“I don’t feel like dancing alone.”
“You’ve never danced any other way,” Harper, pausing in her song.
He looked at her and laughed softly as if continuing their previous conversation. “That’s correct, but now it all seems a bit dull.”
“Dull?” Aria asked him, her eyes going wide.
“Yes. Now that I might finally have someone to dance with, I find the prospect of dancing alone dull.”
“So, you’re not going to dance?” she asked incredulously.
“I might never dance again.”
She couldn’t tell by his stoic expression if he was joking or not. She waited another minute but when he made no move to get up, she slapped her palms on her thighs. “Fine! I mean, I’m dressed for it.”
He tried to hide his satisfied smile when she stood up, but she caught the corners of his lips rise. She chose to ignore her defeat—and the cold floor and walked to the center of the hall on her bare feet.
“Harper, please play something slow—maybe a little haunting,” she requested.
“I know just the thing,” she said and lifted her bow to the strings.
Aria recognized the melody right away. She paused, but only long enough to draw back her tears. It was an old folk song she had danced to in a college play that she was in about King Arthur. The song was a poignant ballad about longing to go home. The score meant something different to her at the time. Now, she let the haunting melody direct her movements. She swayed and swirled into triple pirouettes, losing herself to the music as if it were casting its heavy spell on her. In fact, she didn’t know tears were spilling from her eyes until she spun, and the crystal droplets flew upon the marquess’ shirt.
Her next movement found her falling into his arms. She looked up into his eyes, not understanding for a second how she’d arrived there. Had she jumped? Had he caught her?
Then her hearing adjusted, and she heard Harper’s lovely voice singing the lyrics.
“I will go home, across thesea
Don’t look, my love, don’t look forme.”
There was more, but no more was needed. The eyes she stared into understood. Or hethoughthe understood.
“Aria, you make me want to give you the thing you want most. Even if it’s the thing I think will finally destroy me.”
Chapter Nineteen
Gray was selfish.He couldn’t remember doing an unselfish thing. Perhaps before his mother left, he was kinder and more thoughtful. He doubted Sarah would have latched onto him if he had treated her poorly. But he couldn’t remember, and he never cared. Until now.
He felt the desperate need to offer Aria anything she wanted if she would stay with him. But he knew what she wanted most, and he’d just made the most unselfish offer he’d ever uttered. No matter what losing her would do to him—and he finally admitted that he would be heavily affected—he would send her away. He would make sure of it, even if it destroyed him.
He gazed into her eyes, holding her in the cradle of his arm while Harper ended her song that tore his heart from his chest and made his eyes grow red with unshed tears.
“I’ll get you home,” he promised her in a whisper. He didn’t want Harper to hear him. She obeyed his grandmother, and his grandmother wanted his sons to be born to Aria Darling. If Sarah Gable were an option, Aria never would have needed to come. Harper wanted what his grandmother wanted. She’d do what was needed to keep Aria here.
Something occurred to him suddenly. He pulled Aria up and let her go, remembering what Harper said about him touching Aria and putting her in danger. He looked at the woman he loved as his mother, then turned away.
Tabby, are you close?
Yes, Grayson.
I need you to search Harper’s chambers. Bring as many of your friends as you need.
What are we searching for?
A gold master key.
Master key?