Page 23 of The Duke’s Masked Wallflower

“I can concur,” James said without further comment, looking off into the distance, which Gabriel thought showed considerable restraint on his friend’s part.

Lady Emily laughed outright. Even Miss Winthrop’s mouth twitched, though she seemed to be fighting the expression. A knot in Gabriel’s chest eased at the sight of her struggle, loosening much more than the occasion warranted. It tightened almost immediately as another thought came to him.

“But after your departure, I heard Mr. Sinclair proved himself highly amenable to you as well. He was quite adamant about your strong and impeachable character when he returned to the party. If not offering physical support, offering supportive words must have sufficed for the gentleman—and for you?”

Lady Emily barely flinched. So, Gabriel thought, the friend knew about Sinclair but not about me? I suppose that makes sense. And yet...

“He was a perfect gentleman.” Miss Winthrop crossed her arms, then looked over her shoulder, maybe for her parents, who were keeping their distance and watching. “Though I do not see why you felt the need to ask about his support, verbal or otherwise.”

He almost laughed but held back. She was a quick and witty creature despite her proper outward appearance. He had been thinking about her wit and more all night. The scene of them together at the Peachey house would hit the press soon enough. There had been talk already. There would be more talk. Even Elisabeth knew; God knew how.

Gabriel did not relish the thought of becoming involved with a woman without receiving anything in return; maybe before they could have avoided this, but not now. Which is why he intended to make the most of the situation. Their meeting in the park that morning had proven his point.

Miss Winthrop’s repeated appearances in his life were providence.

He cast a look at James he hoped was not misinterpreted, as Lord and Lady Winthrop finally decided to arrive and formally greeted the two gentlemen. Introductions were made.

“What do you say about walking with the Winthrop party a while?” Gabriel asked James with forced nonchalance. “The horses could do with a rest. And I would like to stretch my legs.”

The suggestion was met with enthusiasm by almost everyone except for Miss Winthrop. Undeterred, Gabriel walked with James and Lord Winthrop to tie the horses under a tall oak tree, promising them to return shortly. Lord Winthrop offered to stay behind with his wife to ensure the horses were not stolen. Gabriel did not bother investigating the offer. He was used to parents making convenient excuses for leaving him alone with their daughters. But in this case, a small privacy was what the moment called for.

Before long, he found himself walking beside Miss Winthrop a few yards behind James and Lady Emily. Even from here, he could tell what a capable conversationalist Lady Emily was, but she was visibly disinterested in James in any romantic sense, not trying to move closer to him, not holding herself in the way young women did when they were nervous and trying to make a good impression. Miss Winthrop was maintaining an equally platonic distance. But while Lady Emily was loud and warm up ahead, Miss Winthrop was quiet and cold.

The path turned toward the Serpentine, notching into the main loop around the lake. James stopped with Lady Emily and shot a look at Gabriel, nodding to indicate he was watching closely. Gabriel drew Miss Winthrop a little further away, stopping at the beginning of a jetty. The water rippled quietly against the bank, sand martins skipping over the water in the distance. There was no one around except the grass mounds and their chaperones atop one.

“I don’t understand the meaning of this,” Miss Winthrop said eventually, not following him out onto the creaking jetty. “Why do you insist on finding me always and being alone with me?”

“You are mistaken if you believe I have orchestrated any part of our acquaintance except this walk, and maybe Vauxhall. Let us not forget who initiated our first meeting after all.”

“Entirely by accident.”

“That was not what you said after the fact.”

“I did not intend for the gentleman I kissed to be you exactly. How many times must we go over this? It just happened to be you. Heavens knows I would not have picked you if I knew this would be the consequence.”

Another gentleman might have been insulted by the slight.

“And are you not glad it was me and not someone less discreet?” Gabriel doubled back toward her, his hands clasped behind his back. His legs were tender from the ride, and he sighed. “I only wanted a brief moment with you, Miss Winthrop.”

“How brief is brief, Your Grace?”

“Less brief, for that question.”

“You seemed very certain a moment ago, when you waited for me to leave before you started walking. I thought you would be counting down the seconds until you relieved yourself of me.”

“Have I given you the impression that your company is a burden to me?”

She paused, then said, “Yes.”

“Then I misrepresented my opinion of you. Or I lied about it. I can’t remember. And I find I do that rather often around you, lying, though never about anything significant.” He turned to face her properly and found himself uncomfortably less sure of his ground than he had expected to be. “Will you hear what I have to say anyway?”

“It seems I have no choice.” She gestured toward the lake. “It is you or the Serpentine for me.”

“How gauche. Are you not grateful I saved you from choking last night?”

“Of course, I am,” she replied with sincerity, meeting his gaze at last. The clarity of her eyes always took him aback. They were not quite gray, or blue, or green, but so clear, like water under sunlight. “It is everything else which I find entirely insupportable.”

“Then let me propose a way to make it supportable to you.” He inwardly cringed at the inelegance of his words. Miss Winthrop almost laughed. “I have a proposal to put to you, Miss Winthrop. I would ask that you hear the whole of it before you decide I have lost my mind.”