Lord Greyton's Fall From Grace (Lords of Avalon Novella Series) (2 page)

Grace took Owen
’
s arm
.
He led her
onto the dance floor.

She
smiled up at him
as
the waltz
began
.
It had been
at least two
years since she danced with
Owen
.
As they whirled about the floor, Grace was reminded what an
accomplis
h
ed
dancer
he was
.

“I’m glad you
’
r
e
back, Grace!” He finally spoke
.
He was mesmerized by the beauty he held in his arms
.
Not only was Grace beautiful, she was smart, gentle and kind, and she had a wonderful sense of humor
.
He knew all this to be true, for t
hey
grew
up together in Hartland
.
The
y
played together as children.
Her absence had affected him mor
e than he realized, he reasoned.
Having
fully expected to hear of Grace
being engaged or
married
, he had prepared himself for the disappointment
such news would bring
. But here she was, the same gentle lady, un
married and smiling up at him. He was so thankful at that moment to be holding Grace in his arms
.

“I’m so happy to be back
home
in Hartland
, Owen
.
Father
hoped I would return to
Radley
married
, but I
did not
.
I am happy to be home.
I missed Devon very much.”
And you!
She dared not say it, but
the words and emotions were
there, in her heart.

No man she met in London was comparable to Owen in her
opinion
.
Though for some years, although Owen always
treated her with the utmost respect and
kind
ness
, he had
n’
t seemed
particularly
interested in her in the
romantic
way
.
Until tonight
.
Indeed, he did seem interested
.

“I’m
happy you came home, Grace
, and that you are unmarried
.”
H
e
meant it
.
Owen couldn’t keep his eyes from Grace’s
beautiful face
.
Her beauty was classic. Her features were lovely and delicate
.
Her skin was creamy and flawless. It was her large, liquid brown eyes
and long dark lashes that
mesmerized him.

The way she felt in his arms
this night
seemed
so right
.
In years
past he remembered being
satisfied
with a mere kiss from Grace
.
He realized at that moment he wanted much more than stolen kisses from this woman. He felt a peace settle over him
at that moment
.

He
spent his adult years searching for that thing that would fulfill him
.
He had never know
n
exactly what it was he searched for
.
He
now
guessed the
fulfillment
he had been searching for had been right under his nose all along
.
It stood before him i
n the form of
Grace Brackenridge;
a young woman who lived not five miles from Roseland Abbey, and whom he now held in his arms
.
He could pic
ture
Grace
in his mind at that moment
,
at Roseland with him as his wife
.
Truly this was
the first time in his life he ever contemplated marriage
.
The thought overpowered him.
Not in an overwhelming way, but a
warm, happy, even peaceful way.

Grace happened to glance beside them to see Charlie and
Catherine whirl by them
.
They
were
both
frowning, appeared
quite
u
nhappy and spoke in hushed
, serious
tones
.

She returned her gaze to Owen and smiled when she realized he was studying her
.
He returned her smile
.
It was a slow, lazy smile that made her tingle all over
.

When the dance ended, Owen
kept Grace’s hand upon his arm and
led
her
to the refreshment table
.
They talked to Charlie
who was now joined by
Grace’s friend,
Meg
.
Grace
noted
that Catherine
had rejoined
Tuesday and Wednesday
.

After some
jovial
conversation, t
he
pair of couples decided to
step
out
onto the veranda
.
At Charlie’s suggestion, they walked
along
the garden
path which became dar
ker the farther
they went
.
A
fter a time
,
Charlie and M
eg
turned down
a different
path
.

Grace found herself alone with Owen
.

“Grace?” Owen stopped walking
.

“Yes, Owen?” Grace stopped and looked up into his eyes
.

“I wish to court you, Grace
.
Is that acceptable to you?”

“Yes!” Grace br
eathed. “It makes me very happy
actually.” She smiled.

“I wish to call on you tomorrow at Radley.”

“I will look forward to your vis
i
t
, Owen
.”

Owen
’s expression grew
serious
.
“I missed you Grace.”

“I missed you
too
, Owen
.”
It was why she had not married any other after all.

“I stole a kis
s
from you once when you were
eighteen, do you remember?” h
e asked her.

Grace nodded
.
“Yes, even though it was
five
years ago, I do remember.” She had never forgotten
.
In truth she played the scene over and over in her mind
since that time
.

“Will you let me kiss you now, Grace?”

Grace
boldly
stepped toward him
.
She would
not
miss the opportunity
she
had
dreamed of
.
“
I will.
I would like
you to kiss me
, Owen.”

Owen’s large hands moved to her shoulders
.
He
eased
Grace
gently toward
him and covered her lips with his
.
The kiss
began
sweet and tender;
and though he tried to keep himself reined in, passion flamed between them and he deepened the kiss
and
probed the warmth of her mouth with his tongue.
She responded!

Grace felt heat travel through her body and limbs
.
She did not remember the kiss of
five
years before being quite so passionate
.
She did not remember clinging to Owen desperately and responding so hungrily,
or pressing herself against
his
hard muscular body
.
In truth
she felt she
might
die
at that moment
if she did not get closer to him
.

“You are so beautiful, Grace
.
Dear, dear, Grace,” Owen whispered breathlessly in her ear before his lips trailed a
path
down the curve of her neck
.

Owen’s lips returned to hers once more
.
He kissed her thoroughly and deeply befor
e pulling away
.
“Grace, we
best return to the ballroom
.
I fear o
ur presence will be
missed
.
I will c
all on you at two tomorrow.
I
insist upon having
two more of your dances tonight.”

Grace was trying to
collect herself
after such a
wondrous
experience.
Never had she been kissed like that.
“Yes, we
should
return
.
I have a country dance and another waltz that I saved for you, Owen
.
Tw
o o’clock tomorrow shall be perfect
.
I look forward to your
visit
.
”

He grinned as Grace presented him with a dazzling smile.

As they neared the path where Charlie and M
eg
turned off they heard Charlie’s voice, though raspy and deep, “Sweet Jesu, Meg!”

Grace cocked her head
and looked at
Owen
.
Charlie sounded as if he were in pain.

“Charlie, we nee
d to get the ladies back inside,
” Owen called out.

“A few more min
utes…meet us near the veranda.”

Grace thought Charlie’s voice still sounded stra
ined
, y
et she heard a giggle f
r
o
m her friend M
eg
.

“Come Grace,” Owen wrapped his large hand about her upper arm and pulled her forward on the path.

“Owen, Charlie sounded odd, what were they doing?” Grace asked.

Owen stopped
.
They were still well hidden in the tall hedges
.
“Shh, Grace.” He placed his finger on her beautiful, rosy lips
, still swollen from his kisses
.
“Don’t think about Charlie and M
eg
.
Think about us.
” He lowered his head and kissed her again
.

In Owen
’
s arms, with their tongues entwined, Grace
did
forg
e
t all about Charlie and M
eg
.

Owen danced
a
country dance with Grace and another with his sister, Libby
.
They now
stood in a large group that included,
Owen and Libby,
Charlie
and his sisters
, Matthias
,
Grace, Meg
and
her mother
, Mrs. Bell,
a
s well as
Lady Burrow
.
Grace’s father
stopped by
their circle
to pay his addresses
and afterward
excused himself to withdraw to the card
room
.

Owen found he could scarcely keep his eyes off of Grace as she
spoke
with his sister Libby
and Charlie’s sister, Tuesday
.
The next was a waltz,
his waltz
with Grace.

Just before the waltz beg
a
n, Lord Marston approached
the group
.