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Chapter 17
“Annie, you are shaking like a leaf, is everything all right?” Peggy asked as they stepped into the house together, arm in arm.
“Yes, I am fine,” Annie lied as she followed her mother through the hallways of the house. Clearly, Peggy was unconvinced, for she kept repeatedly glancing at Annie.
“An interesting dinner party this will make. You can barely string two words together!” Peggy said with a laugh. “What is bothering you so?”
“I am simply caught up in thought this evening. I apologise for it.” Annie offered her friend a smile. The moment they stepped into the sitting room of the Countess of Bromshire’s house, Annie looked elsewhere, searching out one face in particular.
Startled, she found it was a large dinner party, with so many guests in attendance that it was more the size of an assembly than a dinner at all. Annie’s eyes flicked between the faces that were gathered together, chattering in the candlelight.
She saw Lord and Lady Shrewsbury first and smiled at Lady Shrewsbury across the room, then her eyes found Mr Knight, who was so deep in conversation he did not notice her arrival. Lastly, Annie saw the man she was searching for.
Lord Yeatman was at the far end of the room. The moment she entered, he had broken off his conversation with Mr Barton at his side and looked in her direction. She smiled when her eyes found his, relieved when he did the same.
Knowing now all she knew about Lord Yeatman, she was no longer afraid to listen to how hard her heart thudded, nor was she scared to be bold. She couldn’t ignore what she felt for him or this growing devotion she had to him.
It must be acted upon!
Annie made a move to step in his direction, but Peggy and Barbara drew her across the room in the other direction to greet their acquaintances. Annie put a false smile on her face and talked politely, but she could not stop gazing in Lord Yeatman’s direction, thrilled when she saw he was having the same problem.
Soon, she saw an opportunity. Some in the group began to sit down for games of cards, meaning distraction was high. She took her chance and whispered to her mother that she was off to the privy and would return shortly, before slipping out of the room. Barbara barely took notice, for she was already being drawn into a rather eager game of whist.
Annie lingered in the doorway for a second, glancing Lord Yeatman’s way, hoping he would understand her meaning, then she left and hurried through the house, searching for an empty room. She was careful to avoid the staff that were still preparing the dining room for the dinner, and she chose a corridor less well lit by candles.
Through the shadows, she tiptoed and found a study. Opening the door, she judged it to be barely used, for it was excessively neat with no papers on the desk that had recently been perused. All books were tucked away on a shelf, leaving an empty desk and empty chairs.
Slipping inside, Annie lit a candle using a tinder box and a spill, then she stood back, waiting and hoping Lord Yeatman would take her hint. She was just beginning to think she should have said something to him, when the door opened.
“Miss Storey?” he whispered her name, his eyes finding hers through the dim light.
“You came.” She sighed with relief.
He hurried to close the door behind him and moved forward, reaching for her. She went to meet him in the middle of the small room, her hands finding his.
“What are you doing?” he whispered in panic. “If anyone realises that we are both gone from that room for very long….”
“They are all far too concerned with their cards to notice,” she said with a smile, “and I had to take the opportunity to speak to you now.”
“Then we must be quick.” He glanced back to the closed door, clearly wary, though he made no effort to take his hands from hers. Annie found herself adjusting their hold on each other so that their fingers became interlocked. He smiled at the touch, a blush creeping up his own cheeks.
“Your sister came to see me.” Annie’s words made Lord Yeatman freeze.
“She did?” he said in alarm. “What did she say?”
“She told me what happened all those years ago to her, and she said that you had been hiding from thetonin your own way ever since.” Annie knew they were crossing boundaries, but she cared for Lord Yeatman too much to consider staying quiet.
“I have.” Lord Yeatman sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds as if gutted to hear the words spoken aloud. “I had no idea she had come to see you. She came to you to speak of me?”
“Yes.” Annie nodded. “I think she was rather eager to ensure my opinion of you was not a bad one.”
“Ha! Forgive my sister. For some reason, she is blind to my faults, despite the fact that there are many,” Lord Yeatman jested, pulling a smile from Annie.
“She said after thetonmade her an outcast, that you did what you could to protect her, but you also retreated yourself.”
“You seem to know it all, Miss Storey,” he said with a smile. “I’m amazed she said it all to you.”
“I wish to hear it from you.”
