Seduced At Sunset by Julianne MacLean Page A

same young man she had known since
girlhood. His eyes, his smile, the sound of his voice... They would always be
the same.
    “Charlotte tells me you have a lady in your life now,” she
said, for she and William knew each other well enough to be honest and open,
and it would not do her any good to pretend she was not aware of it.
    “Yes,” he replied, as he moved to sit upon the balustrade.
“I have been courting someone.”
    “I am so happy for you,” she said. “I hope she is
everything you deserve, and you deserve the very best, William. Will I get to
meet her one day?”
    He gave no reply, and instead turned to look out over the
dark lawn. “It was such a pleasure to see you in the park earlier in the week,”
he said. “I’m sorry I did not return the following day when you said you would
be there.”
    She waved a dismissive hand through the air. “Please, do
not worry yourself. I know how busy you are.”
    He met her gaze again, and she was unnerved by the
fluttery response of her heart.
    But how could she not be amazed by him, by his friendship
especially, when it had survived so many challenges? He had been a loyal,
devoted presence in her life—so helpful, and most importantly, so
forgiving. She was not sure she could have behaved as he did if the roles had
been reversed and he had married another.
    “It wasn’t that,” he said. “I was not so busy, but I
wasn’t sure it would be wise, for I had a previous engagement that
evening—to escort my lady friend to the opera. I feared my head would be
spinning in circles.”
    “How so?” Adelaide asked, though she already knew the
answer. He did not wish to stir up painful memories of the past.
    After all I put him through, I cannot
blame him.
    She sighed heavily and pulled his coat tighter about her
shoulders.
    “Charlotte is playing matchmaker, you know,” she said with
a light tone that overturned any proper social distance between them.
    He chuckled. “Yes, I know. She came to my office last week
and tried to casually suggest that we meet at the theater. And at the park the
next day.”
    “Oh, my dear girl. She never told me that. What did you
say to her?”
    “I told her that she should mind her own business.”
    Adelaide smiled. “Well done, William. And yet you came to
the park regardless. You are just encouraging her, you know.”
    He nodded in agreement, and she was intensely aware of his
hands curling and flexing around the edge of the balustrade rail he sat upon.
    “Why did you come to the park?”
she daringly asked.
    He rose to his full height and turned to look out at the
darkness beyond the lawn. “Because I wanted to see you,” he said. “You know how
deeply I care for you, Adelaide. I needed to see your face and assure myself
that you were well.”
    “I appreciate your concern,” she said, “but my happiness
is not your responsibility.”
    “I know that,” he said, “but I will always need to know
how you are.” The orchestra began a waltz, and he turned to look back at the
ballroom. “Will you dance with me?”
    She, too, watched the swirling array of light and colorful
gowns as couples swept past the open doors. Then she removed his jacket from
her shoulders and handed it back to him. “I would be delighted.”
    He smiled and slipped his arms into the sleeves, then
gallantly escorted her inside.

     

     
    When Charlotte woke the following morning, she was torn
between feelings of happiness and frustration. She wanted to shout joyfully
from the rooftops, for she had watched her mother enter the ballroom on Dr.
Thomas’s arm and waltz with him after a lengthy conversation alone on the balcony.
At the same time, she was confused, for he had danced with every other woman in
the room before making his way to speak to her mother.
    Charlotte’s emotions were a mixed bundle indeed, for she
had gone to bed dreaming of Mr. Torrington and wishing that he had been at the
ball as well, so that she could have waltzed with him