Christian’s gaze met Sarah’s and he saw a flicker of something in her eye. Humor? Interest? Both?
“Eh, what fun is that? Hiding in the countryside,” Branford replied. “London’s full of the amusements, don’t you know.”
“So I’ve heard,” Christian replied.
“Iquiteagree,” Lady Claire surprisingly piped up from beside him.
Christian turned to look at her, then back at the marquess. “Do you know Lady Claire Marchfield?” He drew a hand toward his companion.
“I don’t know. Have we met?” Branford demanded of a flustered Lady Claire.
The young woman immediately began to stammer. “I… oh, well, n-no, my lord. I don’tquitebelieve we have met.”
Branford waggled his eyebrows at her. “Then we have not,” he insisted. “For I daresay you’d recall if we had.”
“Y-yes, of course,” Lady Claire replied.“Quite.”
Christian could have sworn Sarah rolled her eyes at that. He gave her a knowing look. She hid her smile behind her gloved hand.
“Do you know each other?” he asked Sarah, gesturing to Lady Claire again.
“Oh, yes, we’ve met.Quite.Lady Sarah attended the come-out ceremony and was such a dear to give some of us advice this year.”
“That was kind of you, my dear,” Branford said. “A good reflection on the Branford name, I daresay.”
“We’re not married yet,” Sarah murmured.
Branford looked disgruntled, but he quickly changed the subject. “Have you met the future marchioness?” he asked Christian.
“Yes, we… Lady Alexandra Hobbs introduced us last night.”
Sarah shot him a knowing look this time. He ignored it.
“And as she’s to be your marchioness, I believe congratulations are in order,” Christian said, turning his attention back toward the marquess. “For your wedding.”
“Oh, yes,” Lady Claire squealed, clapping her hands. “Quite.You are to be married soon, aren’t you?”
“Not soon enough,” the marquess said, his tone disgruntled as well.
Sarah promptly blushed.
“Lady Sarah has yet to set a date,” the marquess continued.
“Surely there’s no rush,” Sarah replied. She kept her eyes trained on her hands, which were now folded tidily in her lap.
“I’d like to marry before the snow flies again.” The marquess laughed heartily at his own jest.
“Oh,quite. Certainly you’ll be married before then,” Lady Claire exclaimed, blinking in confusion at Sarah.
“There is much to be considered,” Sarah replied noncommittally, glancing back over toward them while the marquess frowned.
“I, for one,quitecannot wait untilmywedding day.” Lady Claire blushed prettily, gazing up at Christian from beneath long lashes.
Christian’s eye caught Sarah’s, and this time she waggled her eyebrows at him.
Christian was spared from replying to Lady Claire’s loaded statement, however, by a scream that rang out across the park. The four of them swiveled their heads to see what had happened. The scream was promptly followed by a loud splash. A young lady’s horse had thrown her into the Serpentine.
Springing into action, Christian tossed the reins to Lady Claire and leaped from his coach, sprinting over to the luckless young woman, who was sputtering helplessly in the water, her yellow flowered skirts obviously dragging her down. Christian ripped off his hat and coat and tossed them to the bank but dove in with the rest of his clothing in place. With long strokes, he swam out to the middle of the lake and firmly grabbed the sobbing young woman.
