Liberty forced her lips upward as the man bowed before her.
“Good evening, Lady Liberty. I hope you will have room on your card to dance with me.”
“Of course she will, won’t you, dear?” her mother said.
“I would love to dance with you, my lord,” Liberty said, attempting to sound enthusiastic.
“May I say you look beautiful this evening, Lady Liberty.”
Lord Michael really was a nice man. Even if what he’d said about Tobias had annoyed her, which made no sense because, until recently, her thoughts had hardly been flattering either.
“That man would make you an excellent husband, Liberty,” her mother said when he’d walked away. “Handsome, distinguished.”
“Old,” Liberty added.
“Yes, well, you cannot afford to be picky, dear. The clock is ticking.”
She looked at her mother, who had spoken that entire sentence with a smile on her face, her social mask firmly in place.
“And yet the clock can tick for him?”
“Ah, Prudence, Agatha, and Lavinia, how wonderful to see you,” her mother said loudly. “I am so pleased you have come.”
“As we are pleased to be in your splendid house,” Lady Agatha said.
“Lady Liberty,” Lady Prudence said. “You look lovely this evening. Is that a new dress? It’s not your usual style, but I like it.”
“It’s one of Miss Battlemore’s,” Liberty’s mother said before she could. “Wouldn’t you agree it’s just right for her?”
“Perfect,” Lady Prudence agreed.
“Excellent, well, I’m glad my clothing is making you all happy. If you will excuse me, I see a staff member trying to get my attention. You stay, Mother. I will deal with it.”
Before her mother could stop her, Liberty had walked away. Opening a door just before the ballroom, she slipped inside and kept moving.
She knew what her mother was about. Knew Liberty’s marriage was her focus, but it angered her she had no say in the matter. If she’d stayed there a second longer, Liberty would have said something she’d regret.
Life had run along the same way for years. Now it had tilted, and she didn’t seem able to right it again. It was him, of course. Since the day he’d rescued her after her carriage wheel had broken, Tobias had been everywhere she was. Then there was Florence, his ward, who he’d genuinely seemed to have an affection for that day in the park.How was it possible? The cold, aloof Lord Corbyn was now raising a sweet little girl?
Liberty’s head was not on straight, and she needed to take a few moments before she entered the ballroom. Walking down the hallway that ran off it, she encountered a maid.
“Is all well, Anne?”
“Yes, my lady.”
Damn, she’d hoped for an actual emergency.
“Excellent, well come to me if you need anything.”
The girl bobbed a curtsey and hurried off.
She made herself enter the ballroom then. Skirting the edges, Liberty searched for Alice. Instead, she saw Tobias. He was just heading toward the open door at the end, leading to the terrace, and down into the gardens.
It took her two seconds to decide to follow. Nodding, smiling, and acting like she knew exactly where she was going and why, Liberty didn’t stop to chat. She walked out the door.
There were a few people out here but not many. Again Liberty smiled and kept walking. The terrace wound around the entire left side of the Talbot townhouse, but few would walk farther than where she now stood, as there was no light. Plus, it was a chilly evening in London.
Looking around her, Liberty searched for Tobias and saw only shapes. Pulling out her eyeglasses from the handy pocket she’d insisted Miss Battlemore sew into her dress, she put them on.
