“I believe you two ladies can be quite wicked,” Elias teased.
That made them laugh again, so much so that they both, for propriety’s sake, hid behind their fans.
“This is such fun,” Celia said, meaning it more than he would ever know. “Thank you so much for suggesting it.” She hadn’t felt this energized and carefree in—well, ever. The realization sobered her and trounced the desire to revel in the enjoyment further. The stark realization that this situation was not genuine hit her. Nor could she hope for it to last.
“Celia?” Concern echoed in Elias’s deep voice as he gently tipped the shield of her fan away from her face.
“Miss Bening,” she corrected him with a pointed glance in Sophie’s direction. “We are not close enough for anything else, my lord.”
He reacted with a somewhat injured demeanor. “Of course, Miss Bening. Forgive me.”
Sophie scowled at her, leaned forward as though to say something, then, apparently, thought better of it and sat back. “It is a lovely day and an even lovelier ride, Lord Raines,” she said without taking her narrow-eyed glare from Celia. “A much-needed escape from the sadness currently overshadowing Hasterton House.”
Elias’s injured demeanor immediately disappeared, replaced with his earlier concern. He boldly took Celia’s fan, placed it on the seat between them, then took her hands in his. “There is no shame in seeking a brief respite from trials in order to better survive them.”
She fought against sinking into his golden-eyed gaze. This was not how it was supposed to be. It was she who should ensnare him. Not the other way around. “You do not know,” she started to explain, then went quiet, struggling for composure. “You cannot possibly understand.” And she could never explain it to him.
He held her hands tighter and leaned in so close she could almost taste him. And she realized she wanted to—so very badly.
“Make me understand, Celia,” he said as though the park held no one in it but them. “Help me help you.”
Sophie snapped her fan and broke the spell. “The poisonous trio near us once again, my dears. I highly recommend a more appropriate posture. Especially since Celia is to accompany Her Grace to Lady Bournebridge’s ball.”
Celia reluctantly pulled her hands free, picked up her fan, and once again took refuge behind it. She turned her face away from Elias and made a point of fixing her gaze on anything but him, even going so far as to shift her parasol so it almost separated them.
As Sophie had warned, the ladies whom thetonhated—but hung on their every word—slowly passed, returning from their earlier direction. The three vicious women graced them with aloof smiles and regal nods. Celia remembered Mama describing how much she had detested Lady Bournebridge and her loyal followers, who had debuted the same year as those of the Sisterhood and been just as unpleasant then as now. She almost said so aloud but caught herself before it was too late. Her near-slip jolted her to an almost painful awareness of how precarious life had become—and how lonely.
“Celia!” Sophie hissed sharply.
Celia met her trusted friend’s gaze and knew Sophie understood she had nearly toppled the game.
Elias gave the side of the carriage a hard thump, then turned to her. His dark brows drew together over his entirely-too-perceptive eyes. “Forgive me, Miss Bening, but you are causing me great concern.”
The coachman eased the vehicle over to one side of the path and halted before turning to face him. “Yes, m’lord?”
“Return us to Hasterton House, Jamison.” Elias continued studying Celia with a scrutiny that made her shift uncomfortably. “I fear the sun has become too strong for the ladies.”
“No,” Celia countered, determined to regain control and rise above her emotions. “Please do not cut this delight short because of my silliness. Might we find a shady place to sit or stroll for a while? After all,” she said with what she hoped was a convincing smile, “I have a ball to attend tomorrow evening and must have fodder for Her Grace to share with the other ladies.”
The driver shifted his focus back to Elias and waited.
Elias studied her a moment longer, then agreed. “As the lady wishes.”
“There’s a fair bit of shade by the lake,” Jamison said before putting the carriage back in motion. “Should be nice walking there, if you don’t mind my saying so.”
“I would love a closer look at the Serpentine,” Celia said. “Her Grace says it is quite lovely this time of year with springtime’s awakening.”
“So be it.” Elias gave a tip of his head, and the carriage smoothly rolled onward.
Sophie relaxed back in the seat and offered Celia a subtle nod of approval.
“I do hope we see some bugs or frogs.” Celia tucked her fan back into her reticule, looking forward to the easily managed distractions a walk beside the lake promised. “Dragonflies especially. They are my favorite. So graceful with their shimmering wings that put stained-glass windows to shame.”
Elias eyed her as though she had sprouted a second head. “Youlikebugs? And frogs?” He shifted in the seat and continued looking at her with an incredulous stare. “Might I ask how you feel about snakes?”
“Venomous or benign?”
“Venomous,” he said as though issuing a dare.
