PROLOGUE
Ishould not be here.
The night was quiet, aside from the faint rustle of leaves and the breath of wind that touched Christina’s cheek as she hurried into the darkness. The distant laughter and music chased after her as she hurried into the gardens of Ashbourne House, knowing full well that what she was doing would bring scandal, should she be caught.
Christina did not care. Her heart’s desire was here in the gardens and she could do nothing other than go to him.
Moonlight danced lightly over a small pond to her right, and seeing it, Christina turned to her left, following the path that led her even further away from the house. To be out in the gardens at this hour was one thing, but to be out alone was quite another! Her mother, Lady Bedford, would soon be looking for her, wondering why she was taking so long to return from the retiring room. She did not have long.
Her pulse quickened as she recalled the moment their eyes had met across the ballroom. His light grey eyes had captured hers, and she had practically melted into the floor of the ballroom. No other knew of the connection between them, notas yet. Her sister was about to become engaged, and Christina had felt the need to keep her own connection hidden, just until her sister was wed and all matters concluded. Then, mayhap, she could speak to her father about him, could speak about her own desire and her own hope of happiness. For the moment, the secrecy added an excitement about keeping their meetings from the world, an anticipation that was so great, it burned hot in her chest.
Their dance together earlier that evening had not been long enough. She had wanted to stay beside him, had yearned to be close with him for the rest of the hours they had together, but it could not be. When he had whispered in her ear, as they had parted, where he would be, should she desire to speak with him further, she had leapt with hope and eagerness. Nothing, no matter of propriety, no expectations of excellent behavior would keep her back from him. Not when she was already his.
“Coventry?” Finding the arbor draped in moonlight, Christina slowed her steps. The scent of roses hung close in the air, and a few pale petals had fallen on the stone bench beside her — white, faintly curling at their edges, luminous in the moonlight. She pressed her thumbnail into the pad of her index finger, a small, private point of pressure to steady herself, to remind herself that this was real. “Coventry?” she whispered again, speaking to the shadows, waiting for his presence. “Are you here?”
For a moment, there was no reply, no sound to confirm that he was near. There was only the whisper of the wind through the trees, which danced across her skin, making her shiver. Then, emerging from the arbor itself, Lord Coventry came towards her, moonlight glinting on his dark hair.
“Christina,” he murmured, his voice low as he drew near. “You came.”
Her heart leapt as he reached for her hands, her skin prickling at his touch. “Nothing could keep me back from you, Coventry. I had to finish my dance with Lord Pennington, but my every thought was of you. You must know that.”
“Indeed I do,” he murmured, dropping her hands but then wrapping them about her waist instead as she drew close to him, her head on his shoulder, one hand flat against his chest against his heart. “How I long for this, Christina. How I long for you.”
She gave a soft laugh and closed her eyes, a hint of sandalwood catching her attention and making her toes curl. “You and I share the same longing, it seems.”
“And yet, you say we must wait before our love is made known.”
Leaning back, Christina looked up into his eyes, taken aback by the note of desperation in his voice. “You know that I think it best we wait until my sister announces her engagement. This is her third Season and we have been waiting and hoping for so long for her to find a match. Lord Wickton has spoken to my father already, and we presume he will ask her within the week. Then, my dear Coventry. Then we can speak of it.”
Lord Coventry let out a long, slow breath as he looked down at her, a rueful smile curving his lips. “You think me selfish, I am sure.”
“No, I do not.”
“No?” One of his hands lifted from her waist, caught her fingers again. “You understand when I tell you that the deep, desperate longing I have within me to make you my own? To have that promise, that certainty, that we shall never step back from each other?”
Christina’s breath came shallowly at the depth of his words, of what she was sure he was trying to convey. The night seemed to hold its breath with her as he searched her face, his gaze intense as it caught hers, her pulse began to beat wildly. Washe talking of marriage? Of their future together? They had only been courting for a few weeks – and that done in the greatest secrecy – but now it seemed he was talking of something more. “I – I do understand, Coventry,” she whispered, aware of the wild beat of her heart. “I feel the very same way.”
Her confession shattered any lingering restraint between them. Lord Coventry’s eyes darkened, his head beginning to lower as his hands pulled her close to him. Christina’s breathing grew shallow, her fingers twisting together around his neck as she closed her eyes.
His lips found hers, and her heart threw itself into a furious rhythm, her fingers tightening around his neck before falling to his shoulders, needing to cling to him as he deepened their kiss. Just how long she was held in such an embrace, Christina did not know, but it felt like both seconds and hours had passed by the time he lifted his head.
Swaying slightly, Christina kept her eyes closed as Lord Coventry’s hands steadied her, his forehead resting against hers. They were both breathing raggedly, Christina trembling lightly from the intensity of their kiss.
“I could not hold myself back any longer,” he murmured, his voice roughened with feeling as Christina smiled gently. “I do not regret such an intimacy, Christina. My heart would not be denied any longer, for I love you desperately.”
Her breath hitched, caught in a gasp as her eyes flew open, the world seemed to tilt this way and that. “You—love me?” she said, hardly daring to believe that he had said them.
Lord Coventry smiled, the bright moonlight sending a silver flicker into his eyes. “I do,” he said, lifting one hand from her waist and brushing his fingers lightly down her cheek. “I understand why you want us to keep this from the world, but you are so very generous at times, I fear that you do not then think of yourself and your own happiness!”
One single, joyous tear slipped down her cheek, and Lord Coventry caught it, gently wiping it away. “You cannot know just how wonderful those words are, Coventry,” she whispered, eager for him to realize that it was joy, not upset, that brought her tears. “These last few weeks with you have been the most wonderful of my life. You are right, mayhap, that I think too much of Sophie, but I did not ever expect there to be such a depth of feeling so soon into our acquaintance.”
He looked at her for a long moment, his eyes softening. “Nor did I. I hoped that there might be some warmth between us, perhaps some affection, but I did not expect my heart to hold this much for you. I love you so very much, Christina. I want now to declare it to the world, now that I have declared it to you!”
With a quiet laugh, Christina pushed herself up on tiptoe and, boldly, let her lips touch his again. A low groan came from him as she stepped back, seeing his eyes close as if the depth of his emotions at her kiss had overwhelmed him. “I love you too, Coventry,” she said simply. “My heart has been desperate for you, yearning for every moment with you, crying out for even the smallest touch of your hand on mine. I cannot deny the truth of what it tells me – and it tells me that I love you in return.”
Lord Coventry opened his eyes, an exclamation of both joy and relief breaking from his lips. “Christina… my love.” With a long breath, he found her hand and this time, brought it to his lips, the warmth of it sweeping over her again. “I did not think that I could be so filled with such a strength of happiness.”
Her smile trembled with joy. “This is a more wonderful evening than I ever imagined. To hear your profession of love has brought a new brightness to my days, I feel as if the sun has broken through and is shining down upon us, even though it is night.”
