The Explorer's Daughter: A Regency Romance Mystery by Kate Renae

Author:Kate Renae [Renae, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-10-08T23:00:00+00:00

chapter sixteen

Will

Watching Della dance with Mr. Clarke was truly torturous.

If he’d needed any confirmation of his feelings for Adeline, this was quite enough. It was actually too much of a confirmation for his liking, for every time he caught Mr. Clarke’s gaze looking down at her turning on the dance floor, his skin felt red-hot and he had to remind himself to loosen his jaw.

Della looked as beautiful as ever. She wore one of her own gowns tonight, one he hadn’t seen. It was a white gown with a blue ribbon across her waist, and her hair was curled atop her head. She looked like an angel, descended to test them all with her kindness and ferocity.

After what felt like hours, the dance finally ended, and the tension in Will’s shoulders eased just a bit. Mr. Clarke had already stolen the first two dances. Social propriety demanded he wait at least two dances before he asked for a third. Della left the dance floor, and Will immediately sought her out, placing himself by her side as soon as she reached the edge of the room.

They stood in silence for a few moments. Della’s expression was stony and indecipherable. This made his heart pound faster. Her emotions were usually there for him to see, and without them, he felt blind.

Regardless, he took the leap. “How was it?” he asked.

“How was what, exactly?” she responded coldly.

He looked at her, feeling both confused and baited. “Dancing with Mr. Clarke,” he said, as slowly and evenly as he could manage.

“I don’t think my opinion is likely to change yours, so I don’t see the sense in telling you.” She looked straight ahead, refusing to meet his gaze.

Will’s nerves were already taut and hot with jealousy, and his pride won out over his courtesy. “Ah yes,” he said without restraint. “Nothing is quite so novel as Miss Dawson’s lack of transparency.”

She turned to him, mouth slightly agape. Then she closed it firmly, the fire in her eyes quite frightening. William felt a tinge of regret taint his frustration as he awaited her response; it was sure to be breathtaking.

But suddenly, as if called by the atmosphere of contention, Will caught sight of Mr. Clarke striding toward them. Apparently, propriety was of no matter to him. Della caught his gaze, turning to see him heading their way. Her mouth set in a firm line.

Almost unaware of his actions, he spoke. “May I have the next dance?”

Her mouth parted slightly as she looked at him. Several heartbeats passed between them. Then, to the surprise of both parties, she replied, “You may.”

He offered his arm. The music ended, and the two of them walked onto the dance floor.

Perhaps asking her to dance in the middle of a disagreement had not been the best course of action. Still, as they started the dance and their hands touched in an arc above their heads, it felt perfectly right. His shoulders were still tense from conflict, his heart pounded in his chest, and yet, moving with Della felt as natural as breathing.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.