“We will.” Caroline turned to face her and took her hands. “Remember why we are doing this. We are avoiding scandal, having one last night in this world of illusion we have created. One last beautiful night.”
“Yes, yes, I know.” Alaina nodded. She couldn’t help hoping that maybe when the night was over, Marcus would come back to her chamber again. She would love to spend one last night in his arms before the truth had to come crashing down between them.
“Remember our plan,” Caroline urged. “We’ll swap in and out of the room as needed, depending on who you’re going to be introduced to, who you talk to –”
“Caro, we have been over this plan so many times, I remember it well. I just hope we’re able to hide in the music room well enough when we are not needed.”
“All will be fine.” Caroline laid her hands comfortingly on Alaina’s shoulders. “After tonight, the engagement will be at an end, and my father will no longer seek to see me married to a man who, by this point, will surely not want me.” She giggled with a kind of delight, though Alaina, this time, could hear the nervousness in it. “All will be well, Alaina.”
She nodded, unable to summon words.
It struck Alaina that Caroline might get what she wanted out of this deal. She may have avoided marriage to Marcus, but all Alaina was going to get was a broken heart.
“I pray nothing goes wrong.”
Caroline took Alaina’s hand again and held it tight.
***
“What do you think?” Marcus whispered as he took Alaina’s hand. She seemed rather shy in this room full of people now that the ball had begun. The humility he had so often observed in her was now on display for all to see. So often, she kept her face turned a little away, her chin demurely set downward as she avoided looking some people in the eye. Other times, she seemed intent on talking to him alone. It was increasingly becoming something he loved. “Tell me,” he whispered as they hid from the other guests around the back of his drinks table, raising a glass of champagne each to their lips. “Are you not fond of balls?”
“Not particularly,” she confessed with a grimace. “Is that bad?”
“No, indeed.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I am no great fan of them either. Tell me, if you could be anywhere else in the world at this moment, where would you be?” he asked, intrigued to hear her thoughts.
She lifted her chin a little higher, those green eyes he cared so much about finding his own.
“You want the honest answer?” she asked.
“What else?”
“I wish we were alone in your library together,” she confessed, her voice breathy. “I wish we were reading poetry or you were writing it. We could play card games late into the night, completely alone, and then …” She broke off, her cheeks colouring the most pleasant shade of red. The only other time he’d seen this particular colour was when he had made love to her. Unable to stay away from her, he took her free hand, lacing their fingers together.
“Now, you have just described my perfect night.”
She smiled up at him.
“Maybe all our nights could be that happy soon,” he said with the hope plain in his voice.
Let us be married, Callie. Let us not be apart anymore.
Her lips parted; she seemed on the verge of saying something when her eyes flitted away.
“Oh no,” she whispered.
“Oh no, what?”
“The earl … my father, he is coming this way.” She nodded at him over Marcus’ shoulder. He turned to see that the Earl of Woolworth was indeed making his way towards the pair of them, though he was making rather slow progress as people kept impeding him to talk and congratulate him on his daughter’s betrothal.
“Well, I can understand you wishing to avoid him after everything he has put you through.”
“I’ll just compose myself. I’ll be back shortly.” Her fingers loosened from his, and she was gone all too quickly. She disappeared through the music room door, and he stared longingly at it for a few seconds, wishing to speak with her again.
“Ah, there you are, Marcus.” The unmistakable voice of his aunt disturbed him, and he looked around, tearing his gaze away from the door.
“Good evening, Aunt.” He kissed her on the cheek. “How are you this evening?”
“Itchy in this mask.” She had a good scratch beneath the slim blue mask she wore. “But I could not be happier. Oh, Marcus, you should hear the way people are speaking of you and Lady Caroline tonight. They talk about how happy the two of you look together. What a splendid pair the two of you will make when the marriage comes. I cannot tell you how happy I am for you.”
