat when I didn’t get a reply, preparing for a fight if needed, only to see the outline of a familiar and welcome form come around the corner of the hedge maze.
“Avery! What are you doing here?
Thinking fast, I tried to hide the dagger behind my back, but his wide eyes tracked the way that the light glinted of the blade.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, holding his hands up in a surrender motion. “Were you going to stab me, Genevieve?”
“Only if I needed to,” I muttered. “What are you doing out here? Nobody usually makes it this far into the maze.”
“I went by the barracks to see if you might want some company that didn’t require you to be on watch, and Ser Allondra told me I might find you out here.”
Of course she had, I thought, torn between the urge to scowl at my mentor’s insistent interference and the excitement that Avery had once again sought out my company. The grin won out.
“I’m impressed you actually found me. It took Alys years to figure out how to find this spot.”
He grinned back at me.
“We both know Alys isn’t any good at puzzles. I’m surprised she took the time to figure out how to get back here, rather than just blasting her way through the hedges.”
I snorted at the idea, and imagining the Queen’s face if Alys had done such a thing.
“I think Queen Ines might have had her head for it if she tried. She adores these gardens more than most of her own family.”
“To be fair, I’ve met most of the queen’s family, and they’re patently terrible,” Avery pointed out.
We both burst into giggles, laughing until our stomachs hurt.
“I wasn’t going to be the first one to say it.”
I sat on the bench, finally stowing the blade back in my boot sheath. Avery moved to join me, but hesitated.
“Mind if I join you?”
I smiled up at him, loving the way the lantern light flickered across his handsome face in the dark. I patted the space on the stone bench next to me. When he didn’t move, I realized that he couldn’t see the motion in the poorly lit garden.
“Of course, Avery. It would be my pleasure.”
My voice was soft, as was the way the light glanced off his smile. His tailcoat swished as he adjusted it to sit beside me. He spread his legs as he made himself comfortable, and didn’t pull away when his knee pressed gently against my thigh, though I thought I heard his breath catch in his throat.
I was fairly certain that I’d never been this infatuated with anyone in my life. After the evening we had spent together and the way he was behaving now, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe he felt the same way.
“You know, you never answered my question.”
“I didn’t? What did you ask me?”
“I asked why you made your way out here in the dark to come talk to me.”
“I just wanted to spend time with you?” The nervous tremor in his voice made the statement a question. “I wanted to hear how your time being a part of the illustrious honor guard was.”
“You’d know just about as well as I do,” I laughed, rolling my eyes at him affectionately. “You were watching me just about the whole time, much to Lady Ariana’s displeasure.”
The smirk on his face was evident in his voice when he replied. “I see I wasn’t the only one paying attention to someone else tonight.”
I felt the of a blush creep across my cheeks, silently cursing myself for admitting I’d been watching him all evening instead of his nephew.
“Really, though. I wanted to talk to you and spend some time together, since you were on duty tonight. I know being on the honor guard is a huge honor, despite how boring it actually is.”
A small giggle burst from my chest, though I wished I could swallow it.
<
br /> Avery looked at me with concern, but I flapped a hand at him.
“Sorry, that’s just… That’s really sweet. I actually enjoyed being on the honor guard, even if my dress did scandalize half the noblemen at court.
“It’s far too easy to scandalize them. My mother liked your dress, by the way. She intends to quiz me all about you and our relationship once I get home.”
“Oh? And what will you tell her?”
I answered coyly, as if I didn’t care what his answer was. In reality, my insides were roiling at the thought of what he might tell his mother about me and what that meant for our relationship.
Our thighs were still touching on the bench when I felt his body shift so that he was facing me straight on.
His lips were slightly parted as he looked into my eyes. My heart began to race. His hand brushed mine sending shivers up my spine.
“I know that your sister originally reached out to me because your mother was badgering you about getting into a relationship, and that you had always had a crush on me,” he started slowly, gaining confidence as he spoke. “I wondered… if perhaps those feelings were still there for you now that you actually know me? Because I’ve come to care quite deeply about you in these last weeks, and I think-”
“Avery.”
I cut him off, squeezing his thigh. He nearly leaped from the bench, his face suddenly stricken. The words tumbled from his lips.
“Oh, god. I’m so sorry. I got the wrong impression and if I was too forward-”
I grabbed both of his soft hands and pulled myself up so that I was standing. I could see that his chin trembled slightly, a total change from the hope that had shone in it just moments before.
“That wasn’t what I was trying to say at all!” I burst out, cutting him off again. “I was just trying to tell you we weren’t alone and that we need to find somewhere else to talk if we want privacy, which I do.”
“What?” His face puckered in confusion.
“There are two people in the hedges behind us rather passionately enjoying the dark solitude of the garden together. Can’t you hear them?”
A Knight to Remember Page 13