"Theo, wait!" Emilia grabbed his arm, holding him back. More than a few people spun to watch them, curious at his sister's outburst. Emilia lowered her voice. "You cannot go over there. Not yet."

"Why not?"

"You will make a scene. The first dance is about to begin."

"So I will ask her to dance, then," Theo said. His brain's only function at that moment was to find a way to get to her. He took another step in Addie's direction before Emilia caught him again, this time more discreet.

"You are not thinking clearly, Theo," she hissed. "Please at least attempt to be subtle. The first dance will be with the prince and Lady Baxley."

Theo sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. His sister was asking the impossible of him. Love is not subtle. Love demands a presence that is hard to deny or hide.

"And then Addie is likely to dance with His Highness next. It would be uncomfortable for everyone if she had to turn you away."

"Alright, Emilia," he said, perhaps a little too forceful. "You've made your point. I will wait."

He watched as their hosts approached the royal couple before the first notes of music began to ring throughout the room. Just as Emilia had said, Prince George offered his hand to Addie and swept her into the middle of the room. All eyes were on them as they began to dance.

Emilia tugged on his arm. "Shall we acquire some refreshments, Theo?"

Theo made himself ignore the dance floor and followed Emilia through the crush of people to where the lemonade was being offered. He quickly poured his sister a glass before turning again to find Addie. Before he could, however, his attention was drawn by another familiar face. Lord Trotten entered the ballroom and snuck into the chaos. Theo glanced at Emilia and was surprised to see another gentleman attempting to engage her attention.

Theo recognized Lord Trevor from his days at the club. He was a friendly enough man but perhaps spent too many nights at the tables, pilfering away the money that his father, the Earl of Sommers, unwisely continued to supply.

But Theo knew Trotten was likely watching from across the room, so he extended his greeting to the other lord in a hearty welcome.

"Lord Trevor, may I present to you my sister, Lady Emilia."

Lord Trevor bowed over Emilia's offered hand.

"Thank you, Your Grace. Lady Emilia, how lovely it is to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise, my lord," Emilia purred demurely.

"Would you do me the honor of allowing me to claim your next dance?"

"Certainly," Emilia smiled and took her dance card out to make the note.

The act reminded Theo why he was at this blasted ball in the first place. He excused himself from his sister's side, confident that Emilia could handle a fellow like Trevor. The music was ending, and couples were disembarking, women being returned to chaperones and companions alike.

He spotted the royal couple as one of the last to leave the dance floor, Addie's face flushed with exertion. Theo cut them off swiftly. He was sure that Emilia would have insisted that he wait longer, but his patience was growing thin as it was.

"Your Royal Highnesses."

Theo bowed deeply before them, struggling between the hope that it gave Addie enough time to compose her reaction upon seeing him and the desire that it wouldn't so he could see her expression reveal every emotion she felt.

When he stood, he saw that it would be the latter of those two, but not in the way he had imagined. Addie stood before him, her mouth open in shock and...horror?

His heart fell.

Prince George composed himself first. "Good evening, Kingfield."

"Good evening, Your Highness." He nodded to the prince before giving his full attention to Addie. " I was hoping to engage the princess in the next available dance?"

Addie had recovered from her shock and gave him a wan smile. "Yes, of course, Your Grace."

"Will this one do?" he asked as the orchestra began to strike up a waltz.

She paled ever-so-slightly, and his stomach fell further. "Yes," she said breathlessly. "Yes, that would be nice, Your Grace."

George was regarding the two of them curiously, so Theo quickly escorted Addie onto the dancefloor. They took their places, and Theo found himself staring into Adelaide's lovely eyes. Desire filled him as she bit her bottom lip nervously, the same habit she used to do, a stray blonde hair getting caught there as well. He longed to brush the hair aside, but he stayed his hand, instead reveling in the feel of her back beneath his fingers. The waltz began, and they moved in time to the music together. They had never danced before, and it was magical in the most devastating of ways.

He wished he knew what Addie was thinking. She was breathing profoundly, making him insanely distracted by the rise and fall of the breasts he longed to grasp in his hands once more.

Christ, he was doomed to live the rest of his life painfully unfulfilled.

He opened his mouth to speak but was relieved when she spoke instead, saving him from saying words he didn't have.

"Theo," Addie whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" He smiled, but with hesitancy in the curve of his lips. "I'm here to see you. Emilia told me you would be here, and I had to come, Addie."

****

Addie couldn't help but smile at him, his face warm and bright. Not to mention, handsome as sin. Had he managed to become more attractive since she last saw him? She couldn't recall a time when he had been dressed in formal wear this divine, every strapping inch of him on display. His strength radiated beneath her hands, making her want to just melt into him.

This was torture at its finest.

And to make matters worse, he had taken her slow response for disinterest when it was really, honestly, the opposite.

"Do you not wish to see me?"

"Oh no," she rushed to say, "No, Theo, I am so happy to see you."

She tried for a smile, but it felt forced.

"What is it, then?" he asked, uncertainty etched on his face.

"It's—it's George," she said.

Theo's face turned downcast, and he nodded as if in understanding. "Do you love him?"

"What?" She exclaimed a little too loud. She dropped her voice level. "No, Theo. I don't love him."

His head shot back up again, and the expression there shot her straight through the heart.

"Then what, Addie? Are you being treated well?"

His hands began to flutter ever-so-slightly along her body as if to check for any bodily harm.

"Theo." She said his name firmly to cease his questioning. His hands halted, and he arrested her with an intense stare. "I am well, Theo. It is only that George knows I had a previous lover. I am...nervous that he should realize it is you."

Theo's face seemed to relax.

"He is amiable, mostly, and he has been most helpful in dealing with his father." She squeezed his arm with reassurance. "Do not worry about me. Everything is quite fine." She lowered her voice. "But know that there is no love between George and I. At least, not like..."

Addie cut herself off, unable to say it.

Theo seemed to understand. He pulled her closer than was likely respectable and whispered. "Shh darling, it's alright."

She made herself pull back so as not to be conspicuous. And they danced that way in the sway of the music, letting it carry the strength that she needed as always. When the music faded into the quietest chords, Theo brought her back to where George was waiting with an odd look plastered on his face. It made Addie's stomach drop. Theo did not linger after that but departed their presence in not but a few words.

George rotated toward her slowly, a slight sneer on his face.

"I'm not sure why I didn't realize it before. Kingfield even came with you to the palace that day to discuss our marriage agreement."

Addie did nothing but gape blankly at him.

"How odd must that have been to discuss the terms of your marriage while your lover looked on?" George chuckled humorlessly.

Addie took a deep breath. While she hadn't wanted George to know who the father of her child was, this gave her an easy out to keep him from announcing to anyone that was there that she was with child. "Yes," she admitted. "It was the Duke of Kingfield. And if you were planning, for whatever ridiculous reason, to tell anyone tonight about my condition, he will hear it. He could become suspicious and come ask me about it." She placed her hand upon his arm. "Please George, I do not wish for a scene."

As if an eye roll wasn't quite enough of a show, George rolled his head back for a moment, examining the cavernous ceiling. "Yes, I suppose you're right. See that you stay away from the duke, won't you?" Then he gave her the cold shoulder and walked away to greet a few gentlemen Addie did not recognize. She smoothed her dress before following, plastering a polite smile upon her face.

But as she looked out at the sea of faces, it was difficult to walk toward them and Addie found herself doing an about-face to slip off in the direction of the nearest closed door. Darkness surrounded her, surrendering her to its mercy. But she welcomed it and leaned up against the door to breathe fully. No one was watching her here.

Or so she thought.

"Adelaide?"

Addie's head twisted to the side, and she held back a little shriek of fright. But it was merely Trotten's voice coming through the shadows towards her.

"Will!"

She flew at him in an unusual display of affection, throwing her arms around his stiff body. She could hear a small puff of air escape his lips as she ran into him, but he seemed to sense what she needed at that moment and wrapped himself around her in a firm hug.

"Is everything all right?" he spoke into the top of her head, his voice filled with concern.

Addie began to nod, but then it turned into a shake of her head, her hair messing against his chest.

"Can you tell me?"

She continued to shake her head as she stepped back to look up at him. He continued to hold her hand and her a despairing look, saying, "I am a man of many secrets, Addie. I can handle another."

For a brief moment, Addie considered telling him of the weight in her stomach. But she couldn't contemplate it further, since they were interrupted by the click of the door opening. If she hadn't been restricted by the weight of her skirts, Addie would have jerked back from the stream of light that filled the room at the door's opening, directed completely onto her. She noticed the shadow of a man outline itself against the dark edges of the room and turned to see who it was.

To her abundant relief, it was Theo.

"Have I interrupted something?" His cool voice sliced through the thickness of the air in the enclosed room. Theo's eyes skimmed over her face and her hair before dropping to where she was still holding Will's hands.

Addie's relief vanished as she promptly dropped Lord Trotten's grasp.