Damon and Camilla stood close together in the center of the floor. Their bodies were still lightly pressed against each other. Their breathing was slightly heavy from the intense, fast spin at the end of the dance.

Camilla slowly took her hands away from Damon’s neck. She took a step backward, creating some distance between them. Her face was slightly warm, and her heart was still beating in a strange, rapid rhythm. She quickly smoothed down the front of her dress.

Damon did not say a word. He stood tall, his eyes fixed on her flushed face. He slowly lowered his right hand from her waist, but his fingers lingered on the soft fabric of her dress for a brief second before his arm dropped to his side.

At the edge of the dance floor, near a tall white pillar, Duke Carson stood with one of his oldest, most trusted noble friends. The friend’s name was Lord Marcus, a wealthy elder lord from the capital city. Both men were holding glasses of red wine. They had watched the entire performance from the very first step to the final, intimate turn.

Lord Marcus took a slow sip of his wine. He looked at the young couple standing in the center of the room. He smiled a very warm, satisfied smile.

"Your grandson and granddaughter-in-law are such a perfect match, Carson," Lord Marcus spoke. His voice was deep and full of admiration. "I have never seen the General look so completely captured by a woman. He usually looks like he wants to execute everyone in the room. But tonight, he looks entirely different."

Duke Carson let out a loud satisfied laugh. His chest puffed out with immense pride under his dark velvet coat. He tapped his cane gently against the floorboards. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Of course they are a perfect match, Marcus," Duke Carson replied happily. He took a sip of his own wine, his eyes sparkling with delight. "It took me a lot of effort to achieve this happy result. I had to manage so many details behind the scenes. And I must say, I am incredibly proud of my work."

Carson was thinking about how he had sent Mr. Murry to lock Camilla’s bedroom door, how he had ordered all the comfortable furniture to be removed, and how he had personally commissioned the beautiful dress she was wearing tonight. Every single trick had worked flawlessly.

Lord Marcus chuckled, nodding his head. He looked back at Damon.

"Indeed," Marcus replied softly, his voice serious. "Your grandson looks like he’s deeply in love. The way he held her waist... the way he glared at anyone who got too close. It is very clear he wants to protect her from the entire world."

Duke Carson’s smile grew even wider. He looked at Damon and Camilla, who were now walking slowly off the dance floor together.

"Yes," Carson agreed, his voice full of absolute certainty. "He is deeply in love. He just has a very stubborn head, but his heart has finally been conquered by her."

A few hours slowly passed.

The grand ball finally began to wind down. The lively waltz music ended, and the musicians in the corner of the ballroom began to pack away their violins and flutes. The bright wax candles inside the three massive crystal chandeliers were burning low, casting soft, flickering yellow shadows across the large room.

The hundreds of wealthy guests began to depart. They bowed to the old Duke, thanked him for the wonderful evening, and walked out the front doors to their waiting carriages.

Camilla stood near the entrance of the ballroom. She felt incredibly tired. Her feet ached slightly from stepping on Damon’s boots during the dance, and her mind was exhausted from constantly acting like a sweet, devoted wife. She kept her head down, hoping she could finally go back to her own quiet bedroom at the mansion.

Damon stood right next to her. He had his hands resting behind his back. His face was a cold, silent mask. He too was exhausted, but his thoughts were still slightly troubled by her earlier remarks about his cousin Allen. He kept his eyes on the open doorway.

Duke Carson walked slowly toward them, leaning heavily on his cane. Mr. Murry walked quietly behind his right shoulder.

"Damon, Camilla, my children," Carson spoke. His deep voice carried a very warm, grandfatherly tone.

They both turned their heads and bowed politely to the old man.

"The night is very late," Carson said, looking out the glass windows at the dark, cold courtyard. "The roads leading back to your mansion are dark, empty, and dangerous. I insist that the two of you stay the night here at the main estate."

Camilla’s heart instantly gave a worried thump.

"Stay here?" Camilla thought to herself, her mind entering a sudden panic. "No, no, no. I want to go home. If we stay here, we will be forced to share a bed. No floor blanket. I cannot deal with another night of awkwardness."

She wanted to refuse politely. She wanted to tell him that they had important duties at their own house tomorrow morning. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a single word out, Damon spoke first.

"Thank you, Grandfather," Damon said. His voice was calm, flat, and respectful. "We will stay."

Damon knew his grandfather’s stubborn nature. If they refused and insisted on driving home in the dark, the old Duke would become suspicious. He would think they were still fighting. Damon did not want to deal with his grandfather’s meddling anymore. Staying was the easiest way to keep up their perfect, loving act.

Camilla quickly closed her mouth. She glared secretly at the side of Damon’s face, but she forced her sweet, obedient smile to remain in place.

"Thank you, Grandfather," Camilla whispered sweetly.

Duke Carson smiled warmly and satisfied. He turned to Murry.

"Murry, show them to the guest suite on the third floor," Carson ordered. "Make sure they have everything they need for a comfortable night."

"Right away, your grace," Murry replied with a deep bow.

The hallways of the old Benson estate were very dark and quiet. The walls were cold, and the only light came from the small oil lamp Murry was carrying in his hand.

Murry walked slowly ahead of them, his soft shoes making no sound on the floor. Damon and Camilla walked side by side behind him, keeping a polite distance between their bodies.

There was a suffocating silence between the married couple.

Neither of them wanted to talk about the waltz. Neither of them wanted to mention the way Damon had pulled her waist tightly against his chest, or the way she had wrapped her hands around his neck. The physical closeness of the dance had left them both feeling very strange, and they did not know how to handle the sudden tension.