In her room,
Alannah changed into her nightgown, brushed her hair, and thought of Jeremy.
Her heart sank as she remembered what he’d told his grandfather. He’ll probably reject me, figuring I’m
marrying him for his money, when he finds out I’m Alannah Barry, his
pre-arranged wife. For the first time, she gave serious thought to her
future marriage, and for the first time, she realized it might not happen as
her loving parents had planned.
Before she felt
ready, it was time for her first formal social occasion. The bumpy trip in a
carriage to their London home did
nothing to calm her nerves. The servants had left several ornate invitations
sitting on the hall table just inside the front doors. Her mother scooped them
up on her way into the house. She pulled Alannah into the parlor with her as
the domestics carried in luggage. They sank down onto the couch and breathed a
sigh of relief. Her mother’s voice pulled her from the comfortable drowsy state
she’d slipped into.
“Alannah, dear, in
less than a week Lord and Lady Adams are hosting a weekend retreat at their mansion.
It will begin with a ball. You’ll be introduced that night. We must prepare
your clothing.” Her mother pushed herself up and walked back into the hall,
murmuring about appointments with the tailor, the cobbler, and the hairdresser.
“And then Jeremy
will know who I am,” she whispered to herself. Her stomach clenched at the
thought, but she was determined to make a good impression and honor her parents
anyway.
She stood as
still as a china doll while her mother appraised her critically. They’d spent
all week preparing for this night. Finally, her mother nodded, and turned away.
Alannah frowned and rolled her eyes. A doll
would be far more comfortable than I am right now. Her hair was beautifully
arranged, and her dress fit well. Its color matched her eyes perfectly. Her
training in walking and standing gracefully had paid off; she appeared to be
moving easily in her dress, even though it threatened to squeeze the breath out
of her like a python.
When they arrived
at the Adam’s estate, her stomach was tied in knots. Somehow, she managed to
follow her parents inside, although she couldn’t seem to feel her legs or feet
anymore. Suddenly, she was standing at the front of the ballroom, and all eyes
turned to look at her as her name was announced. She quickly searched the sea
of faces, trying to find the dark brown eyes and black hair she’d been seeing
in her dreams. She smiled and curtsied as she’d been taught, lowering her eyes for
an instant as she completed her curtsy. Straightening, she raised them once
again to search the room.
Just as she was
about to walk away from her position in the center of attention, she recognized
Jeremy standing by the French doors that opened onto the lawns. Time seemed to
stop and he held her gaze, while a mixture of surprise and contemplation danced
in his eyes. After an almost imperceptible nod from him, time caught up with
her. She moved out of the limelight to join her parents.
After a few introductions,
the dancing began. Alannah was surprised to find that so many young men wanted
to dance with her. The evening wore on, and the ball was nearly over, but she
hadn’t spoken to or danced with Jeremy yet. Sir Isaac Benson had danced with
her three times by rudely pushing other young men out of the way. His black
hair and icy blue eyes would have been quite striking if he didn't have such cruelty
behind those eyes. He was rough with her when they danced, and scowled at her
other partners when she wasn’t with him.
Jeremy danced
throughout the evening with many willing partners and appeared to be enjoying
himself. A lump formed in her throat and she forced herself not to show her
disappointment. I suppose I can't blame
him for avoiding me. I made a bad impression when he caught me spying on him.
When Alannah noticed Jeremy speaking with
her parents, she excused herself to go join them. I must speak with Jeremy and find out how he feels about me, now that
he knows who I am. He smiled when he saw her walking over. She greeted her
parents and allowed them to introduce her to Sir Jeremy Moore. Then they artfully
disappeared, leaving Jeremy and Alannah alone.
"Would you
do me the honor of a dance, Alannah Barry?"
"It would be
my pleasure, Sir Jeremy Moore."
He escorted her onto
the dance floor. "So you are the woman my parents chose for me before they
died."
"And you are
the man my parents chose for me."
"I think I
know why you were at my house a few weeks ago."
"Do
you?"
Her voice was
quiet as she searched his eyes for some kind of hint about what he was
thinking. She could not read him, and for all she knew he was mocking her. They
danced together in silence for the rest of the song, but it was not awkward. Alannah
found it almost effortless to stay in synch with him—she seemed to sense him
taking each step before he actually did. Thoughts swirled around in her head,
like blackbirds circling a large pine tree. I
still don't know what he thinks about me, but I feel strange when I'm with
him—like there's a heat wave rippling around us. I don't know what it means. Am
I crazy or does he feel it too?
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