Given a moment to herself, Margaret fluttered her fan. Even with the windows open, the night was warm, and Margaret knew she must be a little flushed. When Lord Andrew arrived at her side for the supper dance, she happily conceded to a walk outside instead despite the mischievous grin he smothered as he tucked her arm in his elbow and strolled in the direction of the terrace doors.
She did not know him. She did not really know him, and yet she trusted him.
He was Sebastian’syounger brother.
“I have a surprise for you, Lady Asherton. I beg your forgiveness ahead of time, but I hope you won’t be angry with me.” He guided her through the doors and along the garden path toward the gazebo.
“Should I be afraid?” she teased. Hewasbeing quite mysterious.
“Not at all. He said he couldn’t wait. He wanted to surprise you but didn’t want to put you in an uncomfortable situation if…”
And then he turned the corner into the shadows of the gazebo where a bearded man stood off to one side. He was vaguely familiar—
“Sebastian?”
Lord Andrew dropped her arm and then stepped backward. “I’ll be on the terrace if you need me, Lady Asherton.”
“She won’t be needing you, Drew.” It was his voice. Moonlight reflected off his silver eyes and Margaret caught her breath again.
It was Sebastian.
* * *
Earlier that evening,Sebastian had gone straight to his townhouse to change and been pleased to discover Andrew residing there. By this time tomorrow, his father would know thatThe Dianahad docked and a large fuss from his mother would be unavoidable. All he’d wanted to do that night was locate Maggie.
He’d written several letters to his brother. He’d shared some of what he’d learned with Andrew and even mentioned a little about Maggie.
Not all of it.
Andrew had corresponded with him often, and he’d informed Sebastian that Maggie had returned to London. He’d written that she’d visited Standish House and that their mother had liked her and had wondered aloud why on earth Lady Asherton had even considered marrying Uncle George.
When Sebastian arrived at his townhouse and discovered his brother preparing to leave for the final ball of the Season, he’d realized that Maggie would not be at her home. Of course, Maggie would be at the ball. She was a highly respected lady of theton.
Sebastian could either wait until the next day to go see her, or he could attend the ball himself.
Would she be happy to see him though?
Would she speak to him? He’d poured out his heart to her in his letters but aside from the one letter she’d sent to him, he’d not really known her feelings for months.
With a little help from his younger brother, he’d come up with a solution that would allow him to talk with her privately.
She’d asked him not to write to her—not to send her any more letters. She’d told him that she could not move on… And so, he’d sent himself instead.
And just as he’d promised her last autumn, he’d raced across the world.
He’d been waiting for thirty minutes now but it had felt like hours.
And when she came into view, he knew that even if he had waited all day, it would have been worth it. Although braided and pinned up, several loose strands of her ebony hair curled around her delicate face. A face he’d dreamt of. Her cheeks held a hint of pink, and her eyes were shining.
She appeared vibrant and beautiful and… God, she looked happy.
He loved that she was happy, but it also terrified him. Perhaps she’d already moved on without him. Perhaps he had imagined more between them than there was.
“Hello, Maggie.”
Her eyes were wide and for a moment, Sebastian wondered if she was going to take flight. She didn’t smile, she didn’t cry, she appeared frozen.
But not cold. No, everything about her was golden, warm. He’d set his feet on English soil for the first time in months several hours ago, and yet he hadn’t felt as though he was home until the instant he saw her face.
