As per instructions I received via text, I went down on my own. I was practically floating as I came down the stairs and found Edward waiting at the bottom with a single white rose. He held it out to me. “You look like a dream come true.” I touched the delicate sapphire and diamond necklace, tears stinging my eyes. I’d never had anyone treat me this way before. “Thank you.” He leaned down and kissed me softly, a bare brush of lips but the contact was enough to send a rush of heat through me. He straightened, looked down at me for a moment, then tucked my hand in the crook of his elbow and led me down a candlelit corridor to the back porch. The wide porch ran the entire back of the hotel and offered a seemingly endless choice of white sofas, softly cushioned rattan armchairs, and swings. The whole expanse was lit by hurricane lamps and lanterns casting a soft glow on the other guests enjoying a drink before dinner. Edward and I each took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter before he took me down the stairs and onto a path winding through the great lawn.
