“I had just thought that I might get some answers by speaking to him,” she said. Daniel noticed that her guard seemed to be going back up and she was watching her words once more. He did not want her to shut him out again, so he tried to keep talking to her.
“What answers are you seeking?” he asked. He stopped walking and turned to face Rose.
Rose seemed to struggle with something for several moments. Daniel held his breath, praying that he had not pressed too hard too quickly. At last, she sighed.
“I suppose that you deserve to know, since you helped me just now,” she said. “And since you defended me, without even knowing why.”
Daniel nodded, not daring to speak. He stood looking warmly at Rose, silently encouraging her to talk to him.
“I am investigating the mystery of the theater’s sabotage,” she said. Daniel thought that she sounded and looked guilty, and he suspected that he knew why. Daniel, of course, knew what she was doing because, as the Specter, he was helping her do the same. But Rose could not know that he knew, so he needed her to tell him everything herself.
“I suspected as much,” he said thoughtfully. “I could not think of many other reasons as to why you would be so intent on meeting Lord Norton, or why you would ask him about the night of the incident.”
Rose blushed.
“Of course,” she said. “You are very clever, indeed. I did not mean to insult your intelligence.”
Daniel took her hands and grinned widely.
“Well,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “If it is any consolation, I am willing to forgive the slight, so long as you promise to allow me to help you with your investigation.”
Rose looked at him, and Daniel was pleased to see that she looked both relieved and amused.
“And if I do not?” she asked, her own eyes sparkling with humor.
“Well,” Daniel said slowly. “I suppose that I will be forced to forgive you, anyway, and persist until you relent and agree to let me help you.”
Rose laughed, and Daniel once more thought it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.
Before he fully realized what he was doing, he closed the small distance between himself and Rose, and leaned his head down to her. Her eyes were wide, but she tilted her head up to meet his.
Just then, the sound of loud laughter startled the couple. Daniel looked up to see another man and woman, who appeared to have been enjoying the champagne quite a bit, entering the gardens.
He quickly put a respectable distance between him and Rose, but he took her hand. Despite his agitation at the interruption, he smiled.
“Shall we?” he asked, gesturing toward the ballroom.
Rose nodded, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright.
Once they were back inside the ballroom, Daniel turned to Rose.
“This evening has been lovely,” Daniel said. “But I am afraid that I must go.”
Rose nodded, smiling.
“As must I,” she said. “I am anxious to ask Father how the reopening went.”
Daniel returned Rose’s smile. He took her hand and bowed, kissing her knuckles as he straightened himself. Rose blushed again.
“Thank you for the wonderful dance,” he said, his heart pounding. Once more, he regretted that he had been interrupted before he could kiss Rose.
Rose curtsied, her smiled widening.
“It was wonderful, indeed,” she said. “And thank you for everything you did for me tonight.”
“It was truly my pleasure, Lady Rose,” he said, unable to resist kissing her knuckles once more. “Allow me to walk you to your carriage.”
Rose took his arm, and they walked outside to the awaiting carriages in comfortable silence. When they reached hers, he helped her inside and bowed to her once more.
“Good night, my lady,” he said.
“Good night, Lord Elbrook,” Rose said.
He watched her coach until it was out of sight before he made his way to his own. Once inside, he collapsed, the fatigue of the entire night quickly settling over him.
“Well?” a voice said, startling Daniel. He looked up to see Samuel looking at him with excited expectation.
“It was wonderful,” Daniel said.
However, now that his excitement of seeing and dancing with Rose was fading, guilt and turmoil was rapidly taking its place. It had begun to surface when Rose made her confession about her investigation. She had seemed so afraid of what he would think of her, and that was a fear that he could very well understand. His secret, however, was much greater, and with his feelings for her growing ever stronger, he struggled with himself about revealing it to her.
As the carriage pulled away from the house where the ball was held, the moonlight illuminated Samuel’s face, and Daniel could see that his valet was watching him intently.
“For a man who was on top of the world mere hours ago, you certainly appear to have the weight of it sitting heavily on you, now,” Samuel said.
Daniel sighed.
“It feels much like the weight of it is sitting on me,” he said.
Samuel smiled kindly at Daniel.
“What is it that is troubling you, milord?” he asked. Then, he gasped. “Did your lady friend discover your secret?”
Daniel took a deep breath and shook his head.
“No,” he said. “Though, I wonder if it would have been better if she had.”
Samuel nodded knowingly.
“You are feeling guilty for keeping something so important from her,” he said, a statement rather than a question.
“Yes,” Daniel admitted. Although guilty is something of an understatement, he added silently.
“Is it because your feelings for her are growing stronger?” Samuel asked. Daniel knew that Samuel already knew the answer, but he also knew that Samuel was trying to help Daniel talk through his conflicting thoughts and feelings.
“Yes,” Daniel said again.
“And does she reciprocate those feelings?” Samuel asked.
Daniel smiled, thinking of the kiss they almost shared.
“I believe that she does,” he said.
“Well,” Samuel said. “That does seem to be quite the predicament, indeed.”
Daniel nodded. The two men sat in silence for a few moments.
“Well,” Samuel said at last. “Trust is crucial in any relationship. You must have mutual trust before the feelings you have now can blossom into something more.”
Daniel sighed again.