Читать книгу Mills & Boon Modern Romance Collection: February 2015 - Кэрол Мортимер, Кэрол Мортимер - Страница 20

EPILOGUE

‘IT’S ALL GOING to be fine, Darius.’ Kim reached out to firmly grasp his hands in hers as he peered tensely from the theatre box down onto the stage as they waited for Miranda to make her appearance as Odette. ‘I haven’t said this to you before, but your love and belief in Andy are what has made tonight possible,’ her sister added huskily. ‘And I will be forever grateful to you because of it.’

Darius and Kim had developed a friendship over the past three weeks, mainly because of the deep love they both felt for Miranda. The same deep love that had made Kim distrust him that first night at the restaurant, but which now gave the two of them, and Colin, a deep family bond.

It had been the happiest three weeks of Darius’s life, his love, and admiration and pride for Miranda growing stronger every day.

His love because somewhere in amongst the chaos the two of them had managed to organise a wedding for next month, and in just two weeks’ time he would finally claim his virgin bride.

Admiration because Miranda had found the courage to go with him to the police about Tia Bellamy. The other woman had vehemently denied Miranda’s accusation at first, but broken down and confessed when informed that several other people had come forward—with a little helpful nudge from Darius, after he had made his own investigation into the other woman’s behaviour—with reports of the other woman’s vindictiveness, to a degree that the ballet company had now suspended Tia’s contract while the investigation continued.

Miranda, as he had known she would, had remained strong throughout that ordeal.

And he was so proud of her for the way in which she had battled to overcome and conquer the years of not dancing, by pushing herself to the limit and beyond with hours and hours of punishing rehearsal in preparation for tonight’s performance.

Not just for herself, she had told him, but also for him. Because he had believed in her when she hadn’t.

Was it any wonder, knowing that he was the reason Miranda had found the courage and will to dance in public again, that he now felt so nervous he thought he might actually be physically ill?

‘Courage, mon brave.’ Xander placed a reassuring hand on Darius’s shoulder, nowhere near physically recovered, but having managed to hobble to the box in the theatre with the help of his crutches. ‘Andy is going to be amazing,’ he added with certainty.

All of Darius’s family, and Miranda’s, were sitting together in the family box: Xander, Kim and Colin, and his mother and Charles. Because they were a family now. All of them. Brought together by the deep love he and Miranda felt for each other.

If anything Darius was even more in love with her now than he had been three weeks ago.

‘Here we go,’ Xander murmured as the lights dimmed and the curtain began to rise.

* * *

Andy’s heart was beating wildly in her chest as the curtains lifted in front of where she stood poised in the centre of the stage, the opening bars of the music beginning to play softly, the audience falling expectantly silent.

Andy froze as she looked out at that sea of faces, her heart now pounding loudly, a buzzing in her ears, her stomach churning as she wondered if she was going to be able to do this, after all.

And then she looked up into the box, where she knew Darius was sitting with their families, a calm falling over her as she saw his love for her glowing in his face.

Love and pride.

The same love and pride Darius could see shining for him in Miranda’s expression before her shoulders straightened and she began to dance. For him. Only for him. She was a delicate white swan, flying nimble and free across the stage, every movement graceful and perfect.

His Miranda...

* * * * *

Read on for an extract from PLAYING BY THE GREEK’S RULES by Sarah Morgan.