Page 87 of The Lady’s Great Escape

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Kit watched as Rathmore rested a hand on Celia’s back and led her out of the ballroom. He knew this was bound to happen eventually. He’d done what he could to help her find someone suitable. Rathmore was the best person he could aim Celia toward with her plan to take a lover. Still, it didn’t feel… right.

Nothing did at the moment.

Hopefully that would change soon enough. Smoothing a hand over his immaculate coat once more, he went to find Willa.

He felt stiff as he approached her and her friends and requested a walk in the garden. The two other ladies with Willa tittered as Willa reached for his hand, placing her slim fingers gently on his arm. Why didn’t he feel a zing of arousal from her touch?

Perhaps it would come later after they were intimate with one another. As if to test his theory she stopped at a heavily shadowed corner of the garden. The young maid serving as chaperone stood much too far away to be of any use. Perhaps, propriety was irrelevant at this point. They would be married soon enough and anything that happened tonight would not be suspect.

Willa’s hand coiled around his neck, she tugged him down to her lips, taking him by surprise.

The kiss was nice in the way all kisses were. He would wager, it wasn’t her first, but she wasn’t a master of it either. Her tongue reached out for his and he waited for his body to betray him in a most ungentlemanly way, but it did not.

Perhaps his nerves had cooled his ardor or frozen it as it seemed to be now. Why could he not respond to this woman in the way a husband—or even a man—should?

When she pulled away, she smiled, but not with the brilliance he had seen earlier in the ballroom. Had she, too, realized their kiss held no passion whatsoever? Should he have tried harder? He’d never needed to try with Celia.

Bloody hell.How was he supposed to move on with Willa when he kept comparing every touch to what he’d had with Celia? Celia hadn’t wanted him, not back then, not now, not ever.

Swallowing down his anger, he smiled again.

“I wanted to ask your feelings on marriage. As far as what you find most important in a match between two people,” he said, clearly stalling. He should have just proposed and had it done with.

She tilted her head to gaze up at him and looked so young. She was only five years younger than him, but at that moment he felt aged well beyond his years.

“Friendship,” she answered and he relaxed. It was a splendid answer as were her others. “Respect, and definitely laughter.” She took a few steps from him. “And what do you wish for in a marriage?”

“I wish for a wife who is more than just another person in my home. I want a true partner. Someone I look forward to spending my life with. Someone who wants to spend their life with me.”

She nodded. “Yes. I want that as well.” Her smile faded slightly. Was she disappointed that he’d not asked yet? He should get on with it before she grew weary and left him standing there among the shrubs. Alone again.

He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to speak the words that would unite them forever, but it was her voice he heard rather than his own.

“I’m afraid I can’t marry you, Lord Stormont. I know you haven’t asked so this is not a refusal. But if you were to ask, I would have to refuse.”

“Oh,” he said as he tried to figure out why his first reaction to her news was utter relief. “May I ask why?”

“I’m so sorry. You must think me fickle as things between us have obviously been leading to this point, but it was only just as we were speaking of what we wanted from a marriage that I realized I’m in love with someone else.”

“I see.” Kit offered a smile that was all the more surprising for its sincerity. “Lord Marsden is a fine man.”

“Actually, it isn’t Lord Marsden.” She shook her head and her eyes lit with something he’d never seen when she’d looked at him before. “You see, I met someone at my first ball, and my brother practically salivated at the idea of marrying me to the man because of his wealth and title.” She glared off at the darkness and Kit knew that was for her brother rather than him.

“I didn’t want my brother or anyone else to think those were the reasons I’d taken an interest in the man, so I cut things off with him rather abruptly. Even though my heart still flutters when we catch each other’s gaze across the ballroom.” Her smile was back and her eyes shone with happy tears. “He always smiles back, as if he hears my heart across the distance. When I’ve had the courage to look at him, it always seems as if he is watching me as well.”

“Perhaps he’s waiting for you to realize that avoiding what you want will hurt you much longer than it will spite your brother.”

“Yes.” She smiled even brighter if that were possible. “Yes, perhaps he is.”

“Then you should go to him, tell him how you truly feel. Allow me to escort you back to the ball.”

As soon as they were back in the ballroom, she began looking for the man of her heart. A small crease pulled on her forehead as she moved her head back and forth.

“I’m afraid I don’t see him now. He’d been over by the refreshments earlier.”

“Who is it we’re looking for? I do have height in my favor and can see farther than you.”