He shouldn’t have told her. It was too soon. Too hopeless right now.
Perhaps things would change after Lord Stanhope’s ball. But he doubted thetonwould accept him so readily. It would take something more than mere attendance at one ball.
It wasn’t even a Christmas ball. Those were special, and it was said that magic happened at Christmas balls.
He thought of Berry and her Snowball Ball. Gad, what a Berry thing to name it. She was such a kitten. He’d tear Hawthorne apart limb from limb if he ever hurt her.
He stopped by his house and found Bonham, Suzanna, and Gwendolyn up in what was to be his bedroom suite, staring into the commode in his dressing room. “What are you doing?”
“Studying your drainage,” Suzanna responded, actually sounding excited about it. Odd girl.
“My drainage?”
Bonham glanced up and grinned. “Isn’t Suzanna a marvel?”
Gideon laughed. “Yes, and since you seem rapt with this next project, I’ll take care of the Musket Club tonight.”
He should have insisted on Bonham taking over that duty, but how could he pull his friend away now? Bonham had beeneven more excited about Gideon’s home purchase than he was. Of course, owning this house meant everything to Gideon. But it mattered to his best friend, too.
Perhaps Bonham was building up his own confidence to take the leap and purchase a home for himself. He had to be thinking about it quite seriously, especially now that he was falling in love with Suzanna. And meanwhile, he and Suzanna were wreaking havoc with the guts of Gideon’s home with their new ideas.
Well, he’d let them have at it. Suzanna especially had a talent for this sort of thing.
“I’m coming back around midnight. I promised to look in on Berry when she returned from her dinner party,” Gideon said.
Gwendolyn looked up at him. “Do not worry about her. Miranda and I have assigned two footmen each to patrol our grounds and Duchess Square. Berry’s footmen will do the same. She will be safe with us. And the footmen know to grab that hired carriage if it shows up again. They’ll hold its passengers until you arrive.”
This ought to have pleased Gideon, but he strode out worried he was overlooking something important.
What was he missing?
Chapter Fourteen
Berry chose towear a gown of pale-silver silk that shimmered like icicles after a winter’s storm. Of course, this was the summertime and it would be months yet before the weather turned cold. She chose a single strand of pearls to place around her neck and another strand that Harriet threaded through her hair.
To complete her attire, she donned kid leather slippers and lace gloves in the same silvery shade as her gown.
Harriet smiled at the end result. “You look beautiful, Lady Berry. I’m sorry Mr. Knight is not here to see you. I think he likes you. I’m sure he would fall in love with you if he caught a look at you now.”
Berry blushed. Gideon had told her that he loved her. It was frightening and wonderful.
And also happening too quickly.
He was wise to express caution, although he really could have kissed her. Where was the harm in that? A kiss was not a commitment to marriage.
And marriage was the problem, wasn’t it? They had to think this through quite carefully because of the damage it might do to her charity efforts for the orphanage.
Mrs. Bolton knocked at her door. “Lord Berwick is here, m’lady.”
Berry shook out of her thoughts. “Oh, I’ll be right down.” She gave herself a final inspection in the mirror, and then stood at attention while Harriet took a moment to fix the stylish egret feather in her hair before she hurried downstairs.
“Good evening, Lord Berwick.”
He cast her a weary smile. “Don’t you look lovely, my dear?”
“What’s wrong?” He appeared worn out and was unusually quiet as he escorted her to his carriage.
“Lady Berwick slipped on the stairs and sprained her ankle as we were about to leave,” he said in anguish. “That’s why I am a little late in picking you up. She’s at home, soaking her foot in warm water, as we speak. I wanted to send our regrets to Lord Folger, but she put up such a fuss and would not hear of it.”
