Vanessa grinned up at him. “Ah, but that is because I nearly crushed you and we did not meet in a ballroom, nor have we ever been formally introduced.”
He chuckled, recalling how she had tripped falling out of a carriage, nearly landing on him before he caught her at the last moment. “Quite scandalous if you ask me.”
Her smile brightened. “Yes, well it would be if anyone knew of our adventures.”
Adventures indeed. They were very mild, such as sneaking off at balls and whatnot, but for an innocent miss of seventeen who had not enjoyed a Season until this year, he could understand the thrill she experienced in defying the rules of Society. They were also lucky that they had never been caught.
Crisp wished he could remain with her all night, but it was growing late, and his ship sailed on the morning tide.
“Not yet,” she said, shaking her head.
“I must.” But there was one thing he must do before he left. It might be a mistake, but he needed to know.
Crisp lifted a hand and cradled her cheek in his palm
Her lips parted as her brow furrowed in question, right before he bent and brushed his lips against hers. They lingered. A sweet, chaste kiss, but it filled him with a longing to remain right here. But if he did, he would always wonder what he had missed by not traveling.
Vanessa returned his kiss and when he pulled away, tears had leaked out of the corners of her eyes.
He retrieved a handkerchief and wiped her cheeks, then handed it to her.
Vanessa looked away. “You must think me silly.”
“Never that, Vanessa.”
With one more kiss on her forehead, Crispin took a step back, bowed, turned and walked away as tears blurred his vision as well.
He didn’t know when he’d see Vanessa Claxton again, or if he ever would, but she held a piece of his heart, and he carried the sweetest of memories.
One
Soon,mysecondLondonSeason shall officially begin, and I have no intention of abandoning my place among the wallflowers. I will continue to attend events because I must, but Father cannot force me to participate. Further, this year I am prepared. I’ve journals waiting to be filled and writing implements at the ready so that I may document my observations at the end of each day.
However, there is one invitation I wish I would have received—to attend the house party hosted by Lady Pandora Osbourne at her country estate. I certainly do not wish to participate but I would find much enjoyment watching those in attendance.
One of those guests is to be Lord Crispin Tilson. It is not a surprise that he would be invited since he is the younger twin brother to the Duke of Claybrook. The shock is that he accepted!
You see, Lord Crispin is a mystery. He left London at the age of twenty, traveled the world for seven years and then returned two years ago. Everyone, especially eligible ladies and misses, eagerly waited for him to make his appearance among Society.
He did not!
Instead, he purchased a London home and developed a reputation as a finder of all things—from items to people.
What could have possessed him to accept an invitation to a house party? Is he finally ready to wed?
The other guest of interest is Miss Vanessa Claxton.
She is a fellow wallflower, with a rather tragic story. Miss Vanessa has been deemed a failure on the marriage mart and happily took a seat beside me nearly four years ago. She did not care about the gossip and was glad to be done with participation in such an antiquated practices in how one goes about selecting a mate.
We had many pleasant conversations and one evening she turned to me and muttered, “It is quite delightful what one can see from this vantage.”
I was not certain what she meant, but Miss Claxton rose and confronted a gentleman and demanded that he return the necklace that he had managed to unclasp and slip from a matron’s neck before he pocketed it. Thus began Miss Claxton’s desire to become a thief finder.
Which begs the question of why Lord Crispin Tilson, the finder of all things, and Miss Vanessa Claxton, the thief finder, have both been invited to Lady Osbourne’s house party, and accepted when neither one enjoys being in Society.
So begins my first Observations of this Wallflower as we embark on this next Season.
Season Two Shall Not Disappoint
