AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Come, Percy,” Silas growled, grabbing Mr Stalton by the arm. “There will be no more sneaking up on ladies in my home.”
The two gentlemen walked off, Percy leading the way while Silas made sure that he wasn’t going to lurk in the hedge maze.
Lucy felt a bright feeling welling up inside of her. Relief, mixed with an utter preference towards Silas. She was, though she would never have thought it possible, more attracted to him than ever.
She sighed, folding her arms as she walked. She could hear Silas talking angrily in front of her, so she followed his voice to the end of the maze.
She paused just around the bend which led out of the maze. Lucy closed her eyes, swallowing the painful lump that had formed in her throat.
Lucy was even more confused than she had been before. She wished she’d never come there. She would have been able to live her quiet life, without disruption.
But now, she would always have to live with regret. Because she now knew that there was a gentleman out in the world, one who she could possibly have fallen in love with.
It can never be. I have to get out of here before it becomes even worse.
***
Silas marched Percy out of the maze. He was livid. He had seen Lucy leave the group and head into the gardens. He had then seen Percy follow her. He had chased after them both immediately.
“How dare you?” he growled. He gripped Percy’s shoulder with his hand, forcing him to walk ahead of him.
“How dare I what?”
“I am growing tired, Percy, of rescuing women from you,” Silas snapped. “I will not allow you to haunt Miss Wilds’ steps.”
“Why? You don’t care for her.” Percy’s eyes glinted. He was grimacing at Silas.
“She shouldn’t have to fear walking through my father’s gardens,” Silas replied. “No woman or lady should.”
“I meant no harm,” Percy claimed, stopping and turning towards Silas. They had left the maze and were almost at the end of the gardens. From where they stood, they could hear the party, where the guests were still engaged in a croquet match on the lawns.
“That remains to be seen,” Silas replied.
“Really, Silas. I thought we were friends.”
“You make it very difficult, Percy,” Silas told him. “Especially when you corner women who aren’t interested in your advances.”
Percy smiled at him slyly. “How do you know that?”
“I just do.” There was no way in Hell he was going to answer that. He hated Percy in that moment, and violently wished that he would just go away.
Michael came walking towards them then, smiling. “We were just wondering where our host had gone off to.”
Percy turned, holding out his hand. “I’ll endeavour to do better in the future, old chap.”
Silas shook his hand, though he didn’t want to. “You’d better.”
He and Michael watched as Percy walked back towards the croquet match, his hands buried in his jacket pockets. Silas glanced back towards the maze, but he didn’t see Lucy. He guessed that she had gone the other way—just one turn, and she would have ended up on the other side of the garden, by the back wall.
“What was that all about?” Michael asked.
“I found Percy attempting to corner Miss Wilds in the maze.”
Michael raised an eyebrow.
When Silas glanced back, he did not see Miss Wilds. He didn’t want for her to overhear anything about the bet, on the off chance that she hadn’t gone the other way.
“I also caught him trying to corner Miss Weaver, as well,” he said, instead of saying what he truly thought—that Percy was trying to sabotage him by getting Lucy to fall for him, so Silas wouldn’t be able to propose.
