A quick glance told her that Lord Thornbridge was a little to her left. He was walking with a friend, only a step or two ahead, but on a slightly different path. A shake of his head revealed a furrowed brow as he walked, leaving Emma to continually wonder what it was that troubled him so. Why did he look so very confused and uncertain? What had happened to make him feel so?
Another in his direction and, much to her embarrassment, his friend, the man she now recognized as Lord Stoneleigh, caught her gaze. He said something, and quickly nudged Lord Thornbridge who immediately turned his head. Upon seeing this – and all too aware of the heat in her face – Emma placed a smile upon her lips and nodded in his direction, but Lord Thornbridge did not smile in return. Instead, he frowned and muttered something to Lord Stoneleigh but, after a moment came towards her.
“Lady Emma.” His smile snapped across his lips and then disappeared. “You are walking alone, I see.”
“I have my maid,” she answered primly. “How interesting it is to meet you here this afternoon. The fashionable hour is not for some time yet. Perhaps like me, you thought to take a turn around the park to refresh yourself?”
“Mayhap.” Lord Thornbridge’s frown grew steadily. “I must hope that you have not been following me, Lady Emma.”
“How could I follow you if I have no knowledge of where you have been?” she asked softly, hoping that her quiet response would hide the truth. “You cannot think that I have any understanding of your situation, given that you will not explain it to me.”
“There is nothing to explain.”
“And, as you know, on that I quite disagree.” Lifting her chin a little, she arched one eyebrow. “There is a reason for your absence from me. There is a reason that your brow is furrowed, a reason that you do not smile, and a reason that you have not been partaking in society in the way that you have done before. Oh yes,” she continued, seeing his lips twist. “I am all too aware that you have not been enjoying society’s company as you previously did. In fact, I am not the only one. In the last few days, even though you have attended balls and the like, you have not danced with anyone. Instead, you have stood to the side and spoken with gentlemen only. No one has approached you, for you have seemed so very dispirited and solemn that they have been uncertain as to your mood at present. You need not continually pretend that there is nothing wrong, Lord Thornbridge. There is indeed something concerning you, some trouble or suffering. I would be very grateful indeed if you would let me help.”
Lord Thornbridge’s lips lifted briefly just as a cloud shaded the sun’s light from them both.
“And what good do you think you could do?” he asked, finally admitting, for what was the first time, that there was indeed something troubling him. “What could you offer me that I could not garner from someone else? Perhaps the reason I am speaking to gentlemen only is that they are the ones who can assist me.”
“Or, no doubt, it is because you have not considered that someone such as I might be just as able to help you as your friends,” she shot back before he could continue in such a vein. “The young ladies of society know a great deal more than you might think. After all, are we not among society a good deal more than gentlemen? Do we not hear more gossip, more whispers, more rumor? You might easily dismiss that, but I can assure you that it has been greatly profitable at times.”
His grey eyes flashed, and Emma found herself catching her breath. The steel there spoke of a determination to do as he thought best, an unwillingness to listen to what she had to say, but at the same time, she found herself so very drawn to that particular look that it was as though the clouds came away from the sun and shone light all the harder around them.
“I understand that you are trying to be an aid to me, but you must understand that there is nothing that you can do that I cannot do for myself.”
Emma shook her head.
“You say that with such confidence. What happens if you are wrong?”
“Then that should be on my head. I have made the decision to end our connection and I do not understand why you are so insistent on pursuing the matter. My life is my own and you must go on with yours also. We are separate, Lady Emma.”
And yet my heart will not allow me to pull away from you.
Swallowing hard, she moved a little closer and caught the way his eyes flared.
“My interest in the matter comes from the belief that you ended our connection prematurely, although you had no real desire to do so.”
“I have given you my reasons.”
She sighed.
“It appears to me as though we keep having the same conversation over and over again. No, Lord Thornbridge, you have not explained to me your reasons. You told me that our connection had to end because you were required to return to your estate. You have returned, however, and still, your reasons have remained unclear.”
Her heart began to beat quickly as a sudden idea threw itself toward her. She caught it deftly and allowed it to fill every part of her being. Her determination grew once more as she realized what she would have to do to prove to him that what she was saying was true.
“Well, my situation is a little difficult at present and that shall have to be enough of an explanation for you.”
Emma sighed and turned away. She flicked her fingers at her maid, silently telling her to remain where she was while she began to wander towards a small copse of trees to her left. The park was quiet already and there certainly appeared to be very few gentlemen around, save for Lord Stoneleigh, who Emma desperately hoped would remain where he was also.
“Shall I give you my reasons as to why I think you are wrong, Lord Thornbridge?”
“I am not certain if you can do so,” Lord Thornbridge replied as Emma glanced at him over her shoulder. “I do not think that there is any reason for us to continue this conversation.”
Then why is it that you are following me?Emma asked silently, giving him a small smile. Her heart was beating furiously, but she forced her steps forward, moving slowly but with great intention.
“If you can convince me, Lord Thornbridge, that there is a perfectly good reason for us to end our acquaintance, such as it was, then I shall be glad to do so,” she told him, seeing his eyebrows lift. “But you will have to tell me a little more. You will have to explain to me why your situation prevents us from being as closely acquainted as we were before. If you do so, then I shall not ask for even a single sentence further of explanation.” Glancing over her shoulder at him again, Emma’s heart quickened still further. He was walking along after her, his hands clasped behind his back when, given what he had just said, he ought to be walking in the other direction. “What we had, I considered, was important, significant, and held a great deal of promise.” With a catch in her voice, Emma fought to maintain control against a tide of emotions that rose with sudden force. “For you to end our closeness will have consequences for me. Thetonwill look at me differently – they may laugh and even joke at my expense. If there is a suitable explanation, then I shall feel myself a little more relieved, but if there is nothing, then I am left with nothing but humiliation.”
She turned her head away and continued towards the copse of trees, coming to stand in the midst of it after only a few moments. Glancing towards him again, she caught Lord Thornbridge’s gaze. He was still frowning heavily, his eyes dark in contrast to the clear blue sky. Emma’s heart thrummed so furiously that she pressed one hand to her chest, a little fearful that he would be able to hear it as she moved away from him again.
