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As she passed a hall mirror, she paused to pin back an errant curl and straighten the fichu covering the shoulders of her black mourning gown. Biting her lip, she stared at herself in the mirror and tried to see herself as Luc would. Had she changed so much in eight years? She didn’t think so, but either she had or those summers they spent together weren’t as memorable for him as for her. She’d recognized him as soon as she saw him at the masquerade.
If she was honest with herself, Monty’s argument hadn’t swayed her one bit. She wanted to see Luc again, and Monty had given her an excuse to do so.
Taking a deep breath, Ria strode into the drawing room and greeted the earl. “Good day, Lord Arden.”
He took her proffered hand and bowed low over it. “Mrs. St. James. My pleasure.”
Just the brush of his bare hand on hers was enough to send shivers down her spine. The impulse was so strong she felt dazed, though his next words woke her up.
“It is such a mild day I thought we could take the walk you promised me.”
Annoyance at his reminding her of what she’d said and thus leaving her with no option but to agree turned her tone icy as she replied, “That would be delightful, my lord.”
She led the way back to the entry hall to collect their cloaks and found her husband’s aunts and cousins doing the same.
Cousin Agnes greeted her and the earl with a wide smile. “Isn’t it a lovely day for walking? Such an agreeable thing to do on a day like this.”
Cousin Agatha nodded her head so vigorously the feathers in her bonnet appeared alive and ready for flight, “The weather until today has been so disagreeable. I can hardly wait to go outside. I vow it’s been over a sennight since we were able to leave the house, apart from church, of course, which does not count. How could it? After all, you only go from the carriage along the path to the church. No distance. A mere trifle.”
Their enthusiasm was so infectious Ria felt her mood lighten. But it dipped when she saw Luc had taken her pelisse from the footman and was waiting to help her with it.
Seeing no way to avoid his touch, she braced herself as he arranged her cloak on her shoulders. Although prepared, she was unable to prevent an involuntary shiver as his fingers brushed the side of her neck. The contact seemed accidental, though perhaps it lingered just a bit too long. She glanced quickly at him, but his face was innocent.
Aunt Faith caught her attention by saying, “Let us go out through the orangery,” and set off through a series of interior rooms into the conservatory. From there they went outside to the terrace and down the stone staircase to the shrubbery walk, which was laid out with a series of gravel paths.
The ladies were right. The unusually mild day was perfect for walking. Though devoid of the colorful array present in other seasons, the garden in winter had its own beauty.
The earl interrupted her contemplation when he indicated the ladies walking just ahead of them and then asked, “Are they visiting?”
“No, my lord. They live here.” Pleased to have a safe subject to talk about, she continued at length. “The manor has been home to Aunt Charity, Aunt Faith and Cousin Agnes for as long as I can remember. The aunts moved in when their husbands died. Cousin Agnes was living with Aunt Faith at the time, so of course she came too. Cousin Agatha joined us a few years ago. Sadly, her husband was killed fighting the French.”
They walked without talking for a while. The only sound was that of their footsteps crunching on gravel as they passed large statues set between ground-planted shrubs and large boxes containing yew trees.
The shrubs were works of art, crafted by her artistic gardeners into fantastic shapes that reminded Ria of the masquerade and her secret.
A shrub trained into the shape of a wolf bought back memories of the wolf who’d run past her chasing Red Riding Hood. Pulling her gaze away from the topiary, she asked the earl, “How much longer do you think you will be with us, my lord?”
“You have asked me that question at least three times, Mrs. St. James. Are you in a hurry to get rid of me?” He raised one eyebrow in query.
“Oh, of course not. Please excuse me if I seemed rude. I just wondered because…” Her voice trailed off into silence.
What could she say?
/> That she was worried about being discovered?
Every time she saw him, more memories of the masquerade surfaced. Such as the feel of his skin. It has been as smooth as her red silk evening gown but much warmer. Her hand itched to reach out and touch him once more.
Even without touching—just walking beside him—she could feel heat radiating from him. It reminded her of how at the masquerade his warmth had wrapped around her.
To add to her mortification, he raised one hand to his chest and gravely told her, “I would be deeply wounded if you were trying to get rid of me.”
Ria could feel her face grow hot with the beginnings of a blush and dipped her head to hide it. She hoped if he saw he’d put her blush down to embarrassment at her rudeness rather than his accuracy in judging her motives.
Looking around for help, she realized he had steered her onto a different path from that of the ladies. All she could see of them was Cousin Agatha’s feather bobbing up and down above shrubs in the adjacent walk.
Knowing she needed to reply, she said, “I am merely surprised you would spend so long in the country.”
“I am finding the countryside has its own pleasures.”
