“Tristan?” came a voice, light and inquisitive. It was Cecilia. “I was looking for you.”
“Cecilia,” he replied, his voice steady as he attempted to mask the tension. “What do you need?”
“I wanted to talk to you about the garden party,” she said, oblivious to the charged atmosphere. “There are many arrangements we still need to make.”
He smiled, though his eyes betrayed a hint of annoyance. “I will speak to you about it soon, I assure you. But I need a moment alone.”
Cecilia narrowed her eyes, a hint of suspicion crossing her features. “Are you sure? You seem… distracted.”
“Quite sure,” he said firmly. “Please, I’ll see you later. Just?—”
Before he could finish, she turned and walked away, leaving the air thick with tension. Diana emerged from her hiding spot. She looked shaken; clearly, the near miss had affected them both.
“That was too close,” she breathed, her cheeks flushed. “We could have been caught!”
Tristan sighed, running a hand through his hair, the tension in his shoulders evident. “Indeed. I didn’t expect Cecilia to find us here.”
Diana took a step back, suddenly aware of the gravity of their situation. “I should go,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Diana, wait—” he began, but she was already turning away. The moment had shifted, and the air between them crackled with intensity. He knew that they would have been caught up in a scandal if anyone had found them alone together, and yet, he did not want the moment to end, in spite of the risk.
The door clicked shut behind her and he was left alone with his thoughts, and reality began to seep back in. He knew his duty and he would not deviate from it, no matter how much he might want to at this moment in time.
CHAPTER 17
“Tristan,” Cecilia called softly, as she approached her brother. It was the morning after the hunt, and the guests were taking a walk together in the gardens.
He looked up to see his sister coming near. He smiled in greeting. “I’m sorry, Cecilia, I was miles away,” he said. He was leaning against a weathered stone pillar, his gaze drifting across the garden, and her voice had almost startled him, so deep in reverie had he been.
“You did seem lost in thought,” Cecilia said. “Would you like to walk with me? The others have headed towards the lake. We might catch them up, or we could take our time, and talk a while?”
Tristan nodded. They fell into step together and he took a deep breath, breathing in the morning air fragrant with blossoming jasmine and honeysuckle. No matter how much he loved to travel, he was always grateful to come home to his estate, with itsfine garden. People might think him arrogant or insincere or a good many other things, but he did not like to think that anyone could ever accuse him of being ungrateful for the many blessings in his life.
He glanced at his sister, walking along next to him. There was a rather serious expression on her face, he thought, but he was not quite ready to embark on whatever discussion she wished to have with him.
“So tell me, dear sister,” he said playfully. “What is the gossip amongst my guests? What is everyone talking about when my back is turned?” He let out a chuckle. “I must know. I can see in your eyes that there is something you want to say, anyway.”
Cecilia rolled her eyes. “I am sure that you would not be in the least bit interested in most of their chatter,” she replied. “Not unless they were talking about you, anyway!”
“Well, there you are wrong, actually,” Tristan said, feeling serious for a moment. “I have had rather enough of hearing about what people think of me.”
“Oh?” Cecilia asked, a note of concern in her voice.
“Never mind all that,” Tristan said with a shrug. He was not about to talk to his younger sister about the rumors that seemed to follow him wherever he went, and the accusations of being a rake, of being dishonorable. No doubt she had heard them too, but it would not be appropriate to discuss them in front of her.
“There is something I wanted to talk to you about, actually,” Cecilia said a little tentatively.
“I knew it,” Tristan said. “Come on then, out with it!”
“It’s about Lady Grace,” she said, her voice steady, but also a little urgent. “I’ve been paying close attention to her, watching her since she arrived. And I must say that I do believe she has the potential to become a great countess. She carries herself with such grace and confidence, and it seems to me that her kindness is genuine.”
Tristan’s expression shifted, the playful glint dimming as he leaned in closer. “Lady Grace, you say? And what, pray tell, is it that makes you so certain of her potential?”
“I see it in the way she interacts with others, the way she listens,” Cecilia pressed on. “She possesses a warmth that draws people to her. I think she could be a remarkable partner for you. She could support you in your work on the estate, and I believe that she could support you in all other areas of your life too.”
Tristan merely shrugged, trying to seem indifferent. “She is very sweet, and I think that you are right. She will be able to host a fine tea and charm the ladies of the ton.”
“Tristan, you are not taking this seriously,” she said firmly. Tristan glanced at her and saw that she looked a little stung by his casual dismissal. She only wanted the best for him, he knew, but somehow he could not force himself to respond to her in earnest.
