“Morose,” Jamie said again.
“I have things on my mind,” Toby said. “You are not intelligent enough to hold things inside your head, so it doesn’t happen to you.”
“Harsh. Ah look, there is Lady Luton looking at you longingly.”
“Excellent alliteration.” Toby followed his friends and found Lady Luton, whom he’d had a liaison with after her husband passed six months ago. She gave him a smile that could only be termed smoldering.
“She is giving you a come-hither look.”
“Let’s go the other way,” Toby said, herding his friend to the left like a lost sheep.
“Why?”
“You’re full of questions tonight,” Toby said.
“Something is off with you. Anthony said as much yesterday.”
“You and Anthony are discussing me now?”
“We always discuss you, because then we don’t have to look to closely at ourselves.”
Toby snorted. “I have a child living in my house. That is a huge responsibility. Surely you and Anthony understand that.”
“Yes, and of course that would be unsettling, but there is also Lady Liberty,” Jamie said and this time his voice was serious. “I think she is on your mind.”
“I am a rake and a libertine, and as such, no woman takes up space in my head,” Toby lied.
“If you say so, but you no longer are those things since Florence arrived,” Jamie said.
Toby added nothing to that.
“Come along then. We are to meet the newlyweds and watch the fireworks. But if you wish to speak about anything, you know I am all ears.”
“I do, and I don’t want to speak about anything.”
They walked on in silence, passing guests excited to be here for the display about to begin. Toby tried to remember a time he was last excited and failed.
“I’m just going to walk for a while. I’ll join you shortly, Jamie.”
His friend looked at him. “Very well, but don’t get into any trouble, as I will not be there to save you.”
“I shall try,” Toby drawled.
He walked away from the guests and down a path. Veering left, he went down another that was less frequented by society members, unless they wanted a few minutes alone to do things they shouldn’t, and then it was the perfect destination. Darker and only lit by the occasional torch, it was full of shadows and places to hide.
People had been attacked here often, but that didn’t worry Toby. He could look after himself, and to be honest, a scuffle might take the edge off the unease that was constantly riding him.
Liberty’s accident could have killed her, and that thought had settled inside his head. He’d seen her for three seasons, and not once had he thought the choice he’d made to push her away from him that day the wrong one. So why was he doubting himself now? Why had hearing about her accident rocked him?
A squeak of outrage to his right had Toby stopping. He could walk on. It was none of his business if a couple or a woman alone was in there. But what if it weren’t innocent? What if she had been lured there?
Developing a conscience was hell, and he blamed Liberty and Florence for that too. If someone was hurting one of them, he’d want a man to step in and stop it. Step in and protect them.
Just the thought made him feel ill.
Toby looked at the trees behind which there was clearly rustling, and then someone appeared. Head down, the woman wasn’t running, which suggested she’d not been in any danger.
“Is everything all right, madam?” Toby had to ask, and when she said yes, he’d walk on.
