“Splendid. Now, if you will excuse me.”
She stepped past him, but he moved with her, matching her quick stride perfectly. She looked lovely in the simple, high-waist gown. White ribbons threading through her ringlet hair made her look so innocent. His gaze trailed down to the folded paper in her hand. Perhaps a missive to her so-called fiancé? Could this be the reason she tried to leave his side in such haste?
She reached the stairs and took her time descending, not looking at all in his direction. He stayed beside her every inch of the way.
“My lord, do you not have a pressing engagement? I assure you, I can handle myself without your company.”
“Nothing pressing at this moment, my dear. In fact, I had hoped you would allow me to accompany you outside to my mother’s gardens.”
She skidded to a halt, her gaze swinging to meet his. “Are you addled?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Of course not. Do I look it?”
Her teeth tugged on her bottom lip as if to keep her from speaking, but a twinkle lit in her eyes.
He chuckled. “Ridiculous question, I realize.” With much tenderness, he placed his hand on her arm and she stiffened. He acted as if the contact didn’t bother him when in reality, the heat emanating from her nearly knocked him off his feet.
“Actually, Miss Faraday, I would enjoy your company. It has been quite some time since we talked.”
She blinked and her mouth gaped. “Youareaddled.”
He scowled. “Why do you say such a thing? Just because I want to get to know you better?”
Shrugging off his touch, she continued down the stairs, faster this time as she tried to distance herself from his side. She crumbled the piece of paper and stuffed it in her reticule.
“The boy I remembered from childhood,” she said over her shoulder, “did not want to get to know me. He was a vicious, evil person, whom I could not stand to be around.” She took a quick glance at him before putting her attention ahead of her, slowing her pace. “In fact, I’m quite certain you made the devil himself nervous.”
Trey threw back his head and laughed. “Oh, what humor you possess. Tell me, Miss Faraday, why do you hold such ill feelings toward me?”
When he opened the door for her and they both walked outside, she stopped to face him. Humor left her beautiful face. Her eyes expressed the seriousness in the moment.
“Have you forgotten our childhood? Do you not recall burning my hair and blaming it on your brother?”
“Trevor? Why would I blame him?”
“No. You blamed your brother Tristan.”
Laughter quickly left Trey as sadness filled his chest. Tristan was the one who did no wrong. Was it any wonder Trey had enjoyed blaming his sibling who was only a few years older? The reminder of his brother’s tragic death two years ago sat heavy in his chest. His jaw tightened.
“Yes, I must have forgotten,” he said in a quiet voice before turning away. He couldn’t let Judith see his emotions. It took a lot of effort to bury them, and only seconds for them to resurface. Guilt suffocated him.
“My lord?” She touched his arm. “Did I say something wrong?”
He glanced at her slender fingers curled across his elbow. “You didn’t say anything wrong, only because you probably don’t know.”
“Know what?”
Taking a deep breath, Trey barricaded his feelings behind the icy walls of his heart and faced her. “Tristan died two years ago.”
She sucked in a quick breath as her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, dear heavens, no!”
“I’m afraid it’s true.”
“What happened?”
Trey’s heart fought his mind in a losing battle. He would not conjure feelings from the past that brought havoc to his life again. Tristan had allowed a woman to run his emotions, making him think of nothing else besides her, and there wasn’t anything Trey could do to stop it from happening.
“Let’s just say my brother was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and he was shot.”
