Chapter 18

Kitty

He swallowed almost nervously as he looked at me, the sky starting to darken as the sun began to set.

Kitty: Where have you been?

Dante: London.

Kitty: No. Where have you been?

Dante: London. That's where we are after all. Don't tell me the carriage was supposed to drop you off in Bath.

He gave me a wink as he crossed his arms over his chest, causing rage to build up in me. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.

Dante: You're in a bad mood, got it.

Kitty: Just tell me where you've been.

Dante: Kitty…

Kitty: No, Lord Radcliffe, you don't get to just...just…

I huffed as I couldn't get my words out, before turning away from him.

Kitty: I don't know why I even came here. Clearly you haven't cared with all the time you've spent in a pub.

Dante: What?

Kitty: I'm not stupid. I heard about it within an hour of being here.

Dante: I...I mean I was in a pub, yes.

Kitty: At least you're not denying…

Dante: But only because I had a few business meetings in there.

Kitty: Business meetings?

Dante: Yes, Katherine.

Kitty: You've been here for business meetings and you had the audacity to not write anyone back?!

Dante: Woah… Write back?

Kitty: Your sister has written you probably a dozen letters. Gerard wrote to you. I...I almost wrote you…

Dante: I… Kitty…

Kitty: But clearly you've been too busy with your 'business meetings'. While the rest of us have been worried sick about you!

Dante: Kitty…

Kitty: And you're just here at a ball!

Dante: Woman, if you'd please stop. I'll explain.

Kitty: You did not just call me 'woman'!

Dante: I'm sorry. Please let me explain?

Kitty: Fine. But it'd better be good.

Dante: Alright, um… I can't do this.

Kitty: Then I can leave.

Dante: Wait! No, I mean… This.. Us… I can't…

Kitty: You want to end our engagement?

Dante: I… You want to end it.

Kitty: I mean, it was never real. It was just the result of…

Dante: Me being an idiot?

Kitty: Something like that.

Dante: What if I found you someone else to be engaged to?

Kitty: What? You really need to stop coming up with new ideas. They're never good.

Dante: I know a gentleman who needs a wife. He has three children..

Kitty: A widower?

Dante: He's a good man…

Kitty: Are you getting rid of me?

Dante: Woah… You're the one who wanted an out, Darling.

Kitty: I came all the way here from Derbyshire for you to tell me that you found me someone else to be faux engaged to?!

Dante: I mean I haven't even asked him yet…

Kitty: Dante, I need you to stop. At least go find your sister and tell her you're alright. I'm getting the first coach out of here tomorrow.

Dante: Please don't.

Kitty: Why? Did you want to introduce me to my new fiancé?

Dante: No.

Kitty: Then what? You clearly don't care that people were worried about you. Why should we stay? Why should I stay?

Dante: Because I l-.... Because I didn't come here to drink in a pub. Or to find you someone new to marry. I came here because I had to settle an issue.

Kitty: And what issue would that be?

Dante: Someone wants to hurt Delilah.

Kitty: What?

Dante: A little over a month ago, I received a letter from a gentleman claiming he knew illicit details about my sister. He claimed to spread them around if I didn't pay him a visit with ten thousand pounds.

Kitty: Dante! That's a fortune! Is any of it actually true?

Dante: Hell no it's not. My sister hasn't been in London in two years. Not to mention she had no idea who I was talking about when I brought up his name.

Kitty: But this still doesn't explain why you've not returned our letters.

Dante: I didn't receive them. As I said before.

Kitty: Not one?

Dante: Do you really think I would ignore letters for a month? I might be an awful person, but I'm not that low. And if you had written to me, I'd have written back the very same hour it arrived.

Kitty: But you could have written us.

Dante: I didn't want you to worry.

Kitty: You're so stupid sometimes.

Dante: I knew you'd know something was amiss, so I kept it hush. In reality, I wasn't even expecting to be away for this long. I figured it would be a quick week long business trip and then I'd be back home.

Kitty: What happened?

Dante: I had more issues with the man. He started insisting I pay more money.

Kitty: Dante, you can't. You'll go bankrupt.

Dante: Oh, trust me. I'm not. I told him that in our second meeting. But I've been staying here to make sure no news gets out about Delilah. If what he says does, it'll ruin her. And I couldn't let that be on my conscience.

Kitty: Oh…

I don't know what to say, but at that moment i felt pity for him. He looked so terrified as he spoke of it, and I realized he had every right to be. With his parents gone, his sister was the one thing he had left to protect and take care of. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, before squeezing him gently.

Dante: Kitty.

His voice came out as a gasp, before he wrapped his arms back around me and pulled me a bit closer.

Kitty: I'm so sorry you had to go through this.

Dante: It's not your fault.

He murmured the words into my hair, before pressing a gentle kiss to my temple and then sighing as he stroked his thumb along my arm.

Dante: But thank you.

He stepped back from the embrace, and like that the moment was gone.

Kitty: Well, shouldn't we return to the ballroom?

Dante: Dance with me?

Kitty: Inside?

Dante: No, here.

Kitty: You are not serious.

Dante: Katherine Hawthorne, dance with me? Here and now.

Kitty: Alright.

I gave him my hand and let him pull me closer as he started a waltz.

Kitty: You can waltz?

Dante: I'm a duke, kitty, of course I can waltz. And it comes in helpful with the ladies.

Kitty: Are most of them impressed by a dance I learned when I was fourteen?

I teased him easily as we moved through the steps.

Dante: They're more impressed by what comes afterwards.

Kitty: Oh…

I felt a blush creep up my cheeks, as he pulled me closer.

Dante: Did you really come here for me?

Kitty: I mean, Angelica, Gerard and Delilah were incredibly worried…

Dante: No, kitty. Did you come here for me? You.

Kitty: Yes.

Dante: Yes?

Kitty: I was worried about you, Dante.

My voice came out as a barely there whisper as I moved closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder.

Dante: i should have written to you, I'm sorry.

Kitty: It's alright. I understand why you might not have felt brave enough to.

Dante: I just didn't want him hurting you. Couldn't live with myself if that happened.

Kitty: I'm alright, Dante.

Dante: Thank God.

We finished out the waltz, under the stars, both of us silent as Dante held me close.

Kitty: Well, I think we should return inside. We'll need to get the others to return to the inn.

Dante: No, we're staying here tonight.

Kitty: Why... This is your manor house isn't it?

Dante: Guilty as charged. But don't tell anyone. I have a reputation.

Kitty: How does no one know??

Dante: Because I never stay here. But with all the guests it'll be easy to blend in.

Kitty: But why hide the fact you throw the masquerade?

Dante: And ruin the mystery? Miss Hawthorne, you must be mad.

Kitty: Let's just go back and gather everyone before you have an over dramatic fit. And I need to sleep. I'm exhausted.

Dante had sent a maid to get the rest of the group gathered into the study. We stood and waited for them to be shown in.

Kitty: Will they be found?

Dante: I have them the exact description of them you gave me.

Kitty: Alright.

I shifted on my feet as I waited for the rest of the group. In a few minutes, they walked into the room.

Delilah: Dante! Where have you been?

Dante: Um...

Delilah: We've all been so worried about you!

Dante: I'm sorry. I should have written.

Delilah: Why didn't you?

Dante: Oh, well… I guess I just didn't think to?

Delilah: You're an idiot. But I love you anyway, so I suppose I can forgive you..

Dante: Thank you.

~~~~~

Dante: Well, this is it. If you have any issues, just ring. Someone will come help you.

Kitty: I'm sure I'll be fine.

Dante: I am most sure you will be as well. Goodnight.

I watched him turn and walk away, before entering my room for the night. The next morning after I had taken a walk around the manor house, I walked back into my room.

Dante: How the tables have turned.

Or not my room.

Kitty: Put a shirt on!

Dante: You walked in on me! I didn't ask you to get dressed when I walked in on you.

Kitty: That's because you're a cad.

Dante: Fine. Get lost?

Kitty: No, I thought I'd just pop in and see you shirtless.

Dante: All you had to do was ask, Love.

Kitty: This is your room?

I looked around it and then at the large bed and swallowed.

Dante: Yeah. It's pretty comfy if you want to try it out.

Kitty: Try what out?

Dante: The bed.

Kitty: Dante, it's far too early for your inappropriate humor.

Dante: I meant if you wanted to try it out for sleeping.

Kitty: Whatever for?

Dante: I don't know…

For a moment he almost looked flustered as he shifted awkwardly in front of me. And I couldn't resist teasing him.

Kitty: Is this how you seduce all the women in your room?

Dante: No!

Kitty: Seems like it to me.

Dante: You couldn't handle me seducing you in my room.

Kitty: I guarantee you I could!

Dante: is that a challenge?

Kitty: Yes.

In an instant he was over me, before lifting me up so his lip could graze my ear.

Dante: Certain?

Kitty: Y-yes…

I placed my arms on his shoulders to steady myself as his lips circled around my ear.

Dante: Mm….

He set me down before pulling me close as he looked into my eyes rubbing circles onto my back.

Kitty: Dante.

Dante: You're so beautiful.

He breathed the words out as he gazed at me.

Kitty: Not really.

Dante: Gorgeous.

Kitty: Is this how you seduce? With flattery?

Dante: It usually helps, but that wasn't part of the seduction.

Kitty: What was it part of then?

Dante: The truth.

Kitty: Oh?

Dante: Yeah…

I watched as he dipped his head down closer to mine again, his eyes on my lips.

Kitty: Dante…

Dante: I really want to kiss you right now…

I reached my hands up and caressed the back of his head, before starting to pull him closer, unsure of what I was doing, but knowing I wasn't going to stop.

Gerard: Lord Radcliffe, your mail- Oh!

And like that the moment was gone as Dante quickly released me.

Gerard: I'm so sorry for interrupting, sir…

Dante: Don't worry about it.

Kitty: I should go…

And like that I practically fled the room.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dante

I shifted on my feet awkwardly even after Kitty had left.

Gerard: Forgive me for interrupting you.

Dante: Oh, you didn't…

Gerard: I didn't? I could have sworn I saw…

Dante: Gerard.

Gerard: Yes, sir?

Dante: Shut up.

Gerard: Yes, sir. But might I suggest if you were trying to woo her that you try more than what you've done to every other woman?

Dante: I was merely accepting her challenge.

Gerard: I don't know how she puts up with you.

Dante: Gerard.

Gerard: Yes, sir?

Dante: Stop talking and help me get dressed.

Gerard: Of course, sir.

He came over and started helping me, but my mind was still on Kitty….