Emily

Chapter Seventeen

There were already people milling about the ballroom by the time Emily and Allie went downstairs. They were both given their dance cards and began descending the stairs as the announcer called out their names, "Lady Alexandra Whitlock and Lady Emily Carter."

At the mere mention of Allie's name, many heads turned curiously in their direction, watching Alexandra carefully. Since this was technically her coming out ball, all eyes would be on her and she would be the centre of attention. Many of the people in the room hadn't ever even seen her before tonight, which meant that they would watch her even more closely.

Emily drew her own fair share of odd looks, since she was still known to most of the ton as the wild daughter of Lord and Lady Hampstead. The few kinder people simply called her unconventional.

Emily could recognise some people from the last ball at Somerhall, but there were still quite a few faces that were unknown to her. Fortunately, Nate had decided not to invite Lord and Lady Havisham after everything that had happened between all of them the last time she had been called.

She reluctantly followed Allie as she headed towards where Nate and Mary were standing, with Mary giggling at something while Nate didn't look perturbed or uncomfortable. In fact, he actually had the ghost of a smile on his lips as he glanced at Mary, the sort of smile that tugged at Emily's heart.

It hurt to look at them, so she didn't. Instead, she chose to simply stand by the three of them, lost in thought. She barely noticed and Cassie and Kit came down and walked towards them, both slightly dishevelled. She could sense Nate's stare penetrating through the back of her head and boring into her skull as she attempted to ignore. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled at the intensity of his gaze even as she managed a sentence or two with Cassandra.

Finally, after a few minutes of this, all her thoughts stilled for Nate had come towards her and had halted beside her. A shiver ran up her spine as he placed his hand on her back before leaning down to whisper into her ear from the side, "Can I please dance the next dance with you?"

She was about to say no, to say that there was no chance of her ever doing that, that she couldn't possibly dance with him, but she made the mistake of meeting his eyes. There was hope in every last bit of their chocolate depths, along with an indescribable pain and an equally indescribable love, the same sort that she felt for him.

"Yes." She agreed, before she could catch herself. The hope melted into glee and she wondered whether, maybe, she was finally doing something right. The simple thought of dancing a single dance with him was enough to make her feel as if they now had forever laid out before them, theirs to seize. Soon, she knew, she would have to face the aching truth that they didn't have the eternity she so craved. "God, yes."

That little breathless exclamation brought a boyish grin to his face, one that she had missed ever so much and one that she truly loved. When he smiled, his entire face lit up and he looked like an ecstatic child on Christmas morning.

The next song couldn't start quickly enough. As he led her towards the other couples, she could feel Mary glaring at her but, for the first time, it did not matter. All that mattered was them, dancing towards a forever that did not exist.

It was a waltz, and he held her close, his hand as low on her waist as was permissible. She could feel her heart bleed out of her chest simply at his touch and, when they began moving to the tune, she felt like she was floating on air; gentle and happy and warm and magical.

This was entirely unlike her practical self. She knew it in her bones that this was different, that this was special.

"Em—" Nate began, his voice tense and his tone close to breaking, but she interrupted him because she couldn't stand to hear him speak.