“Thank you, Aunt, I –”
“I hope you will not leave the marriage too long, of course,” she said, in full flow with her conversation now as the champagne in her grasp had plainly made her a little tipsy. “I eagerly await the celebration. After all, for your own finances, I suppose the dowry coming swiftly would be helpful indeed.” Then she halted, her expression no longer delighted but heavily thoughtful.
“Is something wrong?” he asked in concern.
“Wrong? No, no, of course not.” She waved him away. “No, probably nothing. I was just wondering about the money and if your wife …” She trailed off and looked away.
He followed her gaze, noting the spot in the room where her gaze had settled. Callie had reappeared and was talking to her father, her back to the pair of them. Her father was saying something with great eagerness and red cheeks. Judging by the large glass of claret in his hands, he, just like Sarah, was enjoying the celebrations very much.
“What about Callie?” he said, prompting Sarah to turn back to him, nearly sloshing her champagne over her glass.
“Nothing, nothing at all, I was just thinking …” Once again, Sarah trailed off and turned to look at Callie’s back. She seemed to think the better of her thoughts, though, for she shook her head, hastily taking another sip of champagne. “I must have drunk too much tonight. Ha! At one point, I thought I saw another woman wearing that beautiful gold mask of hers.”
“Maybe you have had too much,” he jested with his aunt, who promptly put down her champagne glass. She smiled up at him, squeezing him his arm with affection, then walked off, clearly eager to find a dance partner for the celebrations.
Marcus turned his eyes back to Callie. He could not see her face, but her shoulders shook. It was a clue to her true feelings as she spoke with her father – the conversation was leaving her distinctly unsettled.
If she could make this house her home, then she wouldn’t need to go back to him again.
The earl must have said something rather sharp to his daughter, for Callie’s head flicked to the side with a jolt, and she looked around at the dancers, her face still not turned in Marcus’ direction.
He resolved to wait until she was done speaking with her father, and then he would go to speak to her and endeavour to turn any sadness her father might have caused into true happiness again.
***
Oh no, he’s coming this way!
Caroline had just disentangled herself from her father’s arm when she caught sight of the duke across the room, walking towards her. He’d evidently recognized the gold mask and dress, but fortunately, she stood so much in the shadows of the room that at this distance, and with so many people standing between them, a myriad of feathers thrust into ladies’ hair and gentlemen wearing masks, he would not be able to see her eyes yet.
She looked around, searching for an escape. If their plan was to work as well as it had done so far tonight, then she could not afford to be trapped in conversation with the duke now.
Catching the moonlight gleaming through the nearest glass door, she shot towards it, keeping her face averted to the nearest group of ladies. Amongst that group, she recognized the infamous London gossip who had been invited quite at her father’s insistence. Fortunately, Lady Markworthy was so caught up in her own conversation that she didn’t seem to notice Caroline slipping past her and out of the back door.
The moment she was free on the terrace, Caroline ran. She took off across the open terrace and around the house, seeking to put as much distance between her and the ballroom as possible to have a breather from the cloying atmosphere. She tore off the mask, needing a few seconds to be free of it.
This is why I am so tired of theton. They look at you as Lady Markworthy does like you’re the next big story.
When she reached the walled kitchen garden, she stumbled to a stop. It had seemed like the most natural place to come, to escape for just a few minutes, but she had not considered that another used this place as their hiding hole.
David was leaning against the wall in his usual place, smoking his pipe. The moment he saw her, he stepped off the wall. For the briefest of seconds, he stood tall with perfect posture, and then he saw her face properly.
“Alaina? What are you wearing?” He smiled, discarding his pipe on the nearest sundial and walking towards her. Unable to answer, she staggered on the spot, her nerves now so great that her whole stomach seemed to jitter and shake. “Well, well, not what I was expecting.” His eyes wandered down her fine gown and up again. “You suit a lady’s gown very well. And how come you are dressed like a lady of thetontonight?”
“I … erm …”
“You … erm …?” He mimicked her words, waiting for her to go on with that same amused smile in place.
“My mistress wanted me to come. She arranged this outfit for me,” she said as quickly as she could. “She wanted my company tonight.”
“And yet you have run out here to find my company instead?”
“Well, I was hardly expecting to find you here, was I?” she countered.
“Yes, of course, you didn’t. Because I am never out here after dinner, am I?” He winked at her.
“David!”
“I won’t tease you anymore if you do not wish me to.” He held his hands up in innocence. “If you like, I could talk of something else instead. Like how nice it is to be out here with you again, seeing as what we did last time you joined me here.”
