Page 55 of This Marquess of Mine

She dipped her head, hoping to look demure as she hid her smile. At least the duke had enjoyed their kiss.

“We should probably return to the ballroom,” he said, clearing his throat. “We’ve been gone for quite some time.”

Olivia nodded. “And your mother will certainly be looking for you.”

“Yes. She certainly will.” He rose and held out his hand. “Shall we?”

She shook her head. “You go on. I would like to stay here for another minute or two. I am still overwarm from all the dancing I’ve done tonight.”

Paxton hesitated, as if he couldn’t decide whether he should leave her there or stay. She made the decision for him.

“Go on, Paxton,” she said with a smile. “I will be along shortly.”

He wavered another beat and then sketched a bow before turning and heading for the house.

Olivia watched him cross the lawn and disappear from sight. Then she slumped against the bench and blew out a heavy sigh.

Well, Paxton had finally done it. After weeks and weeks of waiting, he’d finally kissed her. And it had been fine.

She wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting exactly, but she had to admit, she’d expected better than fine. Still, it was a beginning, and a good sign that he meant what he said. He wanted to marry her, so much so that he’d given her his first kiss.

Rising from the bench, she strolled to the opposite end of the pagoda and rested her shoulder against the first pillar she reached.

Tucking her shawl around her chilled arms, she gazed out at the darkened garden beyond and drew in a breath of cool night air, faintly scented with new grass and cherry blossoms.

She smiled, still thinking of Paxton’s blushing cheeks and the bashful way he’d asked her for a kiss. He really was the sweetest of men, so respectful and considerate. She would be fortunate to call him husband.

“Well? Was it magnificent?”

A sputtered gasp escaped her lips, and she whirled around, her hand at her throat. “Griffin?” She squinted at the figure reclining on a wooden bench. “What are you doing out here? Did you followme?”

His lips curved into a smile, just visible in the dark. “I was here before you, Olivia.”

“Hm.” Her galloping heart slowed to a trot, and she leaned against the pillar again, folding her arms across her chest. “I haven’t interrupted another tryst, have I?”

He chuckled. “No. There is no tryst. I came out here for a breath of fresh air, nothing more.”

The tension in her shoulders eased a bit and she nodded, though she knew he likely could not see the motion in the dark. Her gaze dropped to her slippers, and she studied the pink satin bows on her toes. A little sigh escaped her lips. What an unusual evening this was turning out to be.

“Speaking of trysts…” Griffin said, his voice low and teasing. “Was it magnificent like you hoped?”

Her jaw clenched and she ignored the question for a moment, irritated by it, and by him for remembering those silly words she’d uttered that night at the opera.

Paxton will kiss me when the time is right, and when he does, it is sure to be magnificent.

“You know that is none of your business, Griffin,” she said with a disapproving sniff.

He smiled. “That bad, was it?”

“It wasn’t bad,” she shot back with more venom than was warranted, but really, her first kiss with Paxton should have been private, dash it all.

Why had Griffin gone to the pagoda for fresh air? Why did he always seem to be there to witness her most vulnerable moments?

“But it wasn’t magnificent, either,” Griffin said, and it wasn’t a question, as if he knew her thoughts.

She could feel his gaze on her, curious and encroaching. Why she chose to answer him truthfully was anyone’s guess.

“It was pleasant,” she said. “It wasn’t the best kiss I’ve ever received, but it wasn’t the worst, either. Far from it, actually.”