Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Bella bowed. “As you wish.”
“Have fun, my lady!” Annie beamed despite how exhausted she seemed and clapped her hands together. “How exciting! I wish I could see you both deb—”
“Miss Annie,” Rina said from the doorway. “The Grand Duke is waiting for Her Ladyship. We shouldn’t delay their departure any further.”
“Ah. Yes. You’re right.” She blushed. “My apologies.”
I winked at Annie before turning and joining Sir Hayes in the hall. “Where is he?”
“His Highness is waiting for you at the front door, my lady,” he replied. “We should make haste.”
“Why didn’t you say so? Ugh.” I followed him to the open landing and gathered my skirt so I wouldn’t trip over it as I walked down the staircase.
At the spring ball, I’d enjoyed feeling like a princess in a fancy ballgown. Now, I didn’t even want to be in this sparkly blue dress.
I really needed to shake this terrible mood of mine.
Was it too late to fake a headache? Or a heart attack?
It was the left side for a heart attack, right? I could just grab my arm now, shout out in pain, and—
“Allie.”
I froze, stopping halfway down the staircase. After barely speaking to me all day, he led with my nickname?
I wanted to choke this infuriating man on his own tongue.
Alas, even if I were close enough to do so, it would be no good. As established, I was a weak woman in the face of a handsome man, and this one in particular seemed to be rapidly becoming my biggest weakness.
Kalon in formalwear was a deadly shot to the heart. His outfit wasn’t too dissimilar to the extravagant princely getup he’d been wearing the first time we’d met, but instead of it being black and silver with a green accent, it was black, silver, and blue.
And there was something about the way the blue detailing on the lapels and underside of his cape matched the shade of my dress perfectly that made my heart beat a little faster.
We… were a couple.
I knew that already, of course, but perhaps it hadn’t really sunk in yet. Until now. Where our matching outfits practically screamed that we belonged to one another.
A weird fizzle of possessiveness coiled in the pit of my stomach.
“Are you coming? Or are you going to stand there on the stairs all night?” He raised his arm, holding out one gloved hand towards me. “Well?”
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Crikey, that was the most words he’d said to me all day. “I see you’ve decided to talk to me now.”
“Even I have bad days,” he replied cryptically, taking my hand to guide me down the last few stairs. “The necklace was an excellent choice. It suits you well.”
“That sounds more like a compliment for yourself than it does me.”
“Then how about this?” He raised my hand to his mouth and kissed my fingers. “You’re the most beautiful woman in the world tonight, Allie.”
Suck up.
I dipped my head to hide my blush. “Can we just leave?”
“What, no return compliment? How cruel my fiancée is.”
“You’re such a child,” I scolded him, meeting his amused gaze. “Are you going to behave this way all night? You’ll ruin your reputation.”
“As I’ve told you before, I hardly care for such things.” He led me out to the carriage where Sir Hayes was already holding the door open. “But if behaving like this tonight means there’ll be rumours that’ll replace ones where I desire to cut off your toes, then I will gladly play along.”
“That doesn’t sound like someone who doesn’t care about rumours.”
“I don’t care what people think about me. I do care what they say about you.”
“Really? What will you do if the people who fear you suddenly begin thinking of you as a man wrapped around my finger?”
“Then I will enjoy publicly bending to your every whim to prove them right.”
I stared across the carriage at him. “Please don’t do that. That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” His lips pulled to one side. “I was planning on behaving so in front of your family tonight. How long do you think it would take for the marchioness to lose her cool?”
“That’ll happen the second she lays eyes on me. I have that effect on her.” I brushed my hair from my face. “Besides, if the cold, cruel Grand Duke Kalon of Stein suddenly starts acting like a teddy bear, people may think I’ve resorted to black magic to get you under my thumb.”
“And I will cut out the tongues of those who speak ill of you.”
“You’ll make a mess in the ballroom.”
“I’ll take them outside first, then.”
I stared at him. “Do you even have a weapon on you right now?”
He patted the sword at his hip.
“Isn’t that a ceremonial sword?”
“Why would I have a weapon I can’t use?” He shrugged. “Besides, it’s not all I have on me.”