Part 2: Angel/Devil
2-1. Crimson and Crystal
The other Turks and I are on duty tonight at the party and must report early at 3pm. No visitors are allowed, unfortunately. I will have to meet you there at five, when we originally planned to go. I am sorry for the short notice; I had no choice.
See you soon.
Vincent"
Lucrecia folded the note again and slipped it into her small satin handbag. Trying not to fidget too much, she watched the slowly approaching ground through the gondola window. Dusk was just beginning to fall over the mountains, dimming the snow-covered mountaintops into bluish-gray shadows. The valley under them was a blaze of light. Lanterns circled the still lake in its center, reflected by the water in a sparkling parallel ring, and at one end of the valley the entrance to the Crystal Room poured silver-white light over the entering crowd. On either side, the Ropeway tracks traced their path over the mountains, each cable strung with a series of gleaming gondolas.
The sparkle proceeded, fractally, into the gondola cars. Lucrecia glanced around the car and its five passengers, at their translucent reflections in the windows. Across from her, on opposite ends of the bench, were Dr. Gast—chatting with Elmyra and looking more like a diplomat than ever—and Hojo, in a baggy rented tux. Lucrecia wondered why he'd even come, unless it were either to wheedle money from the Shinra executives or to spoil everyone else's night. Sensing her critical gaze, Hojo's cold eyes landed on Lucrecia; she swallowed and turned her attention to the opposite side of the gondola. In the middle of the seat perched Elmyra, who'd spent much of her day in Nibelheim sightseeing with her fiancee or, as she was now, talking eagerly with Dr. Gast. Elmyra looked breathtakingly pretty, of course. She'd pooled her own money with money borrowed from her parents, Lucrecia, and her fiancee Reece, and bought a sparkling golden gown and jewelry to match. She looked lit from within, glowing with excitement. Lucrecia was happy for that much. Elmyra was still young, and this was her first real fancy-dress occasion—elaborate parties and weddings were rare in the slums, and this was the first Shinra ball since her engagement to Reece. Pretty and friendly though she was, Elmyra was no more sheltered than any hardbitten slum-dweller. This was good for her, Lucrecia thought. Elmyra could use a little glamour one day a year, dressing up in fancy dresses and chatting with the people she read about in the papers. It was proof that life wasn't all smog and endless work. It was something to dream about the rest of the year.
Not that her life with Reece would be unusually bad…Lucrecia glanced across the gleaming Elmyra to her future brother-in-law. Reece looked younger than ever in his dark-green formal uniform, like a child scrubbed up to have his picture taken. He spoke much less often than usual; he was normally as chatty as Elmyra, but he seemed to be star-stricken by his fiancee's transformation. During most of the ride, he simply sat and watched Elmyra talk.
The gondola glided toward the ground. The moving mass near the entrance had sharpened into brightly colored spots, and then into individual partygoers in all their finery, moving in a slow stream from the Ropeway platforms to the entrance of the Crystal Room. Lucrecia scanned the crowd, fidgeting with the edge of her cloak to keep her hands from shaking too much. He's inside already, you know that! Stop worrying! she commanded silently, but the tenseness remained.
Reece opened the gondola door and hopped out, then lifted Elmyra to the ground. Dr. Gast followed, still in midsentence. Hojo crawled across the bench after him and leaped from the car. Lucrecia pulled her cloak around her against the sudden gust of cold wind and stepped up to the gondola door. She stopped short for a moment, shocked. At the foot of the coach steps, silhouetted by the light beyond, stood the hunched form of Hojo, scrawny hand outstretched to help her step down. Lucrecia stood frozen for a second, staring, then regained her senses with a lurch of disgust. She stepped out of the coach unassisted and rushed past Hojo toward the door, pulling her cloak tighter around her body to ward off the chill.
As she passed through the Crystal Room front door, Lucrecia caught up with Elmyra, who was hanging off Reece's arm and seemed to have been finally awed into silence. Elmyra watched her sister as Lucrecia fumbled through her handbag for her invitation and showed it to the attendant just inside the door. "Don't be so nervous," Elmyra told her. "He'll be here. And you look terrific. Everything's going to be fine."
"I guess so, but…" Lucrecia sighed. "I don't know." I know she's right, at least about most of it. So why can't I shake this dread? "I don't look terrific. Don't exaggerate."
"Oh, yes you do. You just don't see it." She squeezed Lucrecia's shoulder. "Knock 'em dead, Lucie. I'll see you later." Elmyra and Logan breezed by into the ballroom and vanished in the crowd.
Lucrecia thoughtfully slowed to a stop in the middle of the mirrored entranceway. Slowly, she turned to the mirrors beside her. She stared at the reflection, then closed her eyes. That isn't me…it's someone you created. She looked up again at the reflection, a young woman in a deep red, low-cut velvet gown still covered by a floor-length cloak, dark hair swept up and pinned with jeweled pins. But the face was hers, even in Elmyra's makeup, and those were her own dark eyes behind a new pair of delicate wire-rimmed glasses. She smiled, tentatively. Maybe it is me… somehow…
The crowd brushed by her, absorbed in its own gleaming world. Only a few noticed the young woman in deep red standing in the hall, lost in the strangeness of her own reflection. Most smiled and passed on into the ballroom, quickly forgetting her. Some watched for a minute longer before slipping by, and did not forget as easily. Only one stopped and stared, standing in the center of the hall as the crowd flowed around him. After a minute the partygoers gradually stopped walking in front of him, sensing the gravity of the gaze that connected him to her. The crowd thinned and parted between them. Lucrecia lifted her eyes to the reflection behind hers, to the silent young man in the black suit who watched her as if he could not bear to look away. She turned suddenly, her cape swirling around her.
"Lucrecia," Vincent whispered, not to address her, but as a statement of fact. He took one step forward, close enough to slowly reach up and unfasten her cloak. It slid from her bare shoulders, and he caught it and held it, his fingers tightening in the folds of the fabric as his eyes slid slowly over her.
Lucrecia smiled slowly. "Vincent." She touched his hand—his skin felt warm after the cold wind outside—and slipped her other arm around his waist. Vincent rested his free hand on her back for a moment, but did not embrace her; he almost seemed afraid to touch her. "What's wrong?" she asked, searching his face for some sign. He looked…
Stricken. That's the only possible word. Stricken. But…is he really that shallow, that this outfit would affect him like that? He can't be…
"Nothing. Work." Oh. His gaze dropped to the cloak draped over his arm. He spoke again, more softly. "And…I know it's silly, but I was afraid you wouldn't come. When I saw you here I almost thought I was dreaming; I was so surprised and you were so…" He tightened his arm around her for a moment, and his voice fell to a nearly inaudible murmur. "You're so beautiful."
"Thank my sister; she helped pick this out," Lucrecia muttered.
"No. You are beautiful. The dress…just shows it well." Lucrecia closed her eyes for a moment, until the flush passed from her cheeks. How on earth did you end up with me… "All afternoon I'd been worrying you wouldn't come, among other things… but when I saw you and realized you'd come for me, that you were mine for a while…" He kissed her lips impulsively, then broke away to hug the cloak against his chest. His voice returned to somewhere near normal. "I'm glad you came."
"So am I." Lucrecia brushed a strand of hair back from his face and gently pried his left hand away from the cloak. Vincent watched her almost curiously. Lucrecia held his hand in both of hers and led him down the hall toward the ballroom.
The Crystal Room followed the natural shape of the cavern, with rooms branching from the entry room through several graceful archways. The ballroom lay to the left of the entry hall. As soon as they passed the doorway, the ceiling vaulted up into the heart of the mountain above them. The rock had been smoothed and polished, transforming the naturally silver-flecked stone into a surface more stunning than any inlaid marble. The walls arched smoothly down to the level floor, which had likewise been planed and polished out of the living rock. In the center of the immense cavern was a clear space, ringed by a forest of chairs, tables draped in ice-blue cloths, and jarringly bright partygoers. On one end of the dance floor a low, broad set of steps had been carved; a small orchestra was ranged across the steps in curved rows. Their sweet, graceful music, punctuated by the voices of the partygoers, filled even this immense space, resonating from the gleaming walls.
Lucrecia turned toward the room as she let go of Vincent's hand and stopped in her tracks, dazed by the sight and sound. Vincent came up silently behind her. She felt his hand rest lightly on her arm. "Beautiful," he murmured. Lucrecia flushed, not sure that he referred to the room.
To cover her sudden awkwardness, she scanned the tables for a place to sit. Near the wall she spotted her sister in her sparkly gown, seated at a small round table with—as far as she could see through the screen of partygoers—Reece and Dr. Gast. And Hojo, no doubt, she thought grimly. I've ignored him before, and I can ignore him now… She turned to Vincent and nodded toward the JENOVA Project table. Vincent followed her gesture, peering through the crowd, then nodded. He fell into place beside her as they skirted the edge of the dance floor toward their chosen table.
Among the tables, the voices almost overpowered the orchestra, and the bright swirl of diamonds, satin and haughty gestures almost made Lucrecia dizzy. Vincent finally surrendered her cloak, hanging it on a rack against the wall, and pulled out one of the two remaining chairs for her. Lucrecia gratefully sank into it, an instant before regret and dread smacked into her. As she'd predicted, the table was populated by members and hangers-on of the JENOVA Project: herself, Vincent to her right, then Reece, Elmyra, Dr. Gast, and, completing the circle to Lucrecia's left, Hojo. Just when things were going so well… She tugged at the shoulder hem of her gown, conscious of Hojo's eyes on her. What is wrong with you?! Drink Mako and die, Hobo…
"Lucrecia!" Elmyra cried, finally breaking from her discussion with Dr. Gast. "So glad you found us. And this must be…" Don't say "your Turk", Elly, please… Elmyra let the statement dangle, standing up to greet Vincent.
"Vincent Valentine," Vincent supplied, and took Elmyra's dainty hand in both of his. Lucrecia monitored their expressions; Elmyra was flattered as she always was when men paid attention to her, and Vincent was the model of calm cordiality. Lucrecia's nervousness subsided. "Sharpshooter for the Turks, assigned to the JENOVA Project."
Elmyra giggled. "Is that all?" she teased, shooting a glance at Lucrecia. "I'm Elmyra Gainsborough, soon to be Elmyra Logan. Lucrecia's sister, as I'm sure you know."
Vincent nodded. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Gainsborough." He turned to Elmyra's fiancee, whom she had dodged on her way around the table. "This must be your fiancee— Mr. Logan?"
"Reece," the young man replied, reaching up to shake Vincent's hand once his fiancee released it. "Shinra Guard, infantry second class and rising." Elmyra giggled. Lucrecia had heard her laugh before at the same hopeful joke, when Reece had introduced himself to their parents.
"Pleasure to meet you, Reece," Vincent replied, then took his seat, completing the circle of guests.
Elmyra, Dr. Gast, and Reece quickly fell back into their conversation, unintentionally shutting out the other half of the group. Lucrecia, still uneasy under Hojo's heavy-lidded stare, turned to Vincent and commented on the architecture of the ballroom. For a while they discussed the Crystal Room's architecture; Vincent seemed intrigued by the relationship between natural structure and human creation, while Lucrecia was more impressed by the ingenuity necessary to have perfected such a delicate balance. The orchestra played softly behind their voices, and the noise of the crowd gradually sank into a contented lull as the partygoers found their seats. A team of waitstaff in ice-blue uniforms circulated through the tables, taking orders and delivering drinks to the guests. The invisible lines dividing the table held firm when their own drinks arrived—Lucrecia noticed her own and Vincent's, both ice water, as well as the distressingly strong liquor Hojo had ordered, and then retreated into her cocoon of conversation with Vincent.
Before long the night had settled into what seemed to be a smooth course. The orchestra took a break as dinner was served, and for a time most of the Project members looked up at each other and exchanged innocuous remarks about the food, the music, the ballroom, and the other partygoers. Only Hojo remained silent, except for his increasingly frequent barks at the waiters to refill his drink. Lucrecia strove to ignore him, listening only to the low buzz of conversation in the background as she let herself enjoy the exquisite food—none but the best for the Shinra executives, of course, and on this one night, all of Shinra Inc., down to the guards and the file clerks, received the same.
The musicians filtered back into their seats as the guests finished their desserts and the silent waitstaff cleared the tables. Hojo had lapsed into stony silence, motioning with increasingly clumsy gestures to have his glass refilled. Dr. Gast ordered one glass of brandy for himself, offering to order for Lucrecia and Vincent as well. Lucrecia declined politely. Vincent shook his head, watching the orchestra as they readied their instruments. Dr. Gast settled back in his chair, crossing his arms across his chest, gazing contendedly over the room.
Vincent looked back to Lucrecia. A slow smile slid over his face as the orchestra breezed into their next song—a dancing song, a waltz. "Would you like to dance, Ms. Gainsborough-the-elder?"
"Do you know how to dance, Mr. Valentine?"
"No. Do you?"
"Not in the slightest."
"Would you like to try?" he asked.
Lucrecia smiled. "Absolutely."
They paused, hand in hand, on the edge of the dance floor, near the wall. Vincent turned to her and put one arm around her waist, copying the dancers already on the floor; they fumbled around a bit, and eventually put together a reasonable version of a dancing pose. They looked lovely together, Lucrecia knew; she was proud that this handsome, romantic, intense young man had chosen her to be with him, and she was glad that he liked her, that the sight of her in the deep red velvet gown pleased him. She felt enchanting and graceful, even beautiful. She felt a surge of excitement, of something approaching dizziness. This was something she'd never known before, this breathless euphoria—not even on Mount Nibel had she known, so surely, so joyously, that she was loved.
The music swept on, irresistibly, but Vincent and Lucrecia stood still, on the verge of moving. They stood that way for a few seconds before breaking down into helpless laughter.
"Now what?" Lucrecia asked.
"I have no idea."
Lucrecia kissed his cheek playfully. "Just stand with me, then. We were doing that right."
"I'd like that," Vincent replied.
They stood together, almost dancing but not quite, swaying with the music, sometimes taking soft, unpatterned steps back and forth. Lucrecia felt her mind start to drift on the lovely swell of the music, on the warm comfort in his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder, and Vincent tightened his arm around her for a moment.
His voice was quiet, but its urgency sliced through the music, through all the gleam of the night. "Lucrecia? Don't look up, I like it like this…but I have to tell you something."
"What is it, love?" she replied softly, suspicious of the seriousness in his voice; she did not want to return to earth, not yet…
"Hojo was…looking at you. Watching you. I saw him."
She sighed. "I know. I saw him too. I didn't know what to do about it."
"I do," he said tightly. Lucrecia raised her head and looked him in the face; his eyes were hard and cold, glaring toward the table where the scientist sat. "If he ever speaks harshly to you, Lucrecia, if he ever does anything to make you uncomfortable, let me know. I won't let him hurt you."
I can fight my own battles, thank you… She nodded. "All right, Vincent." I never asked for your help… "You don't have to do that, you know."
"I do. I believe I do." Vincent looked away for a moment, hesitating. "I can't let you come to harm. I have my own reasons."
Lucrecia studied his face; it was almost blanked in his habitual Turk manner, but something showed through his eyes—something deep and almost hurtful. She held him close for a moment. "I believe you. And I thank you."
He whispered something under his breath. I should thank you. A small smile flickered across his face as he stepped back to look at her. "I think I've had enough of dancing for now… would you like to take a break?"
"All right."
Vincent nodded. "I should see where the other Turks are, as well. I'd like to say hello to them, even if I don't have to spend the whole evening with them."
"Somehow I don't think they'll be hard to find." Lucrecia smiled mischievously. "Just follow the trail of empty bottles."
Vincent chuckled. "Unfortunate, but true." As the song ended and another one began—a slightly faster waltz, spinning and lightheaded—Vincent and Lucrecia made their way back to the Project table.
"Where's Dr. Gast?" Lucrecia asked.
"He went to talk to some other scientists from Midgar," Elmyra answered. "Lucie, you looked so sweet! You two make a lovely couple."
Lucrecia glanced at Vincent, blushing furiously. "Thanks, Elly." She took her seat, glad that her sister and future brother-in-law hadn't yet left to dance. "Neither of us can really dance, though."
"Oh, we can teach you. That's not hard."
"We?" Reece interjected. "Who's the expert here?"
Elmyra giggled. "All right, all right, I'll teach them. You can just demonstrate, sweetie." They shared a quick kiss on the lips. Lucrecia smiled slightly, warmed by their obvious affection for one another. Hojo drained his glass and waved for another. As long as it keeps her away from…
"In any case, we'll have to wait for the lessons," Vincent said. "Could you all excuse me? I'd like to speak to my colleagues for a moment."
"Certainly," Elmyra said. "Have fun." Vincent nodded and melted into the crowd. Elmyra smiled when he'd left. "Colleagues! The Turks?" She laughed kindly. "He's so polite, though; he would call them 'colleagues'… Lucie, how on earth did you find that man?"
If you only knew how many times I've asked myself that… "I didn't. We sort of found each other. Maybe it was fate…" I've never believed in fate, though. I never had reason to believe in it…
"How romantic… or maybe, when you met each other, you somehow knew without realizing that each was just what the other needed."
I'm not what Vincent needs. I'm not the dark queen he deserves…but he's what I… "Maybe."
"I think so." Elmyra squeezed Reece's hand where she held it on the tablecloth. "All this talk of romance makes me want to dance, sweeting. What do you think?"
Reece nodded. "Sure, honey." He stood up to pull out Elmyra's chair.
"Can't let the old folks outdo us, now, can we?" She smiled impishly at Lucrecia, who pulled a face at her, unseriously. "See you later, Lucie. Tell your lovely Turk to save a dance for me."
That'll be the day, Lucrecia thought darkly. Elmyra waved as she and Reece headed for the dance floor; then they were gone. Lucrecia looked back to the table. She was alone with the slumped form of Hojo.
For a long, tense minute, the table was quiet. The conversations around them flitted through the air like half-heard radio transmissions from a foreign land. The orchestra still played, but it sounded very far away. Then Hojo spoke. His voice was muddied by the liquor, but his habitual low level of menace remained unchanged. "You did look lovely out there, my dear. You and—that Turk." He threw out the name as if it were an insult. Lucrecia sat motionless, frozen by anger and the strange cadence of his voice. "You'll make a fine wife someday, with a fine litter of children… pity. You could have been a great scientist."
Lucrecia stared, too stunned to move. Vincent arrived behind her and rested his hand on her bare shoulder, and the sudden change snapped her back to her senses. She rose to her feet, hands clenched at her sides. "How dare you," she hissed. "I will be great, Hojo, greater than you'll ever be. I'll be remembered long after you're dust! Who do you think you are, you pathetic, sniveling little man!"
"Lucrecia…" Vincent whispered in her ear. "Maybe it's best we get away from him now."
Her anger flared up; she could not be interrupted now. The slight had to be avenged. "Look at you," she spat, flinging her hand toward the slumped scientist. "Alone and drunk at the world's finest party. No one would care if you drank yourself to death, Hojo. You'd be doing us a favor." Vincent pulled on her arm, trying to draw her away from the table.
"Yes, try and save her, Turk!" Hojo smirked, a little too loudly. "Try and save her from herself, from her own stupidity! That's one thing your gun can't take care of, isn't it?"
"You'd best watch your words, Hojo," Vincent said, and his voice was the voice of the Turk on the cliff edge, the voice of steel and endless chill.
Hojo laughed harshly. "What are you going to do, Turk? I'm your supervisor, you know that. Don't bother threatening me."
"You may supervise this Project," Vincent said evenly, "but you have no power over me. Being fired would be a fair price for the privilege of bashing your skull in, should you continue to cause her pain."
"I'll cause her all the pain I want!" Hojo blared, knocking over his glass as he lurched to his feet. "And not you, nor the girl, nor the Project—no one will stop me!"
"Hojo!" The voice stopped all of them in their tracks. Dr. Gast reappeared, his normally calm blue eyes sparking with anger. "Stop harassing the students! And sober up. This is a formal function; your conduct is a disgrace to the Project."
"The Project is a disgrace to the Project," Hojo muttered indistinctly. He glared up at Lucrecia and Vincent. "Be glad you have him, girl," he said. "It's more than you deserve." He wheeled around and stumbled off into the crowd.
Dr. Gast turned to them helplessly. "I'd like to apologize for my colleague," he began.
"No need, sir," Lucrecia replied, as the anger sank under a rising wash of despair. More than you deserve. Is it that obvious?… "I know you can't control him."
Gast nodded. "Thank you for understanding. Still, it's unprofessional, and it reflects upon my Project. I can't let him go unchecked."
"Best of luck to you, sir," Lucrecia said.
Vincent pulled out a chair for her, and she sank slowly into it. He sat beside her and took her hands in his. "Are you all right, Lucrecia?" She closed her eyes over the sting of angry tears. "Please. Don't let that man get to you."
I try not to.
But she could not answer.
She heard a flurry of rustling skirts behind her, and an anguished gasp, "Lucie…" Her sister's slender hands rested comfortingly on her shoulders. "I saw you fighting with that rude man…are you all right?"
Lucrecia nodded, not trusting her voice. Elmyra bent down and hugged her around the neck; the gold butterflies in her hair lightly scratched Lucrecia's ear. The tears pushed harder against Lucrecia's eyelids, but she refused to release them. You used to hug me like this when we were children…What happened to us, Elly? They call the slums dismal, but it was never as dismal as the world is now…
"Pay him no mind," Elmyra said, quietly but firmly. "Hear me? He's just a bitter old man, and he's probably jealous of you and Vincent, since you're having a good time. Don't you let him get you upset, Luce, it's not worth it."
Worth it…what's not worth it, Hojo or me? Lucrecia tried to clear her mind and breathed deeply until the tears subsided. She opened her eyes; Vincent still sat in front of her, holding her hands in his, watching her with quiet concern. He smiled faintly as she recovered her composure, and ran the back of his hand lightly over her cheek. "To me you're more than deserving," he murmured. "Nothing else matters."
I wish I believed that.
She swallowed, clearing the last of the lump in her throat. "Thank you," she said, only a little unsteadily. "Both of you." She squeezed Vincent's hand, then reached behind her to hug her sister. Elmyra sighed contentedly and stood up.
"There's my girl," she said. "Now, do you want those dancing lessons or not?"
Lucrecia smiled in spite of herself. "Sure."
The Gainsborough sisters and their respective paramours made their way to the edge of the dance floor. For a moment they hung together uncertainly as couples, hand in hand, but then Elmyra let go of her fiancee and took a hold of Vincent's arm. Lucrecia's stomach clenched and her eyes swam. Her hands tightened into fists among the folds of her skirt as Elmyra drew Vincent toward the floor. She barely felt the warm hand on her arm. "Lucrecia?" a voice wavered in her left ear.
She wheeled around. "What?" she yelped, her voice breaking.
Reece jumped back half a step, jerking his hand away. "N-nothing…I—we were just going to show you how to waltz, that's all…"
Lucrecia looked away from the stammering Shinra guard. Her vision sharpened again; she could see the polished stone floor, the deep red velvet of her gown—she smoothed out the wrinkles her fists had made as the humilated flush faded from her cheeks. Don't look up. Don't think about it. She focused on Reece, who was nervously wiping his hands on his dark green dress trousers and watching her with a worried look on his face. She willed the hunted look away from her eyes and forced herself to breathe evenly. Don't get too upset, nothing's happened… stop it! You're acting like a maniac…Vincent has no interest in her…just remember that…no interest, none…despite the fact that any red-blooded man would—Stop it! She swallowed, cleared her throat. "Sorry, Reece." She was finally relaxed enough to smile.
"Are you all right?" She detected his barely suppressed urge to add "miss" to the end of the question.
"I'm fine." So far. Lucrecia held her hand out to her future brother-in-law, a peace offering, to calm their jangled nerves. He took her hand, a smile breaking over his young face. They walked together onto the dance floor, next to Elmyra and Vincent. No interest, remember? He's not even her type, despite the fact that he has a pulse—stop it!
Elmyra spun around, her gown billowing around her feet, and faced the others like a first-grade teacher. "All right now, Reecie, you show Luce the basic three-fourths step, and I'll show Vince."
"Vincent," Lucrecia and Vincent both corrected automatically, though Vincent added, "please."
"Oh, all right, all right," Elmyra laughed. "Vincent then. Hurry up, the next song's starting."
Lucrecia tore her eyes away from the sight of her sister and Vincent in a waltz's half-embrace. She allowed Reece to carefully arrange her into the same position, and slowly started to lose herself in the technique and measure that made up the underpinnings of the dance. Though Reece was awkwardly shorter than Lucrecia and had a tendency to count under his breath, he made an able instructor. After two songs Lucrecia felt she'd gotten it right; she felt more confident, more able to listen to the music rather than concentrating on counting. She lifted her head, no longer afraid of stepping on Reece's polished boots. The ball swirled around her, the glistening floor crowded with couples—young, old, skilled and tentative, dressed in uniforms, suits, gowns, beaded and feathered, polished and starched. The orchestra still played as if they would never tire; the music swelled toward the arched ceiling, echoing faintly as if in a cathedral. Lucrecia closed her eyes. I remember this. No matter what else happens, this is what I'll remember. Reece spun her out to arm's length, and someone caught her again; she opened her eyes to see Vincent's face.
Lucrecia suppressed a smile for the moment, asking with seeming seriousness, "Do you know how to dance, Mr. Valentine?"
"A bit. Would you care to dance with me, Miss Gainsborough?"
"Absolutely." She slipped into position, relieved to feel Vincent's arms around her again. I could never get tired of this…no, it's this I'll remember, out of everything…
They moved together onto the floor, gliding as one. And for the next thirty seconds, Lucrecia felt that nothing could ever stop their bliss…
