AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter 14
Despite the viscount’s departure, the rest of the day was filled with activities for the guests. Dinah stuck close to Lord Browning. It was clear the two of them were destined for the altar. Lucy was happy for her friend.
Meanwhile, no matter what Lucy was doing or whom she was talking to, she could sense Silas watching her the whole time. She avoided his gaze, for whenever she caught his eye, her mind returned immediately to the woods. Her thoughts were aflutter, fluctuating between wanting him to do it, wanting more, but also wanting to run in fear. She knew the only way forward would be her own ruin.
Lucy grew exhausted of constantly being in the company of others. It was during a particularly rousing round of croquet that she decided to slip out. She crept away from the group, heading towards the garden.
It was late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to slip down behind the trees. The sounds of everyone’s voices began to fade into the distance.
She felt herself relax immediately. It was blessedly silent out there. The only sound was the breeze in the leaves; birds singing to each other in the fruit trees; bees humming, landing on the flowers.
She made her way along the path, heading for the maze, which was surrounded by tall hedges. A few days before, Dinah had been with her. She had known the way through, since she’d been walking the maze her whole life. Lucy had no idea where to go.
Am I really afraid of being caught in there, forever? No.
Lucy allowed herself to get lost, both in thought and in person. She made her way through the maze, stopping when she hit a dead end, then retracing her steps to find the way out.
She was getting a little frightened, that she’d gotten too lost. She knew that eventually she would be missed. However, it might be a very long time before anyone realized that she was lost in the maze.
Her heart knocked nervously in her chest and she clenched her hands into fists. There were no markers among the hedges. They were all the same verdant green, seeming to go on forever.
She took a deep, calming breath and continued onward. Eventually, she would come to the end of it. She just wasn’t sure when or how. Not that that was a problem. At least Silas was not there, tempting her to throw away her virtue, wrapped in his deliciously muscular arms.
Suddenly, a gentleman turned the corner, almost knocking into her. She nearly jumped out of her skin. Her hand flew up to her chest.
“Miss Wilds!” Mr Stalton said, smiling at her. Lucy swallowed. He was the last person one wanted to be lost in a maze with. She felt a wave of dread.
“Oh, Mr Stalton, I didn’t hear you coming.”Has he followed me? The though caused her a flash of worry.
“What are you doing all of the way out here, by yourself?” Mr Stalton’s smile was cold. Lucy’s nerves were on edge.
I could ask you the same thing. She moved to go past him. “Just taking a walk.”
“As am I.” Mr Stalton moved to join her. She paused, wondering how she could politely get rid of him. He was intruding on her quiet moment.
He moved so that he was standing in her way. “Are you having a nice time?” he asked.
“Yes,” she lied.
“It was so kind of the viscount to invite you and your aunt.”
“It was.” She wondered what he was getting at.
“I’m sure that it must be such a relief to be among unmarried gentlemen who are looking for a wife.”
“I can’t see how that has anything to do with me,” she replied, folding her arms protectively. She didn’t like the situation she had found herself in and tried to think of how to politely get herself out of it.
“You’re so lovely,” he said, raising his hand to touch one of the ringlets that framed her face.
She recoiled from his touch. “What are you doing?” she demanded.
The smile slipped from his face at her angry tone. “I was just—”
Silas turned the corner just then—his face was a mask of fury. “Percy! What do you think you are doing? Go away,” he snapped.
“I meant no harm.” Mr Stalton held up his hands. “I thought Miss Wilds—”
“You thought wrong,” she murmured, relieved to have been saved from Mr Stalton’s very unwanted attentions.
