Leo looked at the Duke with confusion.
“Why would my comments include you?” Leo asked, confused.
The Duke took one step closer to her and glanced at the necklace before returning to Leo.
“I deduced that by the way you criticized my gift to Miss Primrose.”
She saw it. Prim saw the fleeting second when that information landed. Leo just realized that the necklace adorning her neck, the one he so harshly disapproved, was a gift from the Duke. A gift to accompany a proposal. A very specific kind of proposal.
“This is your gift?” Leo needed confirmation suddenly.
“It is a token of an offer.”
“And what were you hoping to offer with that loud piece? It looks more like a cannon blast than a subtle gesture.”
“Interesting. I didn’t know you could distinguish subtle gestures.”
Prim bit her lip as the two men were locked in a gaze. She wished the earth would swallow her whole to avoid the embarrassment.
If one ever wondered what truly awkward felt like, he had but to witness the little scene unfolding under the quiet corner of the linen canopy of the garden party.
Leo was silently looking between her and the Duke, wondering if she would accept the proposal. The Duke was keenly observing the interaction, probably not missing her blush and the tension on Leo’s shoulders. And poor Prim was left looking up at the two towering men who were locked in a stare.
“I see my sisters are left unaccompanied,” Prim said, seizing the flimsiest of excuses with the grace of a drowning woman grabbing a rope.
She curtsied to both men, a general, frantic dismissal, and turned before either could respond.
The Duke of Greyhaven offered a solemn, unsurprised bow, as if her retreat were a predictable variable. Leo took a half-step to follow, a protest forming on his lips, only to be arrested by a voice calling his title across the lawn. Prim couldn’t be more grateful.
“There you are, girls,” she said, hearing her own tension in her voice.
Things kept piling up for her. Sure, it was nothing grave, no life-threatening situations, yet her sanity was seriously tested. Prim felt as if she were unraveling at the seams. She needed to devote her focus to so many things that she ended up confused. The scandal and the fake courtship, the Duke’s offer and her parents’ plans, her sisters’ future. And then there was him.
“If you marry the Duke of Greyhaven,” Camilla whispered, “does that mean you get to live with him?”
“It is usually how marriage works.”
“And aren’t you scared?” Myrtle asked.
“The man looks menacing,” Camilla added.
“You should marry the Duke of Mildenhall. He seems so nice.”
Prim chuckled, her sisters looking at her as if she were having a psychotic breakdown. She didn’t have the heart to explain to the girls how wrong they were. She could deal with the Duke any time of the day, his stern look and his dry comments. But Leo… She was terrified of Leo. He could burn her down to ashes by just touching her.
She took her sisters to the refreshment table so she could occupy her mind with something safe. There were even some ladies nodding to her, Abigail’s circle mostly, but people started mimicking them.
Prim didn’t get the chance to bask in the small victory. A servant approached her and handed her a small envelope. She frowned and opened the letter. A handwritten letter. Prim read the message and went pale.
Miss Primrose,
You are still in grave danger. Whoever is trying to harm you is plotting against you still. But I will not sit idly and watch. Go to the garden maze and I will provide the answers you need.
Prim read the note again and again. It seemed that reality had more to stack on top of her. Her first instinct was to look for Leo. The proof he was looking for. Maybe this person had them. Butno matter how she looked, she couldn’t find him. Perhaps he got the same message and was heading to get his answers, too.
Prim left as discreetly as she could and ran to the secluded garden maze. The host declared that it hadn’t been curated, so most guests avoided it. She made her way there, her heart in her throat, her palms sweaty in her gloves. The maze was unkempt and looking ominous despite the beautiful greenery. The clatter of the party too far away now. She looked around and dared one step in the maze.
“Miss Primrose?”
