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He was seconds away from informing him of his intention to quit but paused. He had nearly half the season to perform the dare, and Thurmont no doubt had some horrifying idea in mind to punish him were he to fail. It wouldn’t hurt to delay the inevitable and neglect to share his decision until the very end. “It’s going,” was all he said.
“Well, you’ll have ample time to talk to her today. Lady Thurmont has many activities planned.”
Outside of an eventual apology for his untoward behavior, talking to Miss Arabella Hughs would be the last thing he did for the rest of the party, and he had the distinct feeling such actions would please her immensely.
ChapterSeven
Arabella huffedin her chair as she stared out at the lawns from her bedroom window. Most of the houseguests were milling about outside, preparing for the afternoon of outdoor games that Lady Thurston had arranged. Yet again, she found herself holed up in her room in a desperate bid to avoid Milton. She raised a finger to her lips, the memory of the kiss yesterday morning still fresh on her mind. It had been such an impulsive thing to do, and with Milton, of all people. Yet, despite the disgust Arabella wanted to feel, only warmth skittered up her spine and settled in her belly at the thought of doing so again. Which would never happen, of course. She would never allow it, and if Milton’s behavior for the rest of that day was any indication, then he wouldn’t allow it, either.
After an admittedly lovely morning with Cecily and Mrs. Parsons exploring the ruins and sketching the crumbling ancient walls, Arabella had nearly forgotten about her explosive encounter with Milton. Cecily had turned out to be a wonderful companion, full of thoughtful and entertaining knowledge about the old pile that she’d apparently read about in Thurston’s expansive library, whilst Mrs. Parsons carried on with a surprising level of wit and elegance for a lady of her class. By luncheon, Arabella had been in a much better mood, even as the specter of the kiss returned full force upon their return to the house. She’d fully intended to locate Milton and talk things out. No doubt the emotional conversation they’d shared and the idyllic location had addled their senses, for surely the man wasn’t so much of a cad as to pretend an infatuation for her just to get his hands on that horse.
No, they’d have talked things out, apologized, and promised never to do so again, as was proper. At least, that had been the plan until it became quite apparent that Milton wanted nothing to do with her. Every time she’d walked towards him, even subtly, he’d slipped away in the opposite direction with one excuse or another. Whether it was requiring a drink or miraculously spotting one of his friends who had been in the room for the entire time as he, Milton had slipped away from her before any polite conversation could turn into an attempt to clear the air between them. While, thankfully, his behavior was subtle enough that the rest of the guests hadn’t caught on, it was more than obvious to Arabella that she was being avoided. That he had no qualms with spending time with either her mother or sister only confirmed her suspicions. While indeed the kiss had been shocking, surely he hadn’t found her as unattractive as all that? Right?
While she disliked him, that he’d found the contact so appalling was a bit of a blow to her feminine pride. She’d imagined any woman might feel hurt at such a reaction from a man she’d kissed, even if said kiss was unwanted. Unable to withstand the embarrassment, Arabella now sulked in her room, hoping to avoid the planned game. She narrowed her eyes as guests spilled out onto the lawn, Milton among them. Caroline was at his right, the pair once again making a pretty sight. Perhaps it was for the best that she avoid him, for if Caroline’s initial interest ever turned into a full infatuation, she did not want to be there to see it or get in the way. Turning away from the sight with a scowl, she thought about what to do with the rest of the day before a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
“Arabella? Might I speak to you?” Cecily spoke from the other side.
“Come in,” she replied, her mood brightening at seeing her newfound friend. Cecily slid inside and quietly shut the door behind her, dressed smartly in a pale green walking set. Despite her bluestocking tendencies, Arabella noticed that the woman seemed to enjoy fashion.
“Are you not going to play?” Cecily asked with a tilt of her head. “I thought you liked the outdoors.”
“I do. I just…” She scrambled for a reason to explain herself that didn’t involve sharing the kiss. “I’m not in the mood.”
“Drat,” Cecily mumbled to herself, before smiling. “Ah, well. I hope you feel better.”
“Is everything alright?”
“Yes,” she assured, before frowning. “Well, no. I was hoping to enlist your help, but don’t worry about it. It is a minor annoyance, really.” She crossed her arms and glared at the floor. “The game is to be played in pairs, and Lockhart has been pestering me to partner up.”
“Why ever for? You two seem to despise one another, if you don’t mind my frankness.”
Cecily threw her hands in the air. “I do not know, but the man has been following me around since luncheon claiming that all the other ladies wouldn’t partner with him, which I know to be a ridiculous lie, and my mother is encouraging it! I thought to ask you to partner with him, otherwise I’ll make a supreme ass of myself in front of everyone.”
Arabella smothered a laugh. “I’d rather you not do that.” She looked out the window once more. Several couples had already paired up, though Caroline seemed to have left the duke and was nowhere to be found. She spied Lord Thurmont next to Miss Russel, whom was chatting his ear off whilst the earl himself appeared to want to be anywhere but where he was. Mrs. Parsons stood to the side with some others who weren’t playing and was looking anxiously at the couple, no doubt worried that Miss Russel would act improper, which was entirely possible if Thurmont’s almost pained expression as the poor girl prattled on were any sign. Milton and Lockhart were together in the middle of the lawn, the latter glancing about him every few seconds, likely searching for poor Cecily whilst the former appeared to tease him. “I’ll partner with Lockhart if you take His Grace.”
“You’ve decided to come after all?” Cecily’s eyes lit up with relieved hope.
“Yes.” Why should she hide away when Milton was the one who’d misbehaved? She wasn’t so much of a coward to let a mere single man affect her so. She’d had enough of that last year.
“It’s a deal, then.”
After quickly changing, Arabella followed Cecily down to the lawns.
“Oh, one more thing,” her companion said before they exited the house. “I was planning on another activity tonight, and I’ve enlisted a few other ladies to come along. Would you care to join us?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to politely decline the invitation, but then Milton’s shocked face as he’d questioned her lack of friends came into infuriating view. Perhaps it would be a good idea to socialize a bit more. “Very well,” she said.
“Excellent, meet me in my room after dinner,” Cecily replied as they emerged onto the sun soaked lawn. Lockhart perked up upon spotting them and trotted over, Milton following behind at a sedate pace and eying her warily.
“There you are, Miss Balfour,” Lockhart said with a near saccharine sweetness that did not come close to reaching his eyes.
“Yes, here I am.” Cecily’s smile was so tight, Arabella half expected her jaw to twitch from the strain. She gestured to Arabella. “And I’ve brought a straggler along.”
“Miss Hughs. A pleasure to talk again after such apleasantdinner.” Though the baron was ostensibly speaking to her, his eyes were on Cecily like a pair of daggers.
“Miss Hughs,” Milton greeted with a tight nod.
“Your Grace.” She smiled cordially, looking at him with a straightforward gaze before turning her attention squarely towards Lockhart. “Miss Balfour tells me you are in want of a partner, My Lord.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw Milton shift and darted a quick glance at him. His mouth formed a thin line, eyes narrowing. She tried not to widen her smile. Let’s see how he liked being ignored for once. “Might I volunteer for the task?”
