But then, Miss Leigh wasn’t tearing him to shreds at that moment. No, instead she was guiding Molly about the party, introducing her around with such skill that Molly was quickly ensconced amid the gathering as though she had always been there. Malcolm’s heart swelled at the sight, filling his chest until his ribs felt two sizes too small; if there was any anger left in him after their final meeting, it burned away at that moment.
“It is a wonderful sight, isn’t it?” asked Sidney, making Malcolm flinch as his friend came to stand beside him. With a raised brow, Sidney asked with a laugh, “Lost in your thoughts, were you?”
Malcolm chuckled. “I am simply pleased to see it’s you and not another sycophant hoping I will invest in some mad scheme or marry his daughter. Neither of which is appealing in the slightest.”
“It’s been a pleasant afternoon, has it?” Sidney asked in a dry tone.
“I’ve had to answer the same five questions again and again for the past few hours, and I’m about to run mad if another near stranger asks me why I’ve settled in Greater Edgerton when I have a perfectly lovely estate in Kent or how long I plan to stay. I adore my mother and sisters, but why wouldn’t I wish for a refuge away from their demands? People have no imagination, and I am made to suffer for it.”
Sidney made a vague hum of noise that might’ve been a laugh or acknowledgment if not for the entirely vacant tone to it.
Malcolm glanced at his friend, whose entire attention was focused on his wife. Having witnessed their entire courtship, Malcolm had thought such looks would eventually fade from everyday life once the pair married; not that he anticipated theirs to be a cold and aloof arrangement, but that the burning ardor might temper a touch.
But Sidney was as enamored with her as ever to the exclusion of all else. Which was one of the many reasons Malcolm had decided to let Boxwood Manor rather than staying with his friends. His home could hardly be called a refuge if he had to spend all his days trapped with a pair of lovebirds.
“I should’ve found some excuse not to come,” said Malcolm.
“Too right,” murmured Sidney, his attention never wavering from his wife.
With a smile to himself, Malcolm turned his gaze back to Miss Leigh and Molly, who were wading deep into the fray together. “You aren’t listening at all, are you?”
Another meaningless huff answered that question.
“Molly and I have decided to run away together,” said Malcolm.
“She is incredible, isn’t she?” asked Sidney, which was as much of an acknowledgment as Malcolm was likely to receive when his friend’s thoughts were so firmly fixed elsewhere.
Malcolm chuckled to himself, but his tone was devoid of any laughter when he answered. “She is.”
There was no other answer to give when speaking about the lady who had made his friend so very happy. If he were forced to compare her to Miss Leigh, the latter would win on all accounts, but it pleased Malcolm to know that his friend had found joy with second best.
“I may have been too quick to judge your Miss Leigh,” said Sidney.
Malcolm’s shoulders stiffened, his brows raised as he cast a slanted look at his friend. “Pardon?”
“You heard me. Are you going to approach her or spend the entire day lurking around the picnic, staring at her from afar?”
Shifting in place, Malcolm straightened his perfectly straight jacket. “She is the teensiest bit annoyed with me at present, and prudence is called for.”
“Distance isn’t going to help matters,” said Sidney with a frown. “Do us all a favor and approach her.”
He popped off his hat long enough to wipe at his forehead. “You are right, of course.”
And yet Malcolm remained precisely where he was.
“There’s no reason to approach her now that I have only just found a moment’s peace, Sidney, and if I wade back into the thick of things, I’ll be mobbed. And Miss Leigh is always in the thick of things.”
Feeling Sidney’s gaze upon him, Malcolm glanced at his friend. “What is it?”
With a huff of laughter, Sidney shook his head. “I’m enjoying seeing you discomposed. You are all too certain of yourself with other ladies.”
“Other ladies haven’t raked me over the coals,” mumbled Malcolm.
“Precisely.”
Malcolm sighed and tucked his hands behind him. Remaining there really was a better course of action for now. Miss Leigh was constantly surrounded by a throng, and there was little point in battling through it at present. It wasn’t as though they’d be allowed a proper conversation with everyone watching and listening. That thought settled comfortably into his churning stomach, giving him the slightest bit of peace.
Until she turned away from the gathering and hurried off.
