"Friendship." He smiled, though there was a touch of sadness in it. "Yes. I value it as well."
They completed their turn of the room in silence.
When they returned to the main group, Martin was watching them.
His expression was perfectly pleasant, perfectly neutral. But something in his eyes, something sharp and assessing made Vanessa's breath catch.
Stop it,she told herself.You are imagining things. He does not care who you walk with or talk with. He never has.
But she could not shake the feeling that something had changed.
Something she could not name or understand.
Something that terrified her.
***
The evening ended, as all evenings must.
The guests departed in a flurry of polite farewells and promises to meet again soon. Lord Deane pressed a gentle kiss to Vanessa's hand, his eyes warm with unspoken affection. The Crawfords gathered their daughter, Helena squeezing Vanessa's fingers with a meaningful look that promised further interrogation at the earliest opportunity.
And Martin…
Martin paused before her in the entrance hall, something unreadable in his expression. Edward had already stepped outside to see about the carriage, leaving them momentarily alone.
"Thank you for a lovely evening, Lady Vanessa."
"You are welcome, Lord Montehood." She was proud of how steady her voice sounded. "I hope you enjoyed yourself."
"I did." His eyes held hers for a moment, but it felt like an eternity. "More than I expected."
"Oh? And what did you expect?"
He did not answer immediately. Instead, he seemed to be studying her face, searching for something she could not name. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words.
"I expected the usual pleasantries," he said finally. "Polite conversation. Social niceties. The tedium of a formal dinner." His voice dropped slightly. "I did not expect to be reminded of... certain things."
"What things?"
Another pause. Longer this time. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
"Nothing of importance." He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. "Good night, Vanessa."
He left before she could respond, striding out into the darkness where his carriage waited.
Vanessa stood in the entrance hall for a long moment after the door closed behind him, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
I did not expect to be reminded of certain things.
What had he meant by that? What things? What memories?
"Vanessa? Are you coming up?"
Her mother's voice drifted down from the stairs, sharp with impatience.
"Yes, Mama. In a moment."
She climbed the stairs slowly, her mind churning with questions she could not answer.
