“Yes, Kitty,” James said tightly, stepping forward. “What are you speaking of?”
“You cannot have forgotten it so quickly, James! But it will put all of us to the blush, I daresay.”
“Out with it,” Mr. Fielding snapped.
She pretended to hesitate—or perhaps it was real, now that she was about to admit to doing something her father would not have liked. “I accepted an invitation to Vauxhall Gardens and convinced Caroline to accompany me. Upon hearing of our outing, Mr. Whitby and Mr. Shepherd followed us there to protect us, Papa!”
He frowned. “You never should have gone in the first place. It’s not the thing for proper young ladies.”
“I agree. It was a dastardly, horrid place. But when wefirstarrived everything seemed vibrant and lovely. I could never have known that a…a man in a mask would take hold of me so harshly and try…and try tokissme.”
Caroline glanced at Tristan, posed in the back of the group with his hands clasped lightly behind his back. He listened with reserve, but she could see the faint amusement lurking in his brown eyes.
He glanced at her, and his lips formed a comfortable smile. Caroline felt an overwhelming surge of affection for him. She recalled the evening they had shared in the hedges of Vauxhall, how she had been utterly ruined by him for any other man, how she had decided to marry him—until Father had come home and she had learned where her duty lay.
Now she had dragged Tristan about the house this evening, and he had patiently followed her. She had pushedhim away, continuing to accept the attentions of another man, and still he did not give up.
All this to win a wager? She thought not.
What madness had overcome Caroline? She loved him. He clearly cared for her. If she and James put their minds together, they could find a way to save the estate and keep Mama comfortable.
Surely Caroline could marry the man she loved.
“Who was it?” Mr. Fielding said darkly. “I will finish him.”
Caroline’s attention whipped back to the matter at hand.
“He wore a mask,” Kitty said immediately. “And he must have disguised his voice, for I haven’t any notion. It could have been anyone.”
This had been an important part of her scheme, if only to save her father from a duel.
“James saved me,” she continued. “He stopped the man and pulled me to safety. I will never recover from my admiration for him.”
“Why did you not tell me so before?” her father asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Kitty sighed. “James is not titled, exactly. His situation?—”
“Ah, yes. I know of it.” Mr. Fielding shot James a grim expression. “Your father sank your inheritance, didn’t he?”
James straightened, his blush deepening. “The details are irrelevant.”
“Hm. Well, you can visit me tomorrow. We shall see what we can sort out.”
“Oh, Father,truly?” Kitty said, jumping to her feet.
“He cannot propose until we have settled things between us, darling.” Mr. Fielding turned to James. “You dowishto propose, I assume?”
“I had not thought it possible, but—” Tristan kickedJames’s boot, and James cleared his throat. “Yes, sir. I would.”
“Then it’s settled. We will not speak more of this until tomorrow. Go back into the ballroom and enjoy your ball, dearest. Your guests are likely wondering where you are.”
“Yes, Papa.” Kitty leaned up on tiptoe to kiss her father’s cheek. The smile she directed at Caroline afterward was wholly triumphant.
James looked around as if he didn’t understand how they had reached this point, but he seemed happy. Mr. Fielding took Kitty’s arm to lead her back to the ballroom, and James followed them, still looking stunned.
Tristan offered his elbow, but Caroline reached for his wrist instead, tugging him to remain. She waited until they were alone. The servant with the sherry glass had long since left, and their friends’ footsteps had wholly disappeared.
“This will only be a minute,” she said, pulling on him so they were not standing directly in front of the open door. “I need to say something to you that cannot be said in front of an audience.”
