“Hardly,” she replied, her confidence returning. “I merely wish to demonstrate my superior sense of direction.”
“Ah, I see! A bold claim, indeed!” He stepped forward, his gaze fixed on her. “But as we’ve established, you are not the flawless lady you claim to be.”
Diana’s heart raced at the teasing glint in his eyes. “And what would you know of it, sir?” she retorted, her voice steady despite the flutter of nerves in her stomach.
“More than you might think,” he replied, his tone shifting to something more earnest. “I was thinking about you and Alistair earlier, when I was watching you chatting with him. I am glad that you did not end up married to him.”
Diana raised an eyebrow. “You are very forthright in giving your opinions about other people’s lives,” she said.
“Well, I am an earl, after all,” Tristan replied. “I expect people to listen to me.”
“I can not tell if you are in earnest,” Diana said, looking at him. “But why would you think that it was better that I did not marry Alistair?”
“Oh, so you do care what I think after all?” Tristan said, chuckling.
Diana frowned. “I would not go so far as to say that I care,” she said, trying to keep her tone light, but not really knowing, in earnest, exactly what it was that she was feeling in that moment. “But I would like to know why, all the same.” As she waited for his response, she felt her heart beginning to beat a little bit faster in her chest. It was almost infuriating, she thought, the way that this man could make her feel, with what seemed like scarcely any effort at all.
“Well, I will not deny you your wish,” Tristan said. “The truth is that I think you deserve better.”
Diana’s breath hitched at his unexpected compliment. “Thank you,” she murmured, a blush creeping into her cheeks. She felt a warmth spread through her, a combination of gratitude and something she dared not name.
However, as she absorbed his words, she momentarily lost her focus on the path ahead. The roots of a nearby tree snagged her foot, and she stumbled. Her arms flailed as she tried to regain her balance. For a fraction of a second, she thought howridiculous she must look. Just as she convinced herself that she was going to fall, strong hands caught her, steadying her against a solid chest.
“Careful there,” Tristan said softly. His breath brushed against her hair, against her skin. Their faces were mere inches apart, and in that suspended moment, the world around them faded. She could feel the pressure of his hands on her waist as he held her steady. The easy banter of just a few moments before had evaporated, with something more intense taking its place. Diana knew she should pull away from him, but somehow, she felt immobilized. And yet, she could not speak.
Diana’s heart raced, her mind flooded with thoughts and emotions. She expected him to break the tension with an infuriating quip, as he often did, but instead, he simply coughed a little awkwardly. Then he helped her to right herself and stepped back just enough to allow her space.
“Are you alright?” he asked gently. She looked at him and saw that his brow was furrowed with concern.
“Yes, I am fine,” she replied. Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. As she regained her composure, she caught his gaze. For a fleeting moment, as they looked into each other’s eyes, it felt as if something had shifted. The world felt entirely different.
Tristan resumed walking, but to her surprise, he did not release her hand. Instead, he held it gently. Their fingers remained intertwined, and the warmth of his touch sent shivers down her spine.
She knew, though, that she should not let him continue to hold her hand. Someone could see them, even within the depths of the maze.
“Tristan,” she said softly, tugging slightly at his hand, trying to release his grip.
He turned and held her gaze, but did not release her hand. “No one can see. Let us just have these few moments.”
She tried to say no, to force herself to pull away from him, but she found that she could not. Instead, she let him lead her deeper into the maze, still holding her hand, as if he would never let go.
CHAPTER 15
The early morning sun filtered through the lace curtains of Diana's chamber, casting delicate patterns on the floorboards. But as Diana lay in her bed, she reflected that the sunlight that usual brought her such cheer in the mornings felt like an unwelcome intruder that day.
The rest of the treasure hunt had been a blur and Diana could hardly remember what had happened, apart from the torturous sense of guilt that she had felt deep inside, the whole time that Tristan was holding her hand. And yet, the warmth of his hand remained seared in her memory, and she had lain in bed awake for most of the night, turning things over in her mind again and again.
“I’ll have to tell them I’m ill,” Diana murmured to herself, as she lay in bed. She stared at the ceiling, her heart heavy.
All night, she had grappled with her emotions, a tempest of guilt swirling within her. The chemistry she had felt with Tristanduring the course of the treasure hunt was undeniable, yet it gnawed at her conscience. What on earth would Grace think if she knew what had happened between them in the maze? She should not have allowed him to hold her hand, but she had felt quite unable to let go.
They had come at last to the end of the hunt, and found the final clue, but it seemed that they had spent so long talking that they had not even realized that they had been far too slow to be in with any chance of winning the game. The other teams had all overtaken them, and they finished in last place.
But in that moment, Diana had not cared a jot, and she did not think that Tristan had minded either, even though the other gentlemen had ribbed him for not being able to answer questions about his own estate. She had enjoyed the time spent with Tristan; in fact, she knew that she had enjoyed it far too much. All the time, she should have been thinking about her sister and trying to find out more about Tristan, to enable her to decide once and for all whether he was a suitable match for her. But instead, she had been laughing and smiling with him herself.
With a sigh, she pulled the covers tighter around her, hoping that the world outside would forget her existence for a day.
She rang the bell for a maid. Shortly afterwards, the girl came into the room.
