18
" I meant all the way to Lady Armitage’s house, which will be the climax of our efforts. Once I have my amulet, you can withdraw.”
Alex laughed. “Oh dear, I do love you,” he said—
And silence clamped down between them.
“Um,” he added, pushing a hand through his hair. “Metaphorically
speaking, of course.”
“Of course,” Charlotte agreed hastily. She realized she had stopped walking, possibly because her heart seemed to have stopped beating; she
began to stride once more along the street. “Do not look so concerned on
my behalf, Captain. It is a common enough statement. For example, I
myself love that house there with the wooden shutters. I love tea. I love
you, and your smile, and the way you sigh in your sleep. See, common.
Unconcerning. We are still enemies.”
“Mortal enemies,” he agreed, smiling rather self-consciously. "
― India Holton , The League of Gentlewomen Witches (Dangerous Damsels, #2)
20
" Madam,” he said. “May I have this dance?”
Elizabeth Bennet would have said yes from sheer surprise. Fanny Price would have said no and hidden her face. But Charlotte did not consult either. Instead, she frowned at the pirate, called him a fiend, and let him dance her in long strides across the floor. His smile was a hook, holding her up out of fear. Her hips moved in a manner she had not known them capable of. The two lines of dancers moved apart, with hands connected and arms raised to make a steepled lane. Witch and pirate danced through like shadows in the lamplight, portending night, leaving everyone blinking and enchanted. "
― India Holton , The League of Gentlewomen Witches (Dangerous Damsels, #2)
