AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I laugh.
“You should see your face. Of course I speak with the gardeners. A woman’s domain is not limited to indoors.”
We stop walking. I feign looking at the rose bushes, realising my predicament. One of his footmen is on the far end of the path. He is not dressed in livery, but unlike Montague, I do speak with servants — and look at them. The man is definitely one of his. Thorny bushes fence me on both sides. He is steering me into a trap, but standing between me and the footman, he’s yet to close it. I’m still free to return to the Ball.
I step toward the manor.
“I promised Sir Belvedere the next dance.”
“Sir Belvedere can wait.” He lowers his voice. “Surely you aren’t anxious to hold his clammy hand while he treads on your feet.”
Montague’s description is spot on, but I refuse to think ill of poor Belvedere. He is big and bumbling and knows his dancing is challenged, but he is also a kind and thoughtful man.
Waste of words defending him to Montague.
“You’ve had your ‘dance’, my lord,” I start but am cut off by Lady Trilby scurrying up the path, calling, “Montague!” Sir Donald at her side. They block my exit.
“What luck.” Montague feigns surprise. “A proper escort for carrying on.”
These two would never equal a proper anything. Standing two abreast, they take up the whole of the path. making it impossible to go around them.
Montague offers a ridiculous ‘get yourself out of this one’ smile. He doesn’t move. We are well within view of a dozen others, enjoying the gardens.
Whatever he has planned, it will be subtle. He can’t be obvious. Someone, in fear of losing their bet, might try to stop him.
I have an advantage over his past victims, Montague wants to marry me, or more to the point, take over my inheritance. I know what his plans are for tonight. Have planned to reveal them to the whole world.
It never occurred to me that he would literally corner me into marriage, but I still have one option.
It’s risky but possible.
It has to work because now, shaming him is personal.
Let him think I’m being playful. Fool. One stride and I pass him.
“You little minx. Where are you going?”
He’s not alarmed. To stay in the lit garden, I have to turn right, straight toward his footman. Left leads into the darker paths. Not the path for an ingenue.
Without option, I turn left, lift my skirts, and run for the maze. If I make it inside and out quickly enough, it may be possible to reach the ballroom before anyone can whisper ruined. It’s a risky option, but the only one at hand.
The maze is over a hundred years old, formed by towering evergreen walls. Most pathways lead to dead ends. I grew up running around this particular puzzle, so I know exactly where I am heading. He will not.
However, he will be prepared for amorous couples tucked in the shadows. I am not. Their squeaks and squeals alert Montague of my progress. He isn’t that far behind, and if luck has him… No, I won’t think of that. It isn’t far to where I’m headed.
No one is supposed to know about the sideways vee cut into the hedge wall. It’s Charlie’s secret exit. Impossible to see, if you don’t know it’s there. All I need do is slip deep inside the greenery wall, along one side of the vee, and slip out on the other side. Charlie had it made just tall enough so he wouldn’t have to duck but not so tall you could spot it from an upstairs window. Ingenious.
Charlie’s designs are clever like that. But not so clever as to fool CeCe and me. There are advantages to knowing the gardeners. Except it’s been an age since I’ve used it, and I doubt Charlie even remembers it’s there. Had I anticipated this predicament, I would have given it a run-through this afternoon. But I had no idea it would be my only means of escape.
What if the gardener stopped clipping it?
Please don’t be over-grown!
I squeal, “Oh!” whispering, “Don’t mind me,” and slip past a couple frantically righting their clothes. Deep shadows hide the lovers’ identities. I pray I’m as anonymous.
Cheeks flaming, I hurry on, following the hedge with my left hand until the path divides in three. From here my right hand leads until the path turns in on itself. Escape is halfway down this wall.
What if I don’t fit?
