Inwardly, she groaned. He would see that nobody had signed it. Hopefully, he wouldn’t question why. Regardless, she didn’t dare turn him down.
“Certainly.” She held the card up and he signed. “Thank you, my Prince Charming. Now, if you will excuse me...” She moved past him but kept looking in his direction.
He nodded, still smiling wide. “Until later, Cinderella.”
Her cheeks hurt from grinning so much, but it felt good to feel carefree, if only for a moment, as she made her way to the front door. That man was certainly doing a great job of charming her, and she had better not let him become a distraction—well, until after she delivered the journal, of course.
For several months, she yearned to be by herself and do her own thing without the restrictions of her father and brother—if only a few days or weeks. She wanted to laugh and enjoy life instead of worrying about the case she was working on with her family. She wanted to meet new and interesting people, and not because she was investigating them, either. She and her brother had been helping their father with the opium case, and now that it was almost over, she deserved time off.
Although she enjoyed playing detective, she sorely needed to relax and do whatever she wanted, if only for a while.
Weaving between the people coming through the door, Nicole made her way outside. Trying not to appear in a hurry, she walked toward the side of the house where the buggies and horses waited.
It didn’t take long to spot her brother. Of course, Gordon was the only driver standing in the seat and looking her way. Medium built with sandy brown hair, he appeared much younger than the other drivers. When he noticed her, he jumped down from their relative’s coach and acted as if he was tending to the horses.
As she neared, her steps became slower. “I have it,” she whispered as she walked past him and to the vehicle.
“May I help you, Miss?” Gordon asked louder, staying in his role as the driver.
“I think I dropped my fan.” She opened the door and peered inside.
He stopped behind her. “Nobody is watching,” he whispered.
Quickly, she pulled out the journal from her pocket and slipped it under one of the blankets. Before straightening, she withdrew her fan. “Oh, I found it,” she said loudly, just in case someone happened to overhear.
He grinned and nodded. “Father will be very pleased with our efforts today.” His voice was very low.
“He certainly better. I was nearly caught.” She squared her shoulders and cleared her throat, speaking louder, “I must go back to the party now.”
Feeling very victorious, she walked toward the manor. It wasn’t until now that she realized the wind was stronger than it had been earlier, and a lock of her hair came loose from her hairstyle and fell across her forehead. She grumbled, hurrying her pace. She reached the manor and released the heavy sigh she had been holding. The journal was in her brother’s care, and he would protect it until it could be delivered to their father.
As she walked inside the ballroom, she was surprised to see how many more people had arrived in the short time she was outside. On tiptoes, she searched the crowd for her relatives until she found them. Smiling, she zigzagged in between couples on her way toward her family.
Her uncle, Mr. Michael Thornock, was a prominent fellow in Great Meols and well-liked by his friends and acquaintances. He wasn’t very tall, but he still towered over his wife and daughter. For as long as Nicole had remembered, he had always worn a cheerful smile.
Aunt Anita—the bubbly woman in the family who cared for everyone—was the sister of Nicole’s father. Ever since Nicole’s mother died, Aunt Anita had always treated Nicole like one of her own children.
Cousin Emily was only two years younger than Nicole. Her cousin sometimes seemed much too innocent and naïve than a young woman of twenty-and-two.
Emily’s gaze locked with Nicole’s, and the girl’s eyes widened. She excused herself from her parents and met Nicole only a few steps away. Emily grasped her cousin’s hands.
“Where were you?” Emily asked softly.
Nicole didn’t like her cousin’s expression. “Why? What happened while I was visiting the powder room?”
“It is not what happened while you were there, but afterward.”
Nicole arched an eyebrow. “What happened?”
“That man, the one who captured you by the steps as you fell—” Emily swung her gaze around the ballroom, “was asking about you, and he looked very concerned.”
Panic consumed Nicole. She didn’t enjoy this feeling, only because she had been in control of her own life for a few years now. Fear was not a pleasant feeling to have. “What do you mean he was asking about me? He doesn’t even know me.”
“Well, you see,” Emily said, twirling her fingers in one of her long, blonde ringlets. “Father saw you nearly fall off the steps, so after you left, he went over to the man and struck up a conversation to find out what happened.”
Nicole didn’t like where this was heading. “What did Uncle Michael say?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t standing by them. But once you left the ballroom, that man kept watching for your return.” Emily squeezed her cousin’s hands before a wide grin spread across her face. “I think he might be interested in getting to know you.”
