At long last, Lord Erlington gave her a wide yet fleeting grin. He downed the rest of his whiskey and then gestured for her to take the lead. Alice did just that, quieting the voice in the back of her head that told her this was averybad idea.
For the first time ever, Alice didn’t care to think about the consequences.
Chapter 9
Alice’s agreement to the stroll must have changed something in Lord Erlington’s demeanor, because he appeared far more easygoing than he did before.
“I must say, Lady Alice,” he spoke again once they were almost to the garden, “you look absolutely beautiful right now.”
Alice willed herself not to blush, rolling her eyes instead. “I wondered how long your odd somberness would last,” she admitted in a dry tone.
She didn’t have to look at Lord Erlington to know that he was grinning from ear to ear. She walked just a step ahead of him, hoping it would make him slip from her vision, but he was still very present within her peripherals and was the only thing she could focus on.
“Mind it, My Lady,” he drawled. “It almost sounded as if you were worrying for me.”
“You should always keep your eye on a lion, even if it seems he appears unassuming.”
“Ah, what a lovely thing to say, My Lady. To be compared to such a magnificent creature is by far the best compliment I have ever received.”
Alice didn’t let his teasing tone coax a smile out of her. She only glanced over her shoulder at him. “You should not put much weight on it, My Lord,” she said in a light tone. “I rarely ever say what I mean.”
That made Lord Erlington laugh, which both surprised and pleased her. Falling into the cryptic and unfriendly side of herself had always worked wonders whenever she wanted a potential suitor to leave her be. Had she said such a thing to someone else, she would have been deemed all manner of terrible things no lady wanted to hear about themselves. But, it seemed Lord Erlington was amused by it.
The slightly brisk midnight air brought her out of her thoughts, wiping the growing smile off her face. Alice paid keener attention to her moonlit path than she needed to, aware that Lord Erlington had fallen silent. She wanted to know if he was watching her, like he had been when they’d returned to the ballroom. For the remainder of their time at the ball, Alice had felt his gaze boring into her and it had taken all her willpower to ignore it, to pretend that she did not know. Now, she did the same as she took the same path they’d taken a few days ago during their walk with Emma and Lord Christopher.
“Are you still in your cups, My Lord?” Alice asked after a few moments of silence. When he didn’t’ respond right away, she looked over at him, catching his surprise. “It was quite obvious when I came upon you in the hallway. Seeing that you’ve come back to yourself a bit, I take it some of the effects of the wine have worn off?”
“You certainly are very astute, My Lady,” Lord Erlington responded, his voice portraying slight amazement. “I did not think you would notice.”
“One often acts uncharacteristically when they are inebriated.”
“Yes, well, I suppose I was not my usual charming self then. You must have missed it.”
“Not in the slightest,” Alice responded without a second of hesitation.
Lord Erlington chuckled. “Is that another one of your necessary lies, My Lady?”
Yes. “No.” Desperate to end this conversation, she turned down another short path and came upon a small open area where she and Emma often had picnics when they were younger. “We should rest here. It has a lovely view of the stars.”
“I doubt it is any lovelier than you, My Lady,” Lord Erlington responded even as he lowered himself down onto the slightly dew-covered grass.
Alice did the same, tucking her legs to the side of her, not caring overly much about staining her nightdress and robe. She raised her brow at the Marquess, a tad incredulous. “I fail to believe that such persistent flirting truly wins the heart of other ladies,” she said. “I’m certain they must find it rather tiresome.”
Lord Erlington shook his head. He leaned back on the heels of his hands, staring up at the sky. That same contemplative look came over his face, but it was not as worrisome as before. “I only say these things because you do not react to it. I find it interesting. I find you interesting.”
Alice stared at him for a moment before she tore her gaze away, lifting it to the sky instead. There was no need to let him know that her heart was racing in her chest at his words, even though she knew she shouldn’t react like this. He was nothing but a rake.
A rake who showed a side of himself tonight that I never thought existed.
“Let us play a game, My Lady,” he said, cutting into her thoughts.
Curious, Alice looked back at him. There was a playful gleam in his eyes. “What game do you suggest?” she asked.
He straightened, brushing his hands. “We shall each say something about each other and the other shall guess if it is true or false.”
“Interesting.” Alice only had to think about it for a moment. Sitting here with him, under the stars, there weren’t many things she had the strength to turn down. “Very well. I shall play along, but you have to begin.”
“That is no issue,” he said with a grin. He thought about it for a moment before he said, “I have never been at sea.”
