Dashiell couldn’t tear his eyes away from Thea as she enjoyed the meal in front of her.
The two of them were seated at a restaurant, sharing dinner together.
They had spent the day out together, buying a few things they would need for tomorrow’s trip.
Today, Dashiell had bought Thea plenty of things, and this time, she hadn’t refused any of it.
Thea lifted her face; she’d been too focused on cutting into her steak to notice him watching.
She was surprised to find Dashiell staring at her without having touched his own food.
She glanced over her shoulder, checking behind her.
Maybe there was someone he’d been looking at, but there was no one there at all.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Her question snapped Dashiell out of his thoughts.
“Hm, it’s nothing.” Dashiell went back to his meal.
His men had already identified the woman his wife had sent the money to.
It was a bit of a surprise.
She was nothing more than a farmer, living in a country far from where they were.
“Can I ask you something?” It couldn’t hurt to dig a little deeper.
He wanted to see how Saphira would react when he asked.
“Of course, Dashiell. What do you want to ask?”
“I know you withdrew five thousand dollars.”
“Yeah, I’ll pay you back once I have the money,” she wasn’t going to hide it, since she really had taken the money.
“Relax, you don’t need to pay it back. But I do want to know, what did you need that much money for, Saphira?” He didn’t want to keep saying that name anymore, but he had no idea what else to call his wife.
“M-me?” Thea lowered her head, caught off guard by the question.
She had to come up with a believable reason, and fast, so he’d actually believe her.
“Why? Did you use it for something you shouldn’t have? Did you give it to some man on the side?” He pretended not to already know.
“Of course not, Dashiell. How many times do I have to tell you I don’t have anyone on the side. I gave that money to someone who has meant so much to me in my life. I couldn’t ask my father for it, because there’s no way he’d agree to give it to me. So the only option I had left was to borrow it from you,” she wasn’t lying about that part, at least, since she really did owe an enormous debt of gratitude to her mother.
“Is that true?” Was this woman perhaps a former maid from Saphira’s household, or maybe an old professor of hers?
“Trust me, I’m not lying. You’re my husband. I have no reason to deceive you, so please, believe me.”
“What you’re saying is genuinely surprising, Saphira. I got the impression you never wanted this marriage in the first place!”
“Well, I… I want it now,” she said, the lie slipping easily from her lips. New chapters come out on g.com first.
She didn’t dare look at Dashiell, afraid he might see straight through her.
“I have to say, I’m truly stunned to hear that.” Dashiell went back to cutting his steak.
What else could he possibly say?
There was so much about this woman that kept catching him off guard.
“What time are we leaving tomorrow, Dashiell?”
“Ten o’clock. I’ve already taken care of everything, so you don’t need to worry.”
“Alright, I trust you. I already got permission from my professor too,” her anxiety crept back in, since she was still terrified of running into Saphira while they were in Paris.
They fell into a quiet rhythm, finishing their meal in silence.
Dashiell was lost in his own thoughts, while Thea was consumed by her own fear.
Once his plate was empty, Dashiell wiped his mouth and rose from his chair.
Thea watched him walk toward her and stop at her side.
Dashiell bent slightly, extending his hand toward her.
“Would you like to dance with me?” The question caught Thea off guard.
“M-me?” She had never danced before in her life, so she had no idea how.
She’d never learned, since as far as she knew, dancing was something only wealthy people did.
“Why? Don’t tell me a young lady like you doesn’t know how to dance.”
“Th-that’s not it,” Thea placed her hand in his.
“Of course I can!” She couldn’t let her hesitation make him any more suspicious of her.
“Then why do you look so unsure?” Dashiell pulled her up to her feet.
One of his hands settled at her waist, drawing her body slowly closer.
Thea looked up at him, a soft smile spreading across her face.
“You still haven’t answered me.” His hand shifted, coming to rest under her chin.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve done this, so I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake. I don’t want to embarrass you just because of something as simple as dancing.”
“That won’t happen.” Dashiell pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
Thea’s heart pounded.
She was terrified that this dance would somehow expose her lie to Dashiell.
His hand was already resting at her waist, his other hand holding hers firmly.
Their bodies pressed close together, and the closeness left Thea feeling anything but comfortable.
“There’s no need to be nervous, just follow my lead,” Dashiell murmured softly.
He suspected the woman genuinely didn’t know how to dance.
“Alright,” she told herself to stay calm, that she had to stay calm.
Thea began to move.
She tried to lose herself in something she was experiencing for the very first time.
The soft, melodic music swept over her, and combined with the gentle way Dashiell’s hand moved against her back, she felt herself being carried away.
The warmth of his breath and the scent of him only pulled her further under his spell.
They held each other close now.
Thea rested against Dashiell’s chest, feeling the warmth radiating from him.
Tonight, she didn’t want to think about her false role, she only wanted to enjoy being Dashiell’s wife, even if all of it was nothing more than an illusion.
She knew she would lose all of this eventually, and she knew she would never get to experience it again, so she wanted to savor every moment of it while she still could.
“Dashiell, do you love me?” The question made Dashiell go still, his movements coming to a halt.
“Why would you ask something like that?”
“I just wanted to know.” Thea lifted her face and looked at him with a wistful expression.
“We’ve been together for several days now. Is there truly not even the smallest bit of feeling in your heart for me?” She wasn’t even sure anymore whether that question had been meant for Saphira, or for herself.
“You know,” Dashiell slowly stroked her face, “these things take time.” Even he didn’t fully understand his own feelings, and he still didn’t know whether the woman standing before him right now was truly Saphira or not.
“I hope that feeling exists for me someday,” Thea held onto his hand.
She knew it was a selfish thing to wish for, but it was a small comfort she allowed herself, because even if Dashiell did come to love her, that love would surely belong to Saphira in the end.
What could someone like her, a mere substitute, possibly hope to have?
“I’ll let you know the moment that feeling is there.” Dashiell tilted her chin up and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
They gazed at each other for a moment, but they never returned to their dance, because Dashiell kissed Thea right there, in the middle of the other guests, all moving gracefully to the soft, melodic music around them.