He escorted Adeline back the way she had come. “I must thank you for saving me. I . . . I do not wish to think about what could have happened. I should never have gone off with him, but he made me think he was actually interested in . . . Suffice it to say, I know better now.”
Lord Littleton grinned. “Maximus and I would never allow any harm to come to you.”
She glanced down. The Great Dane was at her side, and she ran a hand along his back. “Then I must thank both of you.” They had reached the turn before the path opened to the lawn when he stopped. “Is something wrong?”
With one long finger he traced her jaw, causing butterflies to lodge in her chest. His lips brushed against hers once, twice, then settled briefly as his fingers stroked her cheek. “I never kissed Lady Dorie.”
Adeline had not asked the question. She was not even sure she had thought about it, but if she had, she would have assumed that he had kissed her friend. Was that not what rakes did? “You didn’t?”
One corner of his mouth tilted and brought out the dimple. “No.”
“You should not kiss me either.” Yet her words were not nearly as firm as she wanted them to be. Suddenly, she didn’t know what to think. Her mind was so focused on the feeling in her lips, she couldn’t think. What was wrong with her?
“No?” He grinned like a child who had got away with stealing sweets. “I will take you back to your mother.”
Adeline tried to summon anger for what he had done. For the kiss. But her stupid mind liked it. “Yes, that would be for the best.”
She was trying to decide the best way to forget about it when they emerged from the wood along the edge of the river and saw Lord Exeter rowing straight at the boat Dorie and Lord Fotheringale were in. “Is he mad?”
“No.” Lord Littleton pointed to another punt headed directly toward Dorie’s boat. “He’s trying to avoid a collision.”
Lord Exeter’s boat hit the bow of Dorie’s skiff and turned the boat just before the punt sailed by. “That was well done of him.”
“I agree. But I might need to help Turley stop Exeter from murdering Fotheringale.”
“What do you . . .” The boats had reached the shore, and Lord Turley was making his way toward Exeter, who was handing Dorie out of her rowboat. His lordship looked as if he really might commit murder. “I shall go to Dorie.”
Lord Littleton squeezed her hand. When had he taken it? “I didn’t tell her about the piglets either.”
So, it was not that Dorie had forgotten. Adeline smiled to herself. For some reason, that admission pleased her more than the kiss. “I know.”
He released her hand and strode off toward the crowd around Exeter. She exchanged a glance with Georgie, then they both hurried to Dorie. Yet Adeline could not help but look at Lord Littleton. Her lips still tingled. What was it he wanted from her?
She couldn’t think about it now.
* * *
After literally stopping Exeter from maiming or killing Fotheringale, Frits saw the two ladies from the fountain, but not Anglesey. If the man had any sense of self-preservation at all, he would leave Town as soon as possible.
Frits would rather have spent more time with Adeline, but after consoling Lady Dorie, Adeline had gone off with her other friend, and there was no way he was going to be able to get close to her again today.
Still, he’d kissed her. It was no more than a whisper of a kiss, but it had affected him like no other kiss ever had. And it had satisfied none of his constant lust for her. Still, it was a kiss. Adeline’s first kiss.
And Frits wanted more. And the only way to get more was to marry her.
* * *
After Adeline and Georgie had seen to Dorie and ensured she had suffered no ill effects—other than being in a temper with Fotheringale—from the boating incident, they strolled over to a table laden with food.
“I think any idea Dorie has of a match with Lord Fotheringale has ended,” Georgie said as she selected bread and thin slices of ham from a platter.
“I agree. Apparently, he did not listen to her warnings at all.” Adeline decided against the ham and put equally thin slices of beef on her plate, as well as some cheese.
“I shall put that on my list of requirements.” Georgie added salad and a strawberry tart to her plate, and Adeline followed suit.
“I as well.” Her lips still tingled from Littleton’s kiss. “A gentleman should listen to a lady he wishes to wed.”
They picked up glasses of lemonade and found a bench, then Georgie said, “How did you come to be strolling with Lord Littleton?”
