“Are you ready?” he asked. Something had to be said before he forgot himself completely.
She nodded. “I have been looking forward to it all day.”
There was something in her tone that made him want to wrap his arms around her and pull her against him. Instead, he shrugged the feeling away and turned toward the door.
Fifteen minutes later, they were back inside the cave, their lanterns casting a yellow glow that danced across the walls. Carefully, Richard headed toward the other end of the cave where the floor slanted downward. Turning up the light of his lantern, he held it out in front of him and glanced down. “It appears to be a little steep,” he said. “Do you think you can manage?”
Stepping up beside him, Lady Mary paused for a moment before saying, “I am glad that I put on my walking boots after dinner.”
Dropping his gaze, he spotted the leather tips of them peeking out from beneath her hemline. “I will help you, of course.” Moving forward, he realized the slope wasn’t nearly as challenging as it appeared, for which he was grateful. He turned when he was halfway down and offered Lady Mary his outstretched hand, a shock of heat rushing through him the moment her palm settled against his own, alerting him to the fact that she wasn’t wearing gloves.
With trembling heart, he guided her toward him, then stepped back the rest of the way until they were both safe on the flat surface below. Unwilling to sever the bond between them, he failed to release her hand as he ought, waiting instead for her to do it. To his surprise, she curled her fingers more tightly around his—so tightly, that he almost forgot to breathe.
“I went for a walk with Belgrave today,” she said. The softness of her voice made it sound as though she was speaking of a mundane matter like the arrangement of flowers in the garden. “Later, we enjoyed a picnic with the Spencers.”
Richard stiffened. Instinct told him to retreat. Instead he held his ground, thankful that his expression would be hidden behind his mask. Allowing a moment to pass, he aimed for a neutral tone. “I trust you had an agreeable time?”
“It was pleasant enough,” she said as she pursed her lips. “He knows that I have no interest in him.”
“Is that true?”
Her eyes widened with surprise. “Of course it is.”
His chest tightened around his heart. “I daresay that there is no ‘of course’ about it. After all, he is both handsome and titled. In fact, the truth of the matter is that he would make an excellent match for you.” What the hell was he doing, talking up another gentleman in favor of himself?
She nodded her agreement. “He is also exceedingly kind.”
Richard grit his teeth together. “I have no doubt that he is.”
“In fact,” she told him thoughtfully, “I do believe my life would be far less complicated if Iwereinterested in him.”
“But you are not?” He held his breath in anticipation of her answer.
She frowned. “I thought we had already established that I am not.”
“Right.” He made to turn away—to avoid asking her who she might be interested in then—knowing what her answer would be but also knowing that he really shouldn’t encourage her favor. Except of course, he wouldn’t be roaming around a dark cave with her in the middle of the night... alone, one might add... unless he wished to encourage her favor a great deal. Damn, what a mess he’d made. And all because he couldn’t stop himself from seeking her out on the night of the ball.
“I also spoke with Rotridge.”
A chill raced down Richard’s spine. His shoulders tensed. “About what?”
Her eyes widened a little, no doubt in response to how angry he now sounded. “Actually, he approached Belgrave while I was in his company. Apparently Rotridge was of the opinion that Belgrave might have been you.”
“I see.” Thank God he’d had the foresight to inquire about the earl. If only he could find something condemning that he could hold against him, then hopefully he’d have a means by which to ensure that he would stay away from Lady Mary forever.
“You should know that Belgrave has mentioned it to Spencer and Chadwick and that the three of them have offered to keep an eye on Rotridge—to ensure that he does not try to do something foolish.”
“Good.” Richard knew little about Belgrave, but with Spencer and Chadwick looking out for Lady Mary, he was confident that she would be safe from Rotridge. How safe she’d be fromhim, however, was an entirely different and far more complicated question. Raising his lantern, he immediately forgot about his predicament regarding his increasing fondness for Lady Mary because of what he suddenly saw. “There are steps over here.” It seemed unfathomable.
“Steps?” She sounded equally surprised. “So much for discovering unchartered territory.”
He almost laughed in response to her obvious disappointment. “I see no reason why we cannot still explore it.”
“I suppose you are right, especially since there is less chance of either one of us falling into a ravine as long as a proper path exists.”
“Were you really worried about such a thing happening?” he asked. He’d warned her that their exploit could prove hazardous, but a ravine? “I have never heard of caves having ravines in them,” he told her thoughtfully.
“A pit then?”
