Rowan walked away from the crowd and stood exactly at the very foot of the grand staircase.

He stood tall, his broad shoulders completely straight in his dark evening coat. He looked up.

Delaney was walking down the carpeted steps in her shimmering silver silk dress. She moved with perfect grace.

Rowan took a deep, steadying breath. His heart was beating a very fast rhythm against his ribs. He stretched his hand out toward her, opening his large palms in a gesture of complete, absolute welcome.

Delaney took the final step down. She stood on the polished marble floor of the ballroom, just inches away from him.

Rowan looked deeply into her bright hazel eyes. He offered a very small, perfectly polite bow of his head.

"Lady Kingsley," Rowan said softly. His deep voice carried clearly in the quiet space between them.

Delaney looked at him, her heart completely full of love. "Your Grace."

Rowan did not lower his hands. He kept them stretched out toward her. He offered her a warm, incredibly handsome smile that made the corners of his blue eyes crinkle.

"Would you do me the great honor," Rowan asked, his voice steady and completely devoted, "of having the very first dance with me?"

In the strict rules of London high society, the very first dance of a grand ball was incredibly important. A Duke asking a young lady for the first dance was a clear, undeniable public statement of his deep romantic interest. It told the entire Ton that she was his chosen favorite.

Delaney smiled. It was a bright, beautiful, completely happy smile. She reached out with her hands, covered in smooth white silk gloves.

She got down and took Rowan’s hands. She placed her small fingers gently into his large, waiting palms. His fingers immediately closed around hers, holding her firmly and securely. His hands felt incredibly warm.

"It would be an absolute pleasure, Your Grace," Delaney replied smoothly. She offered him a small, elegant curtsy, bending her knees slightly so her silver skirts puffed out over the marble floor.

Rowan gently pulled her closer. He placed her right hand neatly onto the crook of his left arm.

"Thank you," Rowan whispered softly.

He turned and began to walk. Rowan led her away from the bottom of the staircase and directly toward the very center of the polished dance floor.

As they walked, the large sea of wealthy guests naturally parted for them. The lords and ladies took quick steps backward, opening a wide, clear path. The guests whispered quietly behind their hands, watching the couple.

Rowan kept his head high, completely proud to have Delaney walking right beside him. Delaney kept her chin level, feeling a deep, profound sense of safety. With Rowan’s strong arm holding hers, she did not feel afraid of the staring crowd at all.

While Rowan and Delaney walked to the center of the room, Aunt Renee moved through the crowd as well.

Aunt Renee, wearing her dark orange velvet dress, walked quickly across the edge of the ballroom. She went to exactly where Aunt Margery was standing near the tall glass windows.

Aunt Margery was clutching a delicate lace handkerchief tightly in her hands. Her eyes were completely filled with bright, happy tears.

"Oh, Renee," Aunt Margery whispered, dabbing her wet eyes carefully so she would not ruin her face powder. "Look at them. They look absolutely perfect together. Just like a proper king and queen."

Aunt Renee smiled proudly, linking her arm through Aunt Margery’s arm. "Yes, they do, Margery. Our Delaney has finally found her true happiness."

The two older women stood closely together, watching the young couple with joy.

Out on the dance floor, Rowan and Delaney reached the exact center of the room. They stood completely alone under the largest, brightest crystal chandelier.

Rowan turned to face her. He let go of her arm.

He raised his right hand and signaled directly to the leader of the orchestra standing on the balcony above them. The conductor nodded his head quickly and raised his small wooden baton into the air.

The orchestra began playing.

They played a slow, sweeping, deeply romantic waltz. The sweet sound of the violins and the deep, rich notes of the cellos filled the grand ballroom completely.

The waltz was considered a highly scandalous, intimate dance by many of the older members of the Ton. It required the gentleman and the lady to stand incredibly close to each other, facing one another, with their bodies almost touching. But Rowan did not care about the older rules. He wanted to hold her.

Rowan stepped very close to Delaney. He raised his right arm. He placed his large, warm hand firmly on the curve of her waist, resting his palm flat against the smooth silver silk of her dress.

Delaney felt a sudden, sharp thrill shoot straight down her spine at his touch. She took a soft breath. She raised her left hand.

Delaney put her hand gently on his broad shoulder, feeling the fine, dark wool of his evening coat beneath her white silk glove.

Rowan lifted his free left hand, holding his palm open. Delaney placed her right hand into his. He closed his fingers gently around hers, raising their joined hands into the air between them.

They stood together in the perfect, intimate frame of the waltz.

Rowan looked deeply into her bright hazel eyes. He offered a small, reassuring nod.

"Follow me," Rowan whispered softly.

He took the very first step forward. Delaney stepped backward in perfect, smooth time with the soft music.

They began to dance.

They glided effortlessly across the polished wooden floor.

One, two, three. One, two, three.

They moved in a large, sweeping circle, turning slowly under the golden candlelight. Rowan was a masterful dancer. He led her with confidence. His hand on her waist was entirely firm, guiding her every single movement so she never felt lost or clumsy.

Delaney followed him beautifully. Her silver silk skirts swished loudly around her ankles, flaring out slightly every time they turned a sharp corner. She kept her eyes focused entirely on his handsome face, completely ignoring the hundreds of people watching them. In her mind, the massive, crowded ballroom was completely empty. It was only the two of them, moving together in perfect harmony.

After some minutes of dancing alone, the rules of the ball allowed other couples to join the floor.

Ines and her husband, the Duke of Carleton, were the very first to step out. Carcel smiled warmly, placing his hand on Ines’s waist, and they began to waltz right behind Rowan and Delaney. Then, the rest of the guests who wanted to waltz quickly flooded the dance floor. Soon, the room was filled with dozens of spinning couples, bright colors mixing together like a beautiful, moving painting.

But even surrounded by a large crowd, Rowan and Delaney remained entirely in their own private world.

Rowan looked down at her face. He noted the happy, peaceful curve of her pink lips and the bright, sparkling light in her eyes.

"You look beautiful, my lady," Rowan said softly. His deep voice easily cut through the sound of the violins and the chatter of the dancing crowd.

He applied a gentle pressure to her waist, guiding her into a smooth, elegant spin.

Delaney turned gracefully under his raised arm, her silver skirts flying out in a perfect circle, before returning directly back into his waiting embrace.

Delaney smiled, slightly breathless from the spin. She looked at his perfectly tied white cravat and his sharp, handsome features.

"Likewise, Your Grace," Delaney replied, her voice sweet. "You look very handsome tonight."