Feeling far more agitated now than he had when he’d entered the ballroom, Sebastian once again pressed into the crowd. Miss Browning did not appear to notice his approach. He supposed that this was a good thing, as he felt that she would likely have attempted to flee if she’d sensed him nearby.
Which was going to make his next move quite difficult.
Finally, when he was within ten paces, she looked away from Miss Greene and caught his eye. Her demeanor, already so serious and focused, stiffened further. She glanced at the dance floor, as though afraid that he was going to ask her to waltz yet again.
“Good evening,” he said to the both of them, offering Miss Greene as much attention as he could afford. He knew that Miss Browning had exceptional affection for her friend, and he would do well to stay ingratiated. Judging by Miss Greene’s bright, knowing smile, he was not so far from his goal.
“Good evening, my lord,” Miss Browning said, dipping into a curtsy.
“Are you planning on taking a turn about the gardens, by chance?”
She paused, pursing her lips, her expression serious as she mulled over what he might mean.
“I had not considered it,” she finally said. “But…I could be convinced, if someone were to assure me that the view was exceptional.”
Sebastian fought the smile that threatened to give away his glee. Miss Browning did appear to have some flirting abilities buried deep within. The discovery intrigued him.
“If my word means anything, Miss Browning, I can tell you thatit is exquisite. You would hardly need a book.”
The hint of pink that always lingered in her cheeks reddened. “Oh,” was all that she said for a moment. Then, blinking, she added, “Well then, I suppose I shall have to find my way to them and see for myself. Thank you for the recommendation, Lord Brightwater.”
Coded though it was, Sebastian believed that he had succeeded in his designs. “Of course. Please, let me know how you find them.” Looking between the two women, he gave a nod. “Good evening, ladies.”
Just like that, the trap was set. No one seemed to notice him as he slipped out the garden doors and into the cool night air, fragrant with blooming flowers and the threat of rain, and waited for Miss Browning to take the bait.
Chapter Thirteen
She ought not to go.
She knew it. She knew that if she walked out those doors and followed Lord Brightwater into the gardens after his transparent offer, she would be walking past the point of no return.
And yet…
“Ginny, I am going to go find my brother. I shall return.”
Ginny, unable to let her friend get away with such a blatant lie, gave her a pointed look. “Enjoy the gardens, my friend. Only, do allow me to be in your wedding party. I would be so bored in the audience.”
Augusta rolled her eyes. “Oh please. I am simply going to find my brother and then I shall toddle right back to you.”
“Yes, yes, of course Auggie. Do not prick yourself on the rosebushes.”
Ginny’s trilling laughter was swallowed up by the crowd as Augusta slid between happy couples and excited debutantes. She noted that the greatest benefit of being a wallflower was that now, when she finally did something out of the ordinary, no one was bothering to look at her. So, as she ventured out into the garden with slow, cautious steps, she remained as hidden as aghost.
The gardens nearest the doors were well-lit by lanterns. As such, Augusta knew instinctively that Lord Brightwater was not nearby. He preferred the privacy of their rosebush patches in Hyde Park, the quiet of her drawing room.
No, she knew precisely which route he had taken - to the right, tall rows of hedges that were poorly illuminated under the night sky. Not quite a labyrinth in the grand sense, but something akin to it. Without a word, but with her heart beating wildly against her chest, she slipped away from the light and onto the darkened path.
It was ridiculous. Nothing good could come from this. She could be ruined.
Perhaps she wanted such an outcome.
She could not stop the smile that forced its way onto her lips as she turned down a fresh row of hedges. It was empty, so far as she could see. Her heart fluttered as her steps sped up. Down the path she went, feeling for all the world as though she were flying. So this was what it felt like to be young, to be foolishly happy, to be…not in love. But close. Terribly close.
The smile became nearly painful. A sound threatened to erupt from her, one that seemed foreign. With a start, she realized that it was a giggle. She wanted togiggle.
The hedges and their pathway came to an abrupt end, and in front of her stretched a field with a smattering of oak trees. It was beneath one such tree that she saw the tall, proud silhouette of Lord Brightwater, leaning back against it casually.
He had not yet spotted her. She paused in the shadows of the pathway, watching him. Her nervous energy ceased at once. She waited for her mind to make its usual cold assessments of his form.
