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George went still for an instant. Then his arms tightened about her, and he pressed a lingering kiss to her temple. “I never thought myself capable of loving a woman as I love you, Cori,” he said quietly. “I have spent years believing I understood everything worth knowing about pleasure, happiness, and contentment, only to discover that I understood precious little before you came into my life. I am so maddeningly in love with you that I scarcely know what to do with myself.”

Her throat tightened, and a rush of tenderness made it almost impossible to speak. She wished she could see his face, for she had never heard George sound quite so earnest, so entirely without the teasing charm that he habitually employed to conceal his deeper feelings.

“George,” she whispered, pressing his hand against her heart. “I love you too.”

For several heartbeats, he said nothing. Then he drew her around to face him and cupped her cheeks between his palms, his thumbs brushing gently over her skin.

“Say that again.”

She gave a soft, watery laugh. “I love you.”

He kissed her, and there was such tenderness in it that her eyes burned.

“Thank God,” he murmured against her lips. “Cori, will you marry me?”

Her breath caught. For a moment, she was certain she had misheard him.

“George,” she said, a laugh bubbling through the tears gathering in her eyes. “Are you truly asking me to marry you while we are standing in one of Aphrodite’s secret passages?”

“I am afraid I am.”

“You could hardly have chosen a more scandalous place.” She laughed again, overcome by the delightful absurdity of it all.

“Will you?” he asked, and this time his voice was very soft. “Will you be my wife, Cori?”

“Yes,” she whispered, throwing her arms around his neck. “Oh, yes, George. I will marry you.”

Cordelia felt as though her heart might burst with happiness. Somehow, they managed to make themselves presentable after George gently cleaned her with his handkerchief, his tenderness making her heart swell all over again. He took her to a few more places within Aphrodite, but she hardly paid attention, for she felt as though she were floating on clouds. Every so often, she caught herself smiling for no reason at all, and whenever she glanced at George, the warmth in his eyes only deepened her happiness. As he took her home, they made love in the carriage once more before she fell asleep in his arms, lulled by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and the comforting warmth of his embrace. A couple of hours later, she stirred, shocked to find herself naked and tucked beneath the coverlets in her own bedchamber.

“That rogue,” she whispered, realizing he had somehow managed to sneak her back into her bedchamber without waking her.

The thought of him carrying her through the house, taking such care not to disturb her sleep, filled her with a rush of affection. Thankfully, her family had gone out for the evening, sparing them the scandal of being discovered. Smiling to herself, she snuggled deeper beneath the coverlets, still wonderfully warm and content, thinking how delighted her family would be when she shared her news.

Cordelia was quite certain she had never been so happy in all her life. The very next evening after her extraordinary adventure with George at Aphrodite, she stood beneath the glittering chandeliers of Lady Giles’s ballroom, feeling as though her feet scarcely touched the polished floor. The midnight ball was in full swing, with hundreds of candles illuminating the magnificent room, their golden light catching on jewels, silk gowns, and the elaborate arrangements of flowers adorning every corner. Music swelled from the orchestra, and the air was warm with the mingled scents of perfume, beeswax, and roses.

Yet Cordelia hardly noticed any of it, for her thoughts kept returning to the wonderful promises George had made to her. On their journey home the previous evening, he had explained that he intended to make a public show of courting her on several more occasions before announcing their engagement in the newspapers. It was a sensible plan, he had assured her, for a sudden engagement between Viscount Templeton and a lady he had scarcely acknowledged beyond a dance and a ride in his phaeton would undoubtedly give rise to all manner of unwarranted speculation. By allowing society to witness his growing interest in her, they might spare themselves the wagging tongues that would otherwise accompany their announcement.

Cordelia had agreed readily enough, although she suspected she would have agreed to almost anything while nestled so comfortably in his arms. Even now, recalling the tenderness with which he had spoken of their future sent a delicious warmth spreading through her chest.

And George had certainly begun his campaign in earnest.

Earlier that evening, he had approached her before half the ballroom and requested the pleasure of a waltz. His invitation had caused an almost comical sensation. Several ladies had stopped speaking mid-sentence, and Lady Bramwell had looked so astonished that Cordelia feared the poor woman might swallow her own tongue. For Viscount Templeton, who was notoriously disinclined to dance, had now waltzed twice in a single season.

And both times with the same woman.

Her.

The realization still made her want to laugh with sheer delight. Her mother had been positively radiant ever since, smiling so broadly that Cordelia wondered whether her cheeks might begin to ache. Indeed, her mother had scarcely allowed her daughter out of her sight, except when a gentleman approached to request a dance, which, to Cordelia's utter bewilderment, had happened with remarkable frequency tonight.

Apparently, the attention of one highly eligible viscount was sufficient to convince half the gentlemen in London that a lady they had previously overlooked was suddenly worthy of notice.

How very peculiar society could be.

Cordelia had only just returned to the sidelines after partnering a pleasant young baron in a quadrille when she noticed her sister approaching through the crowd.

“Katherine!” Cordelia’s smile widened immediately.

She had been delighted when Mama informed her that Katherine intended to accompany them to the ball. It was her sister's first social outing of the season, and Cordelia had been relieved to discover that no one appeared to be whispering about the difficulties in her marriage.