“Dane.” Juliet’s voice cracked on his name.
He reached for the ring and gently pulled the gold band from the box. Holding it between two fingers, he held it up. “I never want to be without your light. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Her voice was so soft, Cordelia might have missed her sister’s reply.
“Yes,” she answered, her voice shaking with emotion.
Cordelia covered her mouth with her hands. She was so happy for Juliet. But she regarded her pianoforte, a candelabra resting on its surface. Would the instrument ever give her such joy and fulfillment? Then she glanced toward Ash. Would he?
“Yes?” Hartwell wrapped her sister in his arms.
“Yes,” she said louder, her hand resting on his neck. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
A cheer rose up from the group as Hartwell gave Juliet a rousing kiss. Happiness and hurt coursed through Cordelia. She was beginning to understand what she wanted from life, but she was less certain that what she wished for was in this room.
The merriment continued and as everyone crowded about the couple, Cordelia slipped outside onto one of the balconies that lined the room. She needed a moment to collect her thoughts. Yesterday, she’d been so certain of her path and now that she’d reached the fork, she wasn’t sure she still wanted to take it.
“Cordelia,” Ash said just behind her. “What are you doing out here?”
She looked over her shoulder, her heart hammering as she looked at his handsome profile. “Collecting my thou
ghts. You?”
“Checking on you,” he answered, simply.
She smiled at that, some of her worry fading. “That’s very kind. Thank you.” She shook her head. “That was so beautiful, it was almost overwhelming.”
He gave a tight nod and stepped up next to her. “They seem quite happy.”
“They do.” She looked out to the ocean beyond. “Happier than I ever imagined.”
Silence met those words as they stood together. His heat seeped into her side even as the wind blew off the water making her shiver.
His fingers brushed her elbow. Sensation sizzled along her skin. “Have you considered my offer?”
She gave a short laugh. “Only all day.”
He chuckled too. “That’s good, I think.” Then his hand slid about her waist, drawing her closer until she pressed into his warmth.
“I haven’t come to any conclusion.” She shook her head.
His fingers tightened. “I see.”
She looked at him then. If she were going to sift through her feelings, she needed to ask him about this morning. “When I called my father out on his falsehood, you looked upset.”
“Did I?” he answered, pulling away. She immediately missed his heat. Funny, she didn’t think she’d care about such a thing, but she found she did. Warmth seemed as basic as air, food, and water. How had she not realized lacking it would create such a giant hole? She reached up and brushed her fingers against his chest. “You did. Why?”
His face closed again, his gaze shuttering as he moved further away still. Cordelia wrinkled her brow. Clearly, something this morning had upset him, but she didn’t understand what.
Chapter Ten
Ash ran a hand through his hair. Cordelia was too smart. Even now, she was unravelling the edges of his past, figuring out his weakest points, and eventually, she’d discover how little he was actually worth.
He rubbed his face to hide the clenching of his jaw.
He just had to hold on until they married. Then his past wouldn’t matter. He’d give her a career and she’d help him with his ultimate goal.
Realization made him go still. There was one flaw in his plan. If they never shared intimacy then she could, if she learned of his past, have the marriage annulled. And if they were intimate, they risked creating a child. And the viscountcy would go on for another generation.