Their eyes caught and held for long seconds, and she looked away first. Her hair glowed from the lamplight behind her. He’d seen her for three seasons, but only now was he really seeing her. Her beauty and spirit.I also know what she feels like.Her curves pressed to his body. Her lips beneath his.
“Are you looking forward to the fireworks display, my lord?”
He dragged his eyes from Liberty and back to Miss Brighton.
“I am. I have seen them before and enjoyed them very much,” he said, slipping into what he did best. Society chitchat was like breathing to Toby. It was never personal, or tugged emotion out of him, and never took a great deal of thought.
Miss Brighton was sweet and polite. He enjoyed an enlightening conversation with her about star formations, a fact that surprised Toby. She was beautiful too, and had all the attributes that a future Lady Corbyn would need. She would make Florence an excellent mother. But he felt absolutely nothing for her and knew he never would.
He looked at Liberty again. It was no longer Williams seated beside her. But Lord Michael. Everything inside Toby rebelled at the sight of that man close to her. He wanted to storm the distance between them and pummel him with his fists.
And this happens when you start caring for someone.
Christ. Did he? He knew Florence was important to him, but now Liberty?Of course she is, you bloody fool.
“I hope to study the stars more in-depth. I wish to look through a telescope also one day,” Miss Brighton said.
“Yes, I believe they are intriguing,” Toby said, as she launched into a detailed breakdown on just how intriguing.
He watched Liberty laugh at something Michael said. Surely her parents didn’t believe the man a suitable husband for her?
Toby talked and drank and no one watching him would see the anger simmering beneath the surface every time he looked at Liberty and Michael. He knew women married men older than them, but the thought of that man touching or kissing her made him nauseous.
“The display is about to start. Come along,” Evie said after they finished their meal.
They all walked to where the fireworks would start.
“What has your hat band too tight?” Anthony asked from his left, while Jamie moved to his right.
“Earlier, I found Lady Liberty coming out of the trees beside one of the less frequented walks here. She told me she was there because she was following someone. Her maid’s brother, who is a Bidham local, and the one she saw driving the cart that day in London. She heard another man greet him, but she alerted them she was there, so had to flee.”
Jamie whistled. “Did they see her, do you believe?”
“I don’t know, but we can’t discount it,” Toby added.
“It may pay you to keep a closer eye on her until we know what is going on,” Anthony said. “I didn’t like seeing Michael seated next to her tonight. Surely they don’t think him a match for Lady Liberty?”
“I will speak to her father if I believe that is a possibility,” Toby said.
“Or,” Jamie added, dragging out the word, “you could marry her yourself.”
“You can’t be serious?” Toby hissed.
“We are, because we believe you care for her,” Anthony said.
“How is it you believe that when you’ve barely seen us together?” Toby scoffed, but his heart was thudding hard inside his chest. “She is far too sweet and innocent for a libertine like me, and I care nothing for her.”
“If you say so,” Jamie said.
Toby only just bit back the need to say something else. Instead, he made himself look at the first burst of lights filling the night sky and not search for Liberty.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“You’ll pardon mefor arriving late, my lord.”
“Think nothing of it, Mr. Scully.”
“I’ve just arrived back from Bidham, and thought you’d like the information fresh, as it were,” the man said. “There’s definitely something going on there, my lord.”
