Gabriel’s gaze flickered to her hand, then back to her eyes. “I am bound by loyalty—to your brother, to your family, to my own sense of duty.” He swallowed hard. “Yet my heart…my heart rebels.”
A surge of emotion coursed through Eden as she closed the space between them. The scent of crushed grass rose with each step, and a breeze whispered through the oak leaves above, carrying the distant sounds of laughter from the meadow. She felt the sun’s rays on her cheek, but it was the anticipation in Gabriel’s eyes that truly set her skin alight. “Then listen to it.”
His breath hitched. “If I could, I would ask for your hand this very moment.”
Her eyes sparkled even as her heart tightened. “And if I could, I would give it,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hush of the branches swaying overhead. In that instant, she understood the enormity of her own words. What it would mean to choose him, to defy expectation, and to follow a feeling that had quietly taken root and grown wild within her heart? It was not merely a declaration. It was a vow to herself, a step toward a future where love, not duty, defined her path.
Gabriel’s expression softened, the corners of his mouth lifting ever so slightly, his eyes shimmering with a blend of hope and longing. He closed his eyes briefly, savoring the moment. When he spoke again, his voice trembled with earnest desire. “Then I shall find a way,” he said, though a flicker of uncertainty shadowed his resolve. Still, determination hardened in his gaze, as if speaking the words aloud made them true.”
A shiver of possibility raced through Eden. “This is dangerous,” she said, pressing closer, wishing he would kiss her.
A sudden shout echoed from the picnic site. Eden’s name carried on the wind. They shared a final, intense gaze before pulling apart, reality intruding. Gabriel’s hand lingered, brushing hers as if memorizing the shape of it. She took a small step back, anchoring herself in composure even as her heart tugged toward him.
“Eden! We were wondering where you wandered off to.” Alice’s voice was playful but tinged with concern as she appeared at the edge of the clearing, Clara beside her.
Gabriel stepped back, straightening his jacket. Eden smoothed her skirts nervously and turned to meet her friends with a composed smile.
As they walked back, Eden’s thoughts raced. Her heart felt light, though anchored by the weight of unspoken words pressing beneath her ribs. The scent of crushed grass clung to her skirts, and in the distance, laughter echoed like a fading dream. In her mind, she imagined a future with Gabriel. Not one confined by parlors and drawing rooms, but filled with shared walks through meadows like this, with quiet glances across dinner tables and fingers brushing in lamplight.
She saw a home of laughter and gentle understanding. A life crafted from choices rather than obligations. The day’s events had stirred a tempest within her heart, like a tide she could not contain. Hope surged within her that their secret understanding might one day be more than stolen moments.
Beneath the thrill of possibility, she knew the path ahead would be fraught with challenges. Still, the gentle warmth that lingered in her chest evoked visions of the future she had begun to dream of, reminding her that some loves were worth every risk.
Six
The grandeur of the midsummer ball at Thornton Hall was unmatched anywhere in Yorkshire. At least, that’s how Eden saw it, her breath catching as she took in the shimmer of candlelight reflected in gilded mirrors and the soft rustle of silk skirts swirling across marble floors. Lanterns hung from the ancient oaks in the garden, illuminating the winding paths of the hedge maze that lay beyond the terrace. Guests laughed and danced beneath the stars, their voices like music carried on the gentle breeze. Yet to Eden, the mirth rang hollow, like distant echoes from a life that no longer fit. A life shaped by expectations she had once accepted without question, but which now pressed against her heart like an ill-fitted gown, chafing against a growing awareness that she yearned for something more.
She moved through the crowd with practiced grace, each step a performance honed by years of expectation. It was as if she were a marionette carved from glass, gilded and brittle, playing the role of the dutiful daughter while longing to break free from the strings that bound her.
Her powder blue gown swayed around her ankles as she moved, a fluid extension of her poised steps. She offered gentle smiles and graceful curtseys, acknowledging every bow and compliment with calm courtesy. Yet beneath her composed exterior, her heart was a storm of conflicting emotions, wonder, fear, and an irrepressible yearning for Gabriel. She had hoped this evening would bring clarity, but instead, it only magnified her desires and insecurities.
* * *
Gabriel watched her from across the terrace, his gaze cloaked in longing, regret threading through his chest. The stillness of the evening belied the turmoil within him, each beat of his heart a reminder of what he dared not reach for. The memory of Thomas clasping his shoulder years ago, voice solemn as he enlisted him to help ensure Eden’s well-being, pressed heavily on his conscience. Gabriel had always honored that vow, but it was becoming unbearable to see her now, radiant and laughing, just out of reach.
What if, by protecting her, he was only ensuring their unhappiness? The thought gnawed at him.
He moved through the motions with Lady Pavington, exchanging pleasantries and smiles. Still, Gabriel felt the minutes stretch unbearably long with each one spent away from Eden.
She had become more than Thomas’s sister, or a promise made long ago. She had become possibility, freedom, desire, and everything he had denied himself for years. It terrified him how much he wanted that feeling to last. Each stolen touch replayed in his mind, vivid and insistent, refusing to be forgotten. The sight of Eden laughing with other gentlemen ignited a fierce ache in his chest, and he resolved that he could wait no longer.
Slipping away under the pretense of retrieving his glass of wine, Gabriel crossed the terrace and vanished into the garden’s shadowy paths. The scent of jasmine and honeysuckle enveloped him as he entered the maze, the neatly trimmed hedges rising like silent sentinels around him. Lantern light flickered ahead, revealing a twisting corridor that wound deeper into the labyrinth. A fitting mirror for the tangle of thoughts in his mind. Each turn echoed the uncertain path he now walked, where loyalty warred with longing, and the way forward felt as elusive as the maze itself. With determined steps, he followed the path, his heart pounding in time with his swift pace.
* * *
Eden felt suddenly overwhelmed by the stifling heat and chatter of the ballroom. Her breath came quickly as the noise and heat of the ballroom pressed in around her. She longed for the cool night air. For escape, and something real in a night woven with pretense. She ached for something honest, something that would anchor her to herself in a world that expected her to play a part she had not chosen. Spotting the garden door ajar, she slipped out unnoticed and followed the moonlit path past the rose arbor until she reached the maze’s timeworn entrance. The high hedges loomed before her, inviting and mysterious. With a resolute breath, she stepped inside, determined to find a moment of calm.
The maze was hushed save for the soft rustle of leaves, the only sound against the thrum of Eden’s racing pulse and the distant murmur of laughter beyond the hedges. Her footsteps echoed faintly as she walked, her pulse thrumming in her ears. She rounded a corner and froze as a familiar silhouette emerged ahead.
Gabriel paused in a shaft of light, his form half-turned toward her.
Their eyes met, and time seemed to slow. Her breath caught, and her pulse quickened. His lips parted slightly, surprise and desire flickering in his gaze. He took a cautious step forward, hedges enclosing them in a private world.
“Eden,” he whispered, his voice low and rough with unreadable emotion. “You should not be here alone.”
Her heart fluttered wildly. “Nor should you,” she replied, voice trembling despite her efforts to steady it. “I needed air.”
He closed the distance, the flickering lantern light revealing the tension in his stance.
