Silence.
Oh no.
She had separated from the rest. Her heart began to pound as she wondered what she would do.
A frown sat on her face, and for a few seconds, she considered what she should do. She wouldn’t wait to be saved; she’d find her way out of the maze herself. Anything less would leave her feeling embarrassed and defeated in the eyes of her peers, and worst of all, the duke.
Determination fueling her, she lifted her skirts and turned a corner, halting abruptly in an instant.
“Your Grace,” she mumbled as she came upon the Duke of Everthorne.
His tall frame seemed too large, too striking, too vividly present in the confined space of the hedge-lined corridor.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Isabella felt her heartbeat in her throat, the silence looming between them like a heavy mist, as if holding a raw emotion in check. She couldn’t control the trembling within her, and she hoped to the heavens above that he would not notice.
“Lost?” he then asked, breaking the silence. His voice was absolutely emotionless, and it chilled her to her bones.
“I am not lost,” she replied with far more pride than accuracy. “I’m simply… enjoying the adventure.” She gave a nonchalant shrug.
His mouth quirked, “As am I.”
She wished he had not said that. She wished he would simply turn and walk away. But instead, he stepped toward her, closing the distance between them.
“Would you like to lead the way?” he asked, but Isabella could not help but pick out the mockery in his tone.
“I would not. I simply wish to take my time exploring. If my pace bothers you, perhaps you should free yourself from me and explore at the pace that suits you, Your Grace.”
He chuckled darkly and took yet another step toward her. “You are stubborn, Lady Isabella,” he pointed out.
“Well, if you dislike my company so much, perhaps you should avoid being near me, then,” she snapped back.
His eyes raked over her, dark yet faint with a shimmer hidden within.
“I do not dislike you, Lady Isabella.” His voice was softer and heavier with intent.
“No?” she scoffed. “Then why do you treat me so?” She resisted the urge to swallow hard, not wanting him to see the effect that his words had on her.
His jaw clenched. “Because I cannot help myself,” he gritted out.
“I beg your pardon?” She took a step back from him, backing herself into a wall of the maze.
The tips of her fingers touched the frostbitten leaves, making the encounter all too familiar for her.
“Because whenever you’re around, control evades me. Because all I want to do is…” His words trailed off as his eyes dropped to her lips. He stopped, as though he was about to bite his own tongue.
“To do what?” she asked breathlessly.
Yet her heart raced as he stepped forward again, her body heating up, her spine tingling with the shivers that crawled down it.
It is happening to me again.
“I… We…” she paused to clear her throat. “This is hardly proper, Your Grace. You are too close, and it seems we are quite a distance from the others.”
She raised her hand, placing the tips of her fingers against his chest to create at least some semblance of distance between them.
Is he going to kiss me again?
Her breathing became more labored as his face inched closer to hers, his hot breath tickling her lips.
