“I wanted us to have a moment alone.”
She smiled, and he brought her to a beautiful, large, open area bordered by hedges lit by the moon. She turned to him, unsure what he was about. He was acting very unlike himself.
“Diana, you look very lovely tonight.”
She smiled, happy she wore one of her favorite blue ball gowns. Diana had also forgone her cap, deciding to take a break from wearing it until she returned from her trip. She was going on an adventure, after all. Her lady’s maid Audrey had worked some magic, twisting her hair up in luxurious curls on the top of her head while the rest trailed down her back.
“Thank you, Arthur. Your words mean so much to me.”
He leaned closer, and Diana realized he planned to kiss her. Another kiss flashed in her mind, but she pushed it away, tellingherself this was the man she wanted to receive such a gesture from. He whispered, “I would like to take liberties with you. Is that all right?”
“Yes,” she said.
He brushed his lips across hers. Diana kept her eyes shut, expecting more. He laughed, causing them to flutter open. The kiss was over.
Arthur beamed at her, “Thank you for allowing me to be so forward. I hope it was to your liking?”
She was shocked by the chasteness of the kiss. Diana had expected something different. She flushed, embarrassed at her own thoughts. She’d wanted more.
“My lady,” he prodded.
Diana forced herself to smile. “It was lovely.”
He tucked her hand back in the crook of his arm. “That will help tide us over until your return.”
A red glow across the clearing caught her attention. Her eyes narrowed, and she studied it. The light flared brighter, revealing Devons, smoking a cigar and standing in one of the alcoves formed by some hedges. That man! Was he spying on her? Had he witnessed the kiss? She turned back to Arthur. “Will you escort me back?”
He smiled and led the way. As they headed back to the lit area of the garden, Diana pondered why Devons hadn’t revealed himself. She blushed, knowing he’d been watching them. She was so focused on him she didn’t realize they were on a pathway with other people until Arthur said, “Stay here. I will fetch us some champagne.”
Diana nodded and wandered over to the fountain of the central garden. Her body tensed as someone came to stand next to her. She didn’t have to look at him to know it was Devons. She pursed her lips. “So, you have taken to spying on me now?”
He said nothing at first. She turned to him and lifted her brow. His eyes roamed over her, lingering on her hair falling over her shoulders. Finally, he said, “I was there first. I didn’t realize you and Lord Tremont would be sharing an intimate encounter.”
Diana flushed. “You should have announced yourself.”
“And interrupted your tender moment?”
“It truly was.”
He clenched his jaw but remained silent.
“Arthur is the epitome of the type of gentleman I would like to spend my time with.”
She was being harsh but for once in Diana’s life, she didn’t care. She was determined to show him she wanted nothing to do with him. That the kiss she received from Arthur was what she desired.
He turned to her then. Fire flashed in his eyes. “No man should need to ask if his kiss was to a lady’s liking.”
So, he had heard everything. She had the urge to rail and yell at this man. Fury welled in her. Their furious eyes met. And Diana knew they were both thinking about the same thing. Their moment together. His gaze flicked to her mouth. Heat shot through her body. No! She wouldn’t be attracted to this man, she told herself. Her stare turned haughty. “If the man were a gentleman, he would ask.”
Devons dared to smirk at her, and she wanted to kick him. His eyes slid down her body, pausing at her bosom as she took a deep breath. He leaned closer, and for a moment, pure desire throbbed between them. It was so strong that it left Diana speechless and demanded she remove the space between them. She felt her body sway towards him just as Devons stepped back, shaking his head as if to make all the emotions disappear.
“There you both are!” Addie said, walking down the central pathway of the gardens. “I would like to discuss a few things with you both before you depart. Come with me.”
Diana should wait for Arthur’s return, but she needed to be away from Devons. Not sparing her soon-to-be travel partner another glance, she began to follow behind Addie, but he reached out, stopping her. She looked at him, confused.
Appearing more contrite, Devons said, “I would like to have a private word with you.”
Diana had spent too much time with this man already. Starting in two days, she would be with Devons on a ship for months. “We can talk on theSS Lark. We will have plenty of time.”
