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She hesitated and Edward re-seated himself on the bench, saying nothing more. After a moment, she sat next to him.
“I did not expect to find you sharing my desire to escape from the crowd,” she said presently. “It is not the…”
“Reputation?” Edward said. “Actually, my reputation is for socializing at a level somewhat below the glittering constellation that has gathered in my home tonight. I am more known for frequenting the clubs and gambling dens of London than the ballrooms of Northdane.”
“Oh,” the lady said faintly.
“Have I shocked you?”
“No,” she said. Then, “yes. Perhaps. I am not used to hearing such things discussed openly.”
“Perhaps it is the allure of conversation with a stranger. One feels able to be more open.”
“I think that is true. May I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Do you enjoy that kind of display? In there I mean? The ball and all those people.”
“Do you?” he asked back.
“I believe I asked first.”
Edward laughed. She was direct and that was refreshing. There was no sense of an attempt to impress him or win him over. That was rare. An unmarried Duke was hunted by the nation’s gentlewomen as assiduously as the men pursued foxes or grouse.
“I do not. It is a necessity. I am a Duke.”
“So, why does that mean you have to surround yourself with peacocks and idiots.”
“Idiots?” Edward laughed again, turning to the lady though he could see little of her in the dark.
There was, however, a tantalizing feeling of her closeness to him. The bench wasn’t that big. If he reached out, his fingers would touch her before his arm was fully stretched. A simple lean and he could kiss her.
“Yes, based on my experience tonight. Vapid and empty. Unfortunately, I am here by necessity too.”
“And what necessity is that?” Edward asked.
She was silent for a moment. “Very well. Since you have been candid with me I suppose I should return the courtesy. I need to find a husband in order to help my family. They are good people but beset with financial problems. In fact, my cousin and I are the only viable assets the family has.”
“That is truly candid. I have just realized that I have not asked you for your name. I will not ask now. That would tell me who your family are and I would not expose your honor in such a way. I do not have that right. But, your motives are the same as mine. I, too, seek marriage for the survival of my family name. I must apply myself to the duty of producing an heir.”
The lady laughed. It sounded like music to Edward, a pleasant, joyous tinkle.
“Most men would not label that particular act as duty, surely,” she said.
“It is surely not that. Unless it is being done with someone you have not chosen but been steered towards by their bloodline.”
“We are no more free than the prisoners in the gaols, are we?” the lady said.
“No, we are not,” Edward replied.
“I don’t want to be tied up in duty. I want to be free,” she said after a moment of silence, “I am tired of my steps being dictated by circumstances or the way others deem society should work. I want to be free even if only for one night.”
Edward was looking in her direction when the scent of her perfume suddenly loomed large in his senses. He felt soft hands on his face and warm lips pressed against his own. For a moment, he stared with eyes wide open as she kissed him. Then, the feel of her body pressed against him and the taste of her lips overrode his self-control. His arms went around her, holding her tightly. He returned the kiss with passion, caressing the back and sides of her neck.
She moaned softly as he drew on her lower lip with both of his own, then pressed his lips insistently back over hers. One hand found her bosom and circled, producing a gasp of delight as fingers tightened in his hair. Then suddenly, she stiffened. She bit down hard on his lower lip and he yelped, realizing that this was a rebuff, not an escalation of passion. She pushed at him, and with a stifled sob, ran from the alcove and down the path.
Edward sat in stunned silence, feeling blood trickle from his lip. She was gone.
