After he’d shaken Harbury’s hand, he turned to Miss Cassandra, but he was acutely aware of the direction Lady Sarah and Eliza had gone.
He bent to kiss Miss Cassandra’s cheek.
Under her breath Cassandra warned, “If you don’t go and get her, I’ll—”
“I will,” he interrupted. “I swear I will.”
Cassandra exhaled.
He moved to kiss her other cheek. “Just as soon as I am able.”
When he drew back, Cassie’s eyes were shining.
“Love?” she whispered.
He nodded, communicating everything he could not say with his eyes.
“I amveryglad.”
Adrian attempted to hand Cassandra the buckle. Harbury interceded.
“Much ado about a shoe,” Harbury said loud enough for those around him to hear.
Unspoken communication passed between them—his gesture was meant, in part, to give Adrian the chance to slip away.
Several obligatory titters—thetoncould always be counted on to make a duke feel witty—turned into sighs as Harbury knelt on one knee and made a show of replacing the buckle.
As he went in search of Eliza, Adrian reflected.
Was he really surprised to discover Eliza was the Blackbird?
From the moment he’d laid eyes on Eliza he’d felt a sense of recognition. Again and again, he’d drawn comparisons between them in his mind.
The truth had been staring him in the face for quite some time.
Finally, he found Lady Sarah, who told him Eliza had gone out to the terrace to get some air. He took a back route through Harbury’s study and made his way outside.
He found her standing opposite his half-brother.
After their conversation this afternoon, Adrian knew Vane was hoping with all his heart Eliza would cry off.
At present, Vane had the expression of a soldier about to go into a battle rather than a lover about to propose.
“I entered into an agreement both with you and with Mrs. Dove-Lyon,” Vane said. “As a gentleman, I can only release you if you are certain you wish to be released.”
Adrian held his breath.
“I appreciate that you wish to your honor your commitment”—Eliza’s smile trembled—“but you don’t need to sacrifice yourself on the altar of good intention. Mrs. Dove-Lyon approached you on my behalf, but my reasons for wishing the alliance are no longer in force.”
A lover would have been devastated by such a declaration, but Vane’s face only blossomed with hope. He nodded.
“Besides,” her expression turned sympathetic, “how can I hold you to your word when I know your heart belongs to another? And, what’s more, I cannot honor my commitment to you whenmyheart belongs to another.”
Briefly, Adrian closed his eyes, sending up a prayer of thanks.
“Go, Mr. Vane. Find Lady Redver. Ask her the same question you had planned to ask me tonight.”
Vane bowed his head. “Thank you, Miss Wainwright.”
