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Behind them, Montgomery and her mother laughed again, shattering the momentary peace she’d attained. She scowled. No doubt they were still discussing the snake incident. He’d waited ten years to tattle on her. Ten years! Not that it really mattered, now she was grown, but it still rankled. He ought to have been the one who’d discovered that snake, not his valet. “The Red Pestilence” indeed! If she lacked remorse for her childhood pranks, it was because his torment had been well deserved.
“Do not let him steal your enjoyment of the day, my lady,” said Chadwick softly.
She looked into his sympathetic brown eyes. He was right. Montgomery was deliberately tweaking her nose, and she was letting him get away with it. No more. “Let us look at the water, shall we?” she said with a sweet smile.
Henry watched the couple ahead. Sabrina’s prickly reaction every time he laughed was telling. She obviously still considered him the enemy.
Chadwick was, from the look of things, smitten in the way only a young man in the first blush of utter infatuation can be. The slip of paper he’d pressed on her was no doubt an impassioned plea for her favor.
Had he ever been that young and impetuous? Logic said yes, but experience said no. He’d never been so taken with a woman that he’d behaved like the man in front of him.
He watched as Sabrina, clearly dismayed by her escort’s temerity, pocketed the note and moved farther down the path toward the water.
He turned to Lady Aylesford with a smile. “Being here brings back some wonderful memories.”
“I should hope so,” she replied. “You always seemed to like it here. At least until your visits were sabotaged.”
“But those memories are some of my fondest.”
She turned unbelieving eyes on him. “Surely you jest.”
“No indeed. I looked forward to each visit.” He laughed. “Truth be told, I could hardly wait to see what she would try next. She never failed to surprise me.” He didn’t tell her, but outwitting little Sabrina had been quite an elaborate and time-consuming game—one he’d thoroughly enjoyed, despite only rarely ever winning the battle. He ought to have been mortified to be bested by a child ten years his junior, but in truth, he’d only been impressed by her ingenuity and fearless attitude.
“In fact”—he hesitated—“I would like to ask your opinion on a matter of some delicacy.”
She looked at him sidelong. “You wish to court her?”
Startled, he looked to see a knowing smile on her face.
“I was wondering when you would broach the subject. I could tell you were interested in her when I saw you together at the ball,” she said with a soft chuckle.
“And you have no objection to my courting her? Even though I was once Eugenia’s—”
She dismissed his concern with a wave. “That was years ago, and Eugenia was already in love with Afton. I told Harry it was a bad idea, but he insisted on giving it a go. You have my blessing to court Sabrina, if such is your wish.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” she said. “You’ll have some convincing to do with that one, first.” She nodded toward her daughter, who was down by the pond. “She still thinks of you in terms of ink and snakes.”
A flash of red caught his eye. The breeze had snatched her hat away, and now it settled on the rippling surface of the water, leaving her fiery head exposed.
He let out a laugh as he saw her stamp her foot in frustration. Yes, indeed. Some things never changed.
AS SOON AS the gentlemen departed, Sabrina retreated to her chamber. Damn that Montgomery! Why did he have to ruin everything? The moment they’d come in view of the pond, he’d told another embarrassing story—the one about her falling out of the boat at the picnic. And this time Chadwick had heard. To his credit, he had not laughed along with the rest of them. He had, instead, been most adamantly not amused, which had been even worse.
Pulling out the little note he had pressed on her, she grimaced. She ought to toss it into the fire.
Still…it was her very first love letter. Giving in to curiosity, she broke the seal and unfolded the paper just as the hinges of her door creaked.
Eugenia peeked in. “May I?”
“Oh, of…of course,” Sabrina stammered, trying to hide the paper. But it was too late.
“I see I’ve interrupted a bit of clandestine reading,” said Eugenia, grinning. “Well, which one is it from?”
“Which one do you think?” Sabrina answered tartly.
Eugenia sat on the edge of the bed beside her. “Are you going to read it, or not?”
