“Lucas,” I said his name like a warning. Not here. Not now.
“I meant every word.” His eyes watched mine, measuring my reaction. “I need to know if you—”
“Lord Reynolds to see you, Your Grace,” the butler said from the doorway, and we tore apart.
“What the devil ishedoing here?” Gabriel stalked toward the window.
An alarm rang through me. Lord Reynolds? I’dcompletelyforgotten. He’d wanted to walk Kensington Gardens!
Maggie smirked. “Is there something you ought to tell us, Miss Wood?”
Lucas had stilled. Drat, drat, drat. “Ah—well, I believe he’s come to invite us out for the afternoon.”
“How lovely,” Her Grace said, standing just as Lord Reynolds strutted inside.
He stopped a few paces away and bowed as we all rose to greet him. “Your Graces. Mrs. Drexel. Mr. Brennan.” Then he took me in, a slow grin curving his mouth. “Miss Wood. You look beautiful this afternoon.”
Throw me in the Thames.To be so bold! And in front of Lucas! “Lord Reynolds.” I curtseyed. The earl had zero reservations. No doubt he had a reputation with women.
Lucas stood rigid beside me. “To what do we owe this great pleasure, Reynolds?” he asked with measured calm.
“I hope I am not interrupting your afternoon. I’m off to Kensington Gardens. Miss Wood and I had spoken of it last evening at the theater. I am hoping to convince her to join me.”
“Absolutely not,” Lucas enunciated.
My gaze jumped to his. And as though he felt it, he softened.
Maggie laughed. “Not without the rest of us, His Grace means.”
I had an inkling from way Lucas grit his teeth that was not at all what he meant.
“Of course! Please, do join us,” Lord Reynolds insisted. “The weather is fine, and I believe we’ll be early enough to miss the crowds.”
Lucas looked to me, studied me. “Would you like to walk Kensington Gardens, Miss Wood?”
I could see no way out of it. No polite excuse to decline Lord Reynolds’s invitation, especially since we had indeed discussed the outing last evening. I’d have to decline any further invitations or risk giving him the wrong impression. I was dangerously close to misguiding him as it was. I gave Lucas a pained look. I’d love nothing more than to sit beside my friend until the sun fell low, but was that wise either?
“I think fresh air would do us all some good. Clear the mind. Shall we all go out as friends?” I asked.
“Well thought.” Her Grace smiled, patting Lucas’s arm. “Enjoy yourselves.”
Lord Reynolds grinned at me.
“Friends.” Lucas scowled. “We’ll take my carriage.”
ChapterTwenty-Five
Marlow
“What is all the fuss about?” Maggie held my arm as we trailed our party down the wide dirt footpath of Hyde Park Corner toward Kensington Gardens.
Georgiana looked over her shoulder at us. “Quite the crowd ahead.” She was flanked by Reynolds and Gabriel.
“We should certainly be in the middle of it.” Reynolds smirked at her.
The man was an utter dolt. If Maggie wasn’t holding me back a step, I might have thrashed him for the way he grinned at Georgiana.
She’d said last night she wasn’t interested in his suit.
