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“Is this weekend a good time to visit the country?” Kate asked. “With summer setting in?”
Sebastian answered almost immediately. “The country does not seem like much until you have visited the estate. You will come to like the country soon after. Have you never wondered why my brother stays there all year?”
“Then, I would be happy to go. I heard that Wallington lands are easily the largest in the country. And the mansion itself is a wonder to behold.”
“Now, there is a hint of truth in that,” Theodore boasted. “We can both take you on a tour of the house, showing you the rich history of Wallington. I believe it is something Lady Helen might be interested in.”
At the sound of her name, Helen smiled and nodded. She thought about all the hiding spots she found when Theodore took her to the mansion. Helen hoped to hide there with him and do things to one another, much more than they did in the art room in Clyvedon.
“I will inform my father of our intended travel, Your Grace. We should properly celebrate your brother’s engagement,” Helen put in. “I would be glad to spend some time in the country.”
Once they all agreed, Theodore pulled Helen to the dance floor.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Afew days later, Helen and Theodore were sitting together at the foot of the fountain near the gazebo with the other couple present — Sebastian and Kate. They were all listening intently to the rules as Perceval stated them.
“This is a scavenger hunt,” he explained, gesturing to the fields and trees beyond. “On this hunt, you are to find pieces of a painting and bring them all back here to the fountain. The couple with the highest number of pieces wins.”
“Bloody hell,” Theodore cursed and stuck closer to Helen. “We can beat them right? Or what do you think?”
“I do not know your brother,” Helen said calmly, eyes glinting with ferocity, “but I know Kate very well. While she might be good at finding things, she gets rather tired easily.”
Theodore nodded coolly. “If we were to stretch this out, then we would —”
“Win? Yes, we would,” Helen interrupted, and she had a glimpse of Theodore’s mischievous smile.
Helen smoothed the creases on her dun-colored silk gown, moving toward the tree line. She could barely breathe, seeing that she would be with alone with Theodore once again. She shuddered involuntarily at the thoughts roiling in her mind.
They walked in silence for a while, their footsteps carried by the wind. Theodore had anticipated being alone with Helen once again. It made all of his other thoughts crumble to dust, all his restraints coming loose. But the tension in his muscles would only tighten as the silence stretched uncomfortably. Now that they were in private, he did not know what to say.
“I have always wanted to ask how you kept your aunt at bay on our last promenade. I might need to learn a skill or two.”
Helen stared at him, unable to answer the ridiculous question. “That is a secret that I would like to keep, thank you.”
“But I thought there were no secrets between us,” he replied, jumping over a fallen trunk and offering to help her as they stepped properly into the shrubbery.
She refused his help outrightly and hitched her skirts to cross. Theodore sighed at the sight of her cream-colored petticoats, wondering if he might have the chance to slip his hands under them before their time was over.
“No secrets? You did not tell me that your brother was engaged to my best friend.”
He buried his face in his palms for a moment, before turning to look at her. Her soft lips were in a composed pout with her chin held high and gaze away from him.
“Are you furious that they are engaged? Or because I did not tell you about it?”
She folded her arms in a way that made the neckline of her dress become decadently low so that he could see the soft pale skin of her breasts.
“Because you did not tell me,” Helen answered finally, “or am I not allowed to be angry?”
“And what good will it have done to tell you beforehand? That you would prepare? I only knew about their engagement on the night of that ball. It was why you did not find me for a while.”
“You were astonished too?”
He inclined his head to the side, staring at the lace trim on her neckline. “More than that. We have not talked for almost two years, and he springs his nuptials on me? Tell me, who would not be astonished?”
Helen breathed, wanting to grasp the truth. “So, he did not tell you beforehand? But you are his brother!”
“Family conflict, Helen. It is something I have tried to resolve to no avail. And I am sorry for not informing you sooner.”
