“Then you need to go find him and make it right.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
The Cartwrights’ Midsummer Night’s Ball
Meredith burst through the doors of the ballroom wearing a bright pink satin gown. She’d chosen it because it resembled the one she’d worn the night Griffin had first proposed to her…all those years ago.
She’d barely allowed Martha to dress her properly tonight. She’d been so impatient to find him. They couldn’t turn back time, and they couldn’t change the past, but they could start anew. If only Griffin would forgive her for being the biggest fool in the land.
“Where is the Duke of Southbury?” she demanded of the Cartwrights’ butler, who was staring at her as if she’d drawn a pistol on him.
“The Duke of Southbury,” she repeated in a louder, even more urgent voice. “I must find him immediately.”
After looking for Griffin at his town house earlier, she’d been told that he had come here tonight with his sister. Had she been given the wrong information?
“I’m sure His Grace is enjoying the festivities in the ballroom,” the butler replied, looking affronted by her rudeness.
So hewashere.Thank God.
Meredith breathed a sigh of relief before thanking the butler and hurrying down the stairs. Once she made it into the crowded ballroom, she stopped at every group of partygoers. “Have you seen Southbury?” she asked, not caring one whit if the entire bloody lot of them knew how desperate she was to find him.
Suddenly, Gemma emerged from the crowd. “Meredith, what is it? Are you all right?”
Meredith grasped Gemma’s forearms. “Where is your brother?” Gemmahadto know where Griffin was.
“I believe he went out on the balcony for some air,” Gemma reported, a concerned look on her face.
That’s all Meredith needed to hear. Releasing Gemma, she lifted her skirts and ran toward the French doors at the far end of the ballroom. All of the ballroom’s occupants turned to stare as she passed them. She was making a scene, but she didn’t care.
When she made it to the doors, she pushed through them and flew out onto the balcony. Turning her head from side to side to search, she expelled her breath in relief when she spotted Griffin standing alone on the far side of the space.
“Griffin,” she called.
He turned to look at her. His forehead wrinkled into a frown as she ran toward him.
By the time she reached him, she was out of breath.
“What are you doing here, Meredith?” Griffin asked. Skepticism lurked in his eyes. He was obviously guarded, careful. She couldn’t blame him.
“I’m an idiot,” she said between gasps for air. “I should have said yes all those years ago when you asked me. I shouldhave told my father and Maxwell to go to hell. I should have run off to Gretna Green with you.”
Griffin searched her face. His eyes narrowed. “Meredith, I don’t understand. What’s changed?”
“Maxwell and I… We never… In bed, we—” She still struggled to catch her breath.
Griffin sharply turned his head away. His jaw clenched. “I don’t want to hear any more about Maxwell.”
“You don’t understand,” she panted. “I thought I was barren, but now I know that when you and I made love, I was actually a virgin.”
Griffin snapped his face toward her and stared at her in wonder, his eyes widening. “What?”
“It’s true.” She nodded. “I didn’t know enough to realize that Maxwell was never…er…competent.” She was blushing, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was the truth and that neither of them wasted one more second without each other.
Griffin was still watching her carefully. He took a step back. “That isn’t the only issue, Meredith. You’ve told me many times that we were only friends. You’ve denied your feelings for me time and again.”
She shook her head. Oh, God. She had to convince him. She had to make him believe the truth. “I know. And I’m sorry. I was confused. I was hurt. I waswrong.”
His face remained a mask of stone as his eyes narrowed on her. “What are you saying now?”
