And then I saw her.
Arabella stepped tentatively onto the lawn in the distance. She was shadowed by the darkness, but her hair and skin still shone in the moonlight. The silk of her gown draped over the curves of her figure, a pair of matching gloves pulled up to her elbows.
Her eyes searched the crowd, and I knew that they would eventually find me. My promise to Mrs. Ollerton burned in the back of my mind, keeping my feet rooted where I stood. Surely she was looking for Sir William—not me. The entire point of Colin’s plan had been to protect men like Sir William from her fortune hunting, but now that I knew the cause behind it, I was entirely on her side.
I did not pity Sir William. In fact, I had never been more jealous of anyone.
CHAPTER 27
ARABELLA
Aunt Julia’s arm was looped around mine, pinning me to her side. I would certainly have to remedy that situation as swiftly as possible.
If I was going to manage being alone with Sir William, I would have to create distance from my chaperone. Why had Sir William not given me any direction as to where and when to meet him? There were countless gentlemen in the gardens who looked similar in stature. He would be easily lost among them.
We passed a bench that led to a winding path, and Aunt Julia stopped abruptly. “This is much like the bench in Mr. Campbell’s garden, is it not?”
My heart pinched. Why must she continue speaking of him? Every mention of his name made me ill. “It looks much better than his.”
She scowled. “I thought his bench was very lovely.”
I exhaled the tension in my chest, my lashes fluttering closed. Snapping at Aunt Julia would not accomplish anything. It wasn’t her fault that I was on edge. Would it be best to sit on the benchand hope Sir William found me? I turned around, searching the crowd for him one more time.
I blinked fast, my heart jumping to my throat.
Both Mr. Campbells were here. The brothers stood together several yards away, but close enough for me to distinguish their differences. Clark, I knew, was the one with his hair falling over his forehead.
And he was looking straight at me.
My heart hammered so hard it hurt. Aunt Julia looked up from the bench in time to release a startling gasp. “Is that—Mr. Campbell? Who is that man beside him? Did you know he had a brother? I daresay he must be a twin.” Her grip tightened on my arm.
“I was recently made aware.” My voice barely escaped the tightness in my throat. I needed to find Sir William. Now. I would have loved the opportunity to confront Colin Campbell for his part in their deception, but that was not my purpose that evening. Sir William was here somewhere, and so were the viscount and viscountess. Kate and I had a plan, and I couldn’t stray from it.
“Well, we must go make his acquaintance.” Aunt Julia’s voice jarred me back to my senses. I shook my head, trying to tug my arm away, but she held it tightly.
“No, we must not.” I held my ground even as Aunt Julia tried to pull me in Clark’s direction. “I came here to see Sir William. I should not be seen conversing with Mr. Campbell.”
Her eyes hardened. “You are being quite irrational. There is no harm in a short greeting. He has obviously brought his brother here in the hopes of introducing him to his acquaintances.”
I caught Clark’s gaze again as Aunt Julia tugged me forward. This time I was too weak to stop her. Seeing the two brothers together confirmed what I had already pieced together in mymind, yet it was still an unsettling sight. The two men were precisely the same height, their hair the same shade of brown, their eyes the same blue. Every feature of their faces was identical, though seeing them together, I could easily tell them apart.
Perhaps it was less about their features and more about the expression behind them.
Clark watched my approach. The weight in his eyes seemed to anchor him to the grass. Colin, however, watched me with the disdain I had come to expect from him. Freddy had reminded me that Colin was my true rival, and I wholeheartedly agreed.
I remained silent while Aunt Julia received her introductions. She gaped at both men in awe. “What a remarkable resemblance. I confess myself rather surprised that you never mentioned your twin.”
Colin gave a faint smile. “I have not been made aware of your siblings either, Mrs. Cresswell.”
She laughed. “I suppose you are right. It never did come up in conversation.” Her gaze continued to dart between both their faces.
Being so near to Clark was a mistake, and I felt it deep in my stomach. Butterflies stirred there, waiting patiently to betray me again. His gaze captured mine, and I wondered if he was still hurt by my rejection. Did he finally believe I was a fortune hunter? Did he finally share his brother’s poor opinion of me? I hoped so. Because soon I would be engaged to Sir William and he would have to face the truth.
The moment Aunt Julia concluded her conversation, I would leave his side and never look back.
“Mrs. Cresswell, I wondered if I might have a word with you?” Colin addressed Aunt Julia directly with a smile that was much too warm for his usual disposition.
Aunt Julia could not have looked more astonished—or honored. Her lips curved upward as she pressed a hand to her chest. “With me?”
