Stephen staredat her, unsmiling.
Her heart froze.She could not tear her gaze from his and, as always, she forgotthere were others in the room. She was consumed with his dark gaze,his face thinner than she remembered, his expression more stern.She wanted to smooth his brow, wanted to tease a quirk of the lipsfrom him. He didn’t smile, not really, but she couldsometimes...
“Soit is settled. We will skate. Excellent.” Lady Demartine turned toher. “Lady Seraphina, you must tell me of your journey here. I hopeit wasn’t too treacherous.”
Tearing her gazefrom Stephen, she answered Lady Demartine’s question, and the next,and the next. And all the while she felt Stephen’s gaze burn intoher, even as they finished their meal, even as they left the diningroom. Even as she went back to her room, as she changed her gown,as she made her way to the frozen lake.
Even as shedesperately tried to think of what she could possibly say tohim.
Chapter Twenty
STEPHEN PUSHED HIMSELF HARDER, the burn in his thighsscreaming as he streaked across the ice. Without his regime ofregular exercise, his muscles had seized somewhat. As there wasnowhere at Waithe Hall he could swim without freezing his ballocksoff, and though the running and stretching he was able to do insideWaithe Hall kept the worst of it at bay, he still felt it everymorning when he woke. Perhaps it was he could take up ice skatingin the interim. It didn’t seem to be as effective as swimming, butit might be it would be better than nothing.
Skidding to astop, he massaged the ache in his thigh. This side of the lake wasdeserted, the rest of the party gathered in the distance. The lakeat Waithe Hall was vast, and the canopy sheltering refreshments wasa good while from where he now stood. In the distance, he could seethe rest of the party skating in front of the canopy or on thebanks taking refreshments, huddled in their cloaks andfurs.
More than a fewstared at Maxim, and had since they’d arrived at the lake. He’dignored them though, and Stephen pictured the concentration on hisbrother’s face as he found again his skating feet, Alexandraskating circles around him as she smiled and calledencouragement.
Even from here,Stephen could see his elder brother still had his arms wrappedaround his fiancée. Oliver had claimed he was keeping Lydia steadyas she skated, and she had giggled and grinned as she clung to hisforearms, as if she hadn’t been skating on their lake since she wasa toddler.
He couldn’t helphimself. Even as he told himself he shouldn’t, he sought her out.Sera stood by herself, her brow creased and her stance unsteady. Ithad been obvious Lydia’s pretence was her truth—she had no idea howto skate.
Deliberately,Stephen turned his back. It was no concern of his if she could notkeep her feet and he was not, in the slightest, tempted to hold heras his elder brother did Lydia.
“Bloody hell, Farlisle, why did you bloody come all the bloodyway over here?” Ash huffed as he scrambled to a stop next toStephen, his face red.
He stoppedmassaging his thigh. “You didn’t have to follow.”
“True.” Bent over with hands braced on his thighs, Ash tookgreat gulps of air. “Is it all the football? Is that why you aren’tdying?”
Ignoring him,Stephen skated in a circle around him. Now that his muscles werewarm, he’d best maintain it.
“Jesus, how do you do that?”
Stephenshrugged.
Taking one lastbreath, Ash straightened. “So, who is it you’re avoiding? The olderbrother, the younger, or Lady Seraphina?”
Stephenstumbled. “What?”
“Can’t be the younger brother. Lord Maxim has been gone toolong for you to form some sort of resentment to him. The earl istoo wrapped up in his future bride to have done anything to trulyvex you. Therefore…” Ash raised a brow.
“Idon’t know what you’re thinking, Ash, but you arewrong.”
Deliberately Ashglanced at the party in the distance and then back atStephen.
“I’mnot avoiding her.”
“Clearly.” Ash regarded him steadily. “What did Suttonsay?”
Sutton? What didhe have to do with anything? “When?”
“When you spoke about the wager.”
Sharp paintwinged in his chest. “We didn’t speak about the wager. I sent hima note, I conceded, I paid my forfeit, and it is done.”
“Shedoesn’t think it done.”
Stephen managedto stop himself from glancing at her again, but the fact he couldpicture her so clearly gave lie to his claim he hadn’t noticed her.Sera stood by herself, apart from the rest of the guests, herexpression mulish as if it caused her no concern that she wasalone. She had been the same at breakfast, her expression fallingwhen she realised most of the guests had kept to their rooms. Shehad held her head high as she’d sat at the table, and when she’dsent an entreating glance his way, it had taken everything insidehim not to respond.
