Page 69 of Solemn Vow

“You’ve been drinking?” Viktor’s warm hand takes my glass from me. I look up at him, and concern peers back.

“Just wine. I’m fine,” I assure him with a quick smile.

He deadpans when he sees Chantelle standing with us.

“Chantelle comes to the salon,” I explain before he starts making up other reasons for her being here.

“You did her hair? I love it,” Izzy compliments.

“Marlena’s the best,” Chantelle agrees.

“Your father is looking for you,” Sergei announces to Chantelle.

“They’re probably just wanting to get dinner started,” she says, her shoulders dropping. “Hopefully, I’ll see you later? Who knows what Margarite has planned for us.”

I try to give her a reassuring smile. “Try to have some fun.”

“You’ve never been to one of these things before, have you?” She laughs. “They’re stuffy and boring and full of people who are only playing nice so they can get something from you.”

“I think someone is trying to get your attention.” Billie gestures to a girl dressed in the same color blue gently waving in our direction.

Chantelle groans. “I’ve been found. I have to go.”

“I’m going to find our seats,” Sergei announces then stalks off into the crowd. “The sooner we eat, the sooner we leave.”

Only a moment after Sergei departs, a man walks into the room and announces dinner will be served in the grand dining hall.

“The grand dining hall? How big is this place?” I ask as Viktor sweeps me toward the door, following the moving herd.

“This is one of the largest estates in the city,” Billie says as we move toward the double doors. “After dinner, there’s dancing in a ballroom.”

“A ballroom?” It just shoots right out of my mouth. Several heads turn to see who just shouted. My face flames.

“You should have warned me this was so fancy.” I push my elbow into Viktor’s ribs.

He retaliates by pinching my hip. “Do you care about fancy?”

“No, but I don’t want to embarrass myself. Or you.”

He lifts an eyebrow at me. “You could never embarrass me,moy sladkiy voin.”

He has to stop saying all the right things. It’s unsettling and it’s starting to make me doubt my ability to walk away from him when he’s done with me.

We enter a dining room that easily seats over a hundred people. This is just the engagement party? How big will the wedding be?

He leads me to a table with our names printed with gold embossment on placement cards sitting on the plates. Viktor pulls out my chair for me.

“You’ll dance with me after dinner then?” I ask after he’s seated beside me.

He arches an eyebrow. “I don’t dance.”

He’s a liar.

“You said you wanted to dance.” Viktor gets up from his chair and cups my elbow. The doors leading to another room with a dance floor already laid out opened after the dessert was served. Music is already wafting in.

“Viktor, wait.” I drop my napkin on my chair as he pulls me away from the table. “I don’t know how to dance.” I yank back on him just as we approach the dance floor already filled with couples twirling around. This is not the dancing my friends and I did in high school. These people know what they’re doing.

“I’ll teach you. It’s easy.” He pulls me onto the edge of the dance floor where we won’t be in the way. He grabs my hand and lifts it, wrapping his other hand around my waist to my back. This part I know, and I position myself against him.

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