“Graham!” Aaron called out, a genuine smile on his face.
Graham turned, his eyes lighting up. “Aaron, there you are! I wasn’t certain you’d come. You indicated in the negative. Well, it is good to see you.”
They exchanged a firm handshake and the customary pleasantries before Aaron got to the point.
“I’d like to introduce you to someone,” he began. “That is why I am here. Otherwise, I would not have come this evening.”
Graham raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? And who might that be? She must be quite special, for you to change your plans.”
Aaron took a deep breath. “The woman you spoke to at Green Park.”
Graham’s eyes widened with recognition. “You found her? How did you manage that?”
Aaron cleared his throat, bracing himself to lie to his dear friend. “Well, as it turns out, I know her quite well. She is Lady Judith Birks, the daughter of the late Lord Worcester. The current Lord Worcester is my friend, Oliver.”
“Oliver’s sister? I had no idea. I know Oliver well but have never met his sister.” Graham cleared his throat and looked around the room eagerly. “And how did you figure out that it was her I spoke to?”
“Well, I was actually at the park with her,” Aaron said, glancing back toward Judith. “Oliver has entrusted me with the task of finding her a suitable husband. I took her to the park to promenade that day and lost sight of her. As it turns out, when I told her I had a friend I wanted to introduce her to, she informed me she’d already had the pleasure, and thus I put two and two together.”
The lie rolled off his lips easily, to his great relief and shame.
Graham’s intrigue turned into a delighted smile. “What good fortune, indeed! I had no idea she was Oliver’s sister, and such a charming lady at that.”
Aaron forced a smile, feeling a pang of guilt. “When you mentioned you’d spoken to a lady at the park, I didn’t realize it was her. I apologize for not making the connection sooner.”
Graham waved off the apology. “No harm done. I’m just glad to have the opportunity now. Shall we?”
Aaron nodded and led him through the crowd, his mind racing. Despite his misgivings, he knew this was the right thing to do. Introducing Judith to a good man like Graham was what she needed.
As they approached her, he hoped fervently that she would find happiness, even if it meant his own heart would shatter under the weight of his unspoken feelings.
“Judith,” Aaron said as they reached her. “May I present to you Graham Baxter, the Earl of Leeds.”
Graham bowed deeply. “Lady Judith, it is a pleasure to meet you again. Our last meeting was so suddenly interrupted.”
Judith curtsied, a warm smile on her face. “The pleasure is mine, Lord Leeds. Again. How fortunate that we both know His Grace here.”
“Indeed,” Graham said and looked at Aaron with genuine gratitude in his eyes.
However, he then turned slightly so that he was standing between Judith and Aaron, and Aaron recognized the sign that his assistance was no longer needed.
Slowly, he stepped back, knowing it was now time for fate to play its part. All he could do was stand and watch from a distance while the woman he loved fell for one of his best friends.
Judith felt a twinge of sadness as Aaron stepped back, his presence a comforting but elusive shadow in her peripheral vision. Graham’s voice brought her back to the present.
“Lady Judith, it is truly a delight to see you again,” Lord Leeds said warmly, his bright blue eyes sparkling with genuine pleasure. “I feared I had lost my chance to speak with youfurther when I couldn’t catch your name at the park. What good fortune that Aaron knows you.”
Judith smiled politely, though her heart ached a little. “Yes, it is fortunate, indeed.”
Lord Leeds’ expression grew more serious. “May I ask what happened that day? You hastened away so quickly, I was quite concerned.”
Judith took a deep breath, pushing thoughts of Aaron to the back of her mind. “My brother, John, had an accident at Eton. He broke his leg, and we had to rush to fetch him from school.”
Lord Leeds’ expression softened with sympathy. “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope he is doing well now.”
“He is, thank you,” Judith replied, genuinely touched by his concern.
Lord Leeds gave a charming, boyish grin. “You know, I once broke my foot when I was a boy. I was attempting to climb a tree that was far too high for me.”
