Chap. 10
Eriol could never remember a time when he had felt as exhilarated as he felt now in his entire life. Her sweetness and sincerity overwhelmed him, and filled his cup of happiness until it overflowed, creating a river of love deep within his soul. And he knew that she had changed his life; she had given it color, and he could not imagine life without her anymore. Every looked brighter, and life suddenly had a sparkle that he'd never managed to notice before.
For the first time in his life, the cold-hearted, lonely Duke of Clynester became a warm and loving man who believed that life was worth living, and love worth knowing. All because one woman had touched his heart and wanted him for himself, not for what he had, and because he wanted her for who she was in return.
"Did you know," he said hoarsely, his gaze fixed on the dark silk of her lustrous hair, "that I had never truly lived before you came? That my life was empty before you came to fill that emptiness inside of me?"
This time, it was her turn to put her finger against his lips in the gesture of silence. "Yes," she said, her eyes shining with love, "I knew your loneliness and emptiness. I saw them in your eyes, and I wanted to take them away from you; I wanted you to feel happiness again, feel hope, and I have succeeded."
"You are my greatest achievement," she whispered achingly, "and I am yours. You are my love, and I know that I am yours. That is all we need to know." She smiled up at him. "However, now, we are the main focus of over a thousand eyes, which are curious as to why we are together so long."
Eriol looked up to see the entire population of the ton staring at them with curious eyes. As soon as they parted, however, the ton quickly began to talk the kind of talk that indicated that their thoughts were anywhere but the place they pretended it to be. "Obviously, we are the center of attention, are we not?" he asked Tomoyo, chuckling. "Why don't you go freshen up, while I wait for you on the ballroom balcony?"
She nodded her assent and dropped into a deep, graceful mercy. She then dutifully made her way upstairs to the ladies' room.
***********
It was fairly dark outside, and with the exception of moonlight streaming in, there was absolutely no light. Eriol waited, leaning over the balcony, waiting for Tomoyo to appear. His hair seemed to be made of the essence of shadows, which hid from what small streaks of light intruded within their sanctuary. A small smile played upon his lips as he visualized his one and only love in a white wedding dress. She would be breathtakingly beautiful, and she would-
He turned around, hearing the rustling of silk skirts, with a welcoming expression on his face that abruptly altered as soon as he realized that it was not her. "What are you doing here, Lady Katherine? Shouldn't you be inside?" he said, very irritated.
"It would seem that you were waiting for me, your grace. You had a most loving expression on your face just then," she said huskily. "You love me, I'm sure of it." Her hands trailed over his shoulders seductively, suggestively, as she neared him. "And I'm happy to tell you that it's mutual."
Eriol grabbed her wrists. "Stop," he said in a forbidding whisper. "You know perfectly well that I care nothing for you. I-"
Without warning, she leaned forward and kissed him on the mouth, and he heard glass shattering behind him. His head whipped around and he saw Tomoyo, her eyes riveted on him and the woman standing next to him. As he watched, her eyes filled with pain, which was quickly masked.
"I should never have trusted you," she whispered simply, and abruptly headed inside. Eriol cursed under his breath and followed after her, and while he did, Katerine's lips curved upwards into a sinuous smile.
Eriol could never remember a time when he had felt as exhilarated as he felt now in his entire life. Her sweetness and sincerity overwhelmed him, and filled his cup of happiness until it overflowed, creating a river of love deep within his soul. And he knew that she had changed his life; she had given it color, and he could not imagine life without her anymore. Every looked brighter, and life suddenly had a sparkle that he'd never managed to notice before.
For the first time in his life, the cold-hearted, lonely Duke of Clynester became a warm and loving man who believed that life was worth living, and love worth knowing. All because one woman had touched his heart and wanted him for himself, not for what he had, and because he wanted her for who she was in return.
"Did you know," he said hoarsely, his gaze fixed on the dark silk of her lustrous hair, "that I had never truly lived before you came? That my life was empty before you came to fill that emptiness inside of me?"
This time, it was her turn to put her finger against his lips in the gesture of silence. "Yes," she said, her eyes shining with love, "I knew your loneliness and emptiness. I saw them in your eyes, and I wanted to take them away from you; I wanted you to feel happiness again, feel hope, and I have succeeded."
"You are my greatest achievement," she whispered achingly, "and I am yours. You are my love, and I know that I am yours. That is all we need to know." She smiled up at him. "However, now, we are the main focus of over a thousand eyes, which are curious as to why we are together so long."
Eriol looked up to see the entire population of the ton staring at them with curious eyes. As soon as they parted, however, the ton quickly began to talk the kind of talk that indicated that their thoughts were anywhere but the place they pretended it to be. "Obviously, we are the center of attention, are we not?" he asked Tomoyo, chuckling. "Why don't you go freshen up, while I wait for you on the ballroom balcony?"
She nodded her assent and dropped into a deep, graceful mercy. She then dutifully made her way upstairs to the ladies' room.
***********
It was fairly dark outside, and with the exception of moonlight streaming in, there was absolutely no light. Eriol waited, leaning over the balcony, waiting for Tomoyo to appear. His hair seemed to be made of the essence of shadows, which hid from what small streaks of light intruded within their sanctuary. A small smile played upon his lips as he visualized his one and only love in a white wedding dress. She would be breathtakingly beautiful, and she would-
He turned around, hearing the rustling of silk skirts, with a welcoming expression on his face that abruptly altered as soon as he realized that it was not her. "What are you doing here, Lady Katherine? Shouldn't you be inside?" he said, very irritated.
"It would seem that you were waiting for me, your grace. You had a most loving expression on your face just then," she said huskily. "You love me, I'm sure of it." Her hands trailed over his shoulders seductively, suggestively, as she neared him. "And I'm happy to tell you that it's mutual."
Eriol grabbed her wrists. "Stop," he said in a forbidding whisper. "You know perfectly well that I care nothing for you. I-"
Without warning, she leaned forward and kissed him on the mouth, and he heard glass shattering behind him. His head whipped around and he saw Tomoyo, her eyes riveted on him and the woman standing next to him. As he watched, her eyes filled with pain, which was quickly masked.
"I should never have trusted you," she whispered simply, and abruptly headed inside. Eriol cursed under his breath and followed after her, and while he did, Katerine's lips curved upwards into a sinuous smile.