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“Thank you, My Lord, I - I am very well.” He could see her throat working intensely, and she kept shaking her head lightly, as if trying to get rid of an anxious thought.
“It was only - only a little warm inside.”
“Indeed.”
Simon flattered himself that he could read women well enough to know when one was trying to hide her true feelings from him. He wondered if he should go back inside. He knew it was hardly appropriate for the two of them to be alone outside together, but he was more concerned for her than for society’s silly rules. Carefully, he stepped forward to stand beside her at the balcony wall, facing down the dark garden as she sat, and looked back towards the house. She shifted slightly as he came nearer, like a nervous horse, but he forced himself to stand still and steady, looking straight ahead so she would not feel threatened by him. He should never want her to feel threatened by him.
“I agree, it can become very stuffy inside.” He breathed in a deep lungful of cold air. “It is most refreshing out here.”
“It is.”
She kept her answers short, biting her lip as if trying to hold her voice in. It was strange. In the times that he had interacted with Marion in the past, he had found her open and engaging. Now she was as quiet and closed as a clam.
“Please forgive me, Miss Laurie, are you sure you are well?”
“I - I am quite well, of course.” She was deeply flushed and he noticed how her fingers gripped the stone edge of the wall tightly, as if she was holding on with all her might. Perhaps she felt faint and was trying to hide it?
“Are you enjoying the ball?” he asked, watching her carefully for signs of a swoon, but she seemed steady.
“Not really,” she confessed, then immediately pressed her hand over her mouth in shock. “I am sorry, My Lord, I should not speak like that!”
“I don’t mind,” Simon smiled, amused. “I rather like honesty.”
“It is not very ladylike,” she whispered, looking away from him, embarrassed. “And I spent so long planning the ball for Eleanor and Nathan, the least I could do is enjoy it, especially since Eleanor went to all this trouble!”
She pressed her hands against the stomach of her dress, brushing her hands down it in an expression of frustration. Simon found her blunt speech endlessly endearing, and much more preferable to the company of Lady Henrietta.
“I do not mind.” He watched the gentle flush on her cheeks rise. “Eleanor bought your dress for you?”
She nodded miserably. “I thought I would look the part, but I fear I just appear to be more of an outsider.”
Such truthful confessions moved Simon deeply. He, too, often felt like he was only acting a part at such gatherings.
“You do look the part,” Simon assured her gently, “quite ladylike, in fact. But I understand a little of your feelings.”
She looked at him sharply, her eyes wide, then it seemed like comprehension dawned across her face.
“Of course,” she sighed. “Your wife. I - I am so, so sorry that you have had to endure such a loss.”
“Thank you.” Simon gazed out at the dark outlines of the trees, not wanting to say more. Just mentioning Stella in company was painful, and in the presence of Marion, whose company he was enjoying so immensely, it felt downright disrespectful. He swallowed hard and tried to change the subject.
“What of you, Miss Laurie? I hear you shall be governess to the next Earl of Brixton?”
“Oh yes,” she nodded fervently. “I shall watch him and his brother my whole life. It shall be my duty.”
Simon frowned. “Until you are wed, of course.”
Marion laughed lightly, tilting her neck back so the pearls at her throat shone with a bright lustre that caught the eye perfectly. Simon didn’t understand what she found so funny, but he certainly enjoyed her laughter. Deep and throaty, it was unlike the high-pitched giggles of so many society ladies.
“What is it?” Simon asked disconcertedly.
“It is nothing.” Marion bit down on her cherry-red lip and smiled lopsidedly. “Nothing at all.”
“It is clearly something.” Simon laughed, enjoying this playful side to her. He had never seen it before. He wondered if it was the first flush of a ball, or if it were something else entirely. Either way, he felt a quick twinge of desire. He dismissed it. She was an interesting woman, but that did not mean he should indulge in lustful fantasies.
“Well…,” she breathed in deeply, scooping her legs up so she was fully sitting up on the wall, swinging her legs like a care-free girl. It was enchanting. “It is only amusing because I do not think I shall ever be married.”
“Why on earth not?” Simon exclaimed, looking at her in shock.
