SHE DANCED ALONE IN THE EMPTY BALLROOM AFTER MIDNIGHT-UNAWARE THE DUKE WAS WATCHING

wood when he wants to see a deer—slow, quiet, at the edge of her sight. He read in the library when she came to dust the shelves, walked in the garden when she came to cut roses, and passed her in the long gallery when she was carrying a folded pile of clean linen, offering only a nod before moving on.

He watched her and learned things: he learned that continue reading …