Willette excused herself from the group of women to rejoin Rafael. He had been staring at her with an odd expression. It was neither a frown nor a smile, but a somewhat thoughtful expression, with mischievousness shimmering in his eyes.
As at Turnbill, her performance had been flawless, thanks to him. She hadn’t needed to close her eyes and pretend she was singing just for him, because that was exactly what she’d done. Sung for him. Nora was her friend, but Rafael was the love of her life, even if she could indulge that thought only for tonight.
As she approached him, her heart quickened as their gazes locked, and the bustle of the room faded away, leaving her with eyes and ears only for him.
‘Would you care to step out on the terrace with me?’ he asked.
‘I’d like that very much,’ she replied.
Hand in hand, they crossed the room and slipped quietly through the open glass-paned doors. The cool night air was a gentle contrast to the warmth and chatter inside. Moonlight spilled across the terrace, casting silver patterns on the stone floor, and for a moment, neither spoke, content just to share the tranquil beauty of the evening together.
‘Would you care to know what I was thinking the day we met on the street?’ he asked.
She nodded, wanting this moment to last for as long as possible.
‘I had just seen a sign for help in the bakery window and had considered making one of my own.’
‘What sort of sign?’
‘One that said, “In Need of a Noble Bride.”’
She pressed a hand to the commotion that erupted in her stomach.
‘It’s no secret that I’d been looking for a bride this season, and I’d found her, but because I didn’t like being told what to do, I couldn’t admit it. Nor could I see all the possibilities. Tonight, I see both her and the possibilities.’
The look in his eyes ignited far more than a flicker of hope inside her and she tried to tamp it down as one would dampen the flames of a wood stove, but it had no handle she could turn.
She had the truth, though. That this was impossible. ‘Rafael—’
He held up a hand. ‘I’m not done. I know you need time to consider it, but if I had a ring right now, I’d be down on one knee, asking you to marry me.’
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