Page 11 of Vying for a Viscount
“You are positively glowing,” she whispered to Lilly.
“I feel like I am,” she said, resting her hand possessively on her stomach. “Langford didn’t want me going out without him, but I told him not to worry. I have three months left. I refuse to be stuck inside now. Winter’s coming, and I’ll stay inside, curled up in front of the hearth, then.”
“Langford’s only worried about you.” Letitia had that once with Rutherford. Would she ever have a husband again who loved and worried about her? Although she still wondered at times if Rutherford’s worry and love were real or all an act.
Her eyes flickered to Greyson, who glanced her way at the same moment and grinned, sending her insides into recurring ocean waves. She couldn’t look away as the green of his eyes deepened to emerald. The intensity of his gaze seeped into her soul, causing her cheeks to heat up.
Letitia looked away from Hunter just as Lilly said, “He does.”
It was perfect timing when three young ladies, perhaps around fifteen or sixteen, entered the room. Each was dressed in white and looked terrified. One sat at a pianoforte, another picked up a violin, and the last held a flute. Indeed, as they played one piece after another, Letitia didn’t think they were half bad. However, she was glad when they stopped, stood, and curtsied to their enthusiastic applause. She wondered how many of the attendees were clapping because they were good and how many because it was finally over.
Letitia was clapping for both. All three young ladies beamed with surprise at the applause. What they would learn in time was that even if they were dreadful, members of thetonwould act enthusiastic. To do otherwise would be rude, cruel, and scandalous.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Greyson, looking dashing in brown and cream, as he stood. As far as she was concerned, he always looked handsome and dashing. He acknowledged a young lady and her mother as they walked by, bowing to them with perfect form. She wasn’t the only lady who noticed. Several of the young debutantes had been making calf eyes at him during the performance. Not to mention the Marriage Mart mamas, who, no doubt, couldn’t wait to waylay him and practically force their daughters on him.
Oh dear. She panicked. Was he seeking a bride among the debutantes?
“Lady Rutherford,” Greyson’s deep voice interrupted her insecure thoughts. “May I escort you to the refreshments table?”
“You two go,” Lilly said. “The duchess and I will keep an eye on your sisters, Greyson.”
He cleared his throat and gave both his sisters a warning look. “Please do. I expect Hunter will hope for a stroll in the gardens.” He looked around the room. “I don’t see Lord Warren, but I’m sure he’s in attendance and will wish to spend time with Aurora.” He bowed to Lilly and Emmeline. “I am indebted to you both.”
“Nonsense,” Emmeline said with a sigh. “Get Letitia something to drink and eat. She looks flushed. Perhaps she is overly warm and needs fresh air?”
Letitia moved one hand to her cheek. Did she honestly look flushed, or was Emmeline making that up? Their eyes met, and she winked. She had lied to help her with Greyson. It was nice to have friends who understood her.
“Well then, we’ll get refreshments and take them onto the veranda.” He held out his hand, and she realized she was still seated while everyone else stood. Blushing, she took his hand and rose, finding herself very close to him; she could smell his woodsy cologne and see his eyes darken. He released her hand, stepped back, and waved his arm forward. “Ladies first.” Was she mistaken, or did he seem shaken?
Perfect gentleman that he was, he filled a plate with confectioners’ treats in one hand and precariously balanced two cups of punch in the other as he followed her out onto the veranda. The fresh night air instantly cooled her cheeks. They stood at the railing, sipping tasteless punch and nibbling delicious biscuits and miniature tea cakes. She’d eaten an early dinner and was surprised she could eat two of the delicious treats. Her eyes met Greyson’s, and he smiled as though he knew a secret.
Before she could ask what was so amusing, he said, “You have a little sugar on your cheek.” He reached out his hand, never breakingeye contact with her, which had her heart pounding. “May I?” he asked, his hand hovering over her cheek.
Her suddenly parched mouth refused to work, so she licked her lips and whispered, “Yes.”
She was enchanted by the look in his eyes and on his face as he swiped his index finger across her cheek, making her body quiver. He held up his finger. “See? Just a little bit.”
She licked her lips again, and all the air vacated her lungs as he licked the sugar from his finger. “No harm done.”
Not to you, she wanted to blurt out. How had she forgotten how he affected her during their time in Newmarket? Not that they had spent much time alone together, but when they did, she couldn’t breathe or think straight, and her knees weakened. If only she knew how she affected him. Yes, she had seen desire in his eyes tonight, but she knew men could desire someone without it involving their emotions or hearts. If only she could be sure what he felt for her. She had made that mistake once before in Newmarket regarding his feelings. Because, obviously, he hadn’t felt the same for her as she did for him if he could go months without reaching out. No note. No visit. Nothing.
“You’re awfully quiet, my dear. And the changing expressions on your face have me intrigued as to what’s going on in that pretty head of yours.” He paused, set their empty cups and the plate on a small table in the corner of the veranda, and returned, making her swallow a groan. He leaned his back against the railing and crossed his arms over his chest, looking thoughtful and serious all of a sudden. “I owe you an apology.”
“You do?” she blurted out before she could think better of it. She tried to tell her heart not to get excited or read too much into the apology before she even knew what he was apologizing for, but it was useless.
“Yes. I planned to call on you when I returned to London, but I gotcaught up in my father’s business affairs. Then, before I realized it, two months passed, and I figured you had forgotten me. Can you ever forgive me for neglecting you? I’m not going to lie. My sisters keep my days and nights full with their social calendar. But everywhere we went, I looked for you.”
“I imagine they keep you busy, and to be honest, I didn’t go out much over the past several months.” She honestly could only imagine how busy his sisters’ social calendar was, since she’d never had a Season. Instead, she married Rutherford at eighteen without ever attending a ball, the theater, or Almack’s, or any other such social event. If she had, and if she had met Greyson, she could well imagine her mother being run ragged to keep her from causing a scandal.
“Would you care to stroll through the gardens? Hunter just disappeared down a path with Anastasia. I should’ve known she would sneak away from Her Grace and Lady Langford.”
Trying to hide her disappointment wasn’t easy, and she knew she’d failed when he quickly added, “Forgive me. That sounded as if I only wanted to walk through the gardens to look for my sister and Hunter. I want to keep an eye on them from a distance, but even if I hadn’t seen them enter the gardens, I wanted time alone with you there.”
He appeared sincere. She exhaled, releasing her disappointment, and said, “I would love to see the gardens.”
He visibly relaxed at her answer and held out his arm. She wrapped her arm around his, and they descended the veranda stairs and entered a granite path she knew would weave through the gardens. No doubt the Countess of Brennan had requested stone, making it nearly impossible to hide the crunch of footsteps. The sound of the stone being disturbed would make it easy to locate her daughters when they came of age and snuck off with gentlemen.
After several minutes of walking in companionable silence, Greyson paused by a bench just off the path. “I believe they went that way,”he said, pointing to a path on their left. “Do you mind sitting on the bench with me? I don’t want to insult one of my best friends by making him think I don’t trust him with Anastasia. I’d prefer him to think we came here for privacy.”
