“With Lady Emma.”
Lord Stoneleigh’s eyes widened.
“Ah, now I understand what you are saying. You are speaking of the fact that she encouraged you towards a small copse of trees, only to then say something that had you practically kissing her in the middle of Hyde Park!”
His eyebrow lifted as Henry scowled, catching his friend’s glimmering smile.
“I did not nearly kiss her.”
“Yes, you did.”
Lord Stoneleigh was unequivocal, but Henry’s scowl only grew. He did not want to admit that he had been close to lowering his head and kissing her rosebud lips, but that was the truth of it. He could not escape from that. She had caught him unawares and he had found himself so affected that it had been nigh impossible for him to step away. His conscience had told him that he ought to be putting as much distance between himself and Lady Emma as he could, but his heart had refused to listen. Her nearness had been overwhelming, the touch of her hand on his arm had been enough to set fire to his frame and he had found the desire growing steadily as he looked into her eyes. He wanted to crush her to him, to kiss her gently, and to tell her how much he had hated separating himself from her these last few weeks.
But then, of course, he would have had to tell her the truth about the entire situation and doing so, would thereafter have to inform her that regardless of what they shared, he could never offer her the same future as he had once intended. It would be fruitless, hopeless, and pointless. Why should he take advantage of a young lady when he could not offer her a satisfactory future?
“She is quite determined, it seems,” Lord Stoneleigh smiled. “I think you have a very fine young lady in Lady Emma.”
“I do not have a young lady.”
“Yes, you do.” Again, Lord Stoneleigh spoke plainly. “Whether you wish it or not, Lady Emma is determined to be yours.”
“And that will soon change when she discovers the truth about my situation.” Giving himself a brisk shake, he shook his head. “You will see. The truth I have been trying to hide from her will be revealed and in return, I will no longer have any hope of a future with her… not that I have such a hope at this moment.”
“But as I have toldyou, you may find yourself surprised.”
Refusing to allow Lord Stoneleigh’s words to penetrate his heart and give him any sort of courage, Henry took a deep breath.
“I must not allow myself to become distracted. This evening I am seeking this fellow that the proprietor told us about, in the hope that he will lead us to the man who stole my fortune from me. Thus far, it seems very difficult indeed to be able to have any genuine hope of success, given that there are more than a few small, wiry fellows around London at the present moment! But perhaps we shall have some luck.”
“Why should you be seeking such a person?”
With a jerk of surprise, Henry turned, only to see Lady Emma and her cousin standing just behind him. The great lanterns which burned towards the skies lit her features with flame, flickers of orange and yellow. Her hair seemed to be flickering copper and gold rather than its usual dark brown, but it was her eyes that captured him the most. Vivid curiosity set them alight and, try as he might, he found that he could not look away. In the dim light, they did not look blue, but very dark indeed, giving her a slightly ominous appearance, given the fact that she was not smiling.
“You are eavesdropping, I think.”
Lord Stoneleigh grinned and did not hide his wink from Henry, who only frowned. To his mind, this was no time for such things, although Lord Stoneleigh clearly did not agree, given the fact that he chuckled as Lady Emma merely lifted an eyebrow.
“I will be truthful and state that I overheard you, yes,” she replied, much to Henry’s frustration. “But that could not be helped. I am come to speak to Lord Thornbridge, and could not help but overhear what you were speaking about. It sounds most intriguing.”
Henry cleared his throat. He had not yet decided whether or not he was going to tell Lady Emma the truth about his situation, for he was far too caught up in all that had occurred within his own heart thus far. Given that he had reacted so strongly to her presence, he was now afraid that to tell her the truth could be either dangerous for her or difficult for them both. The last thing he wanted to do was to injure her further but to tell her clearly that he had no wealth remaining, and could not offer the security of a happy and steady future, might turn her away from him for good.
It was astonishing how much that thought pained him. He had been attempting to push her away for him to make certain that he would not have to tell her the truth, imagining that the distance would be all that was required for him to be satisfied. However, in only a few moments, Lady Emma had proven to him that his heart was beyond rescue, for he could not help but be drawn to her still.
And thus, a choice lay before him.
Either he could be honest - first with himself and thereafter with her – and risk his heart tearing in a way that he did not think would ever be recovered, or he could continue to put the distance between them, forcing himself to forget her despite the fact that his attempts thus far had entirely failed.
“Lord Thornbridge?”
He glanced at her, realizing that from the look in her eyes, she had asked him something, but he had not as yet responded. Clearing his throat, he tried to shrug.
“Forgive me, I was a little… distracted by all that is going on this evening.”
The slight smile which touched the edge of her mouth told him that she did not believe him. That tiny smile had such an effect upon his heart that he caught his breath, taking a small step towards her before realizing what it was that he was doing. Wincing, he clasped his hands behind his back and pulled his shoulders away, turning his head so that he would not have to look at her beauty and find himself so affected again.
“I believe Lady Emma was asking if you would be willing to accompany her for a short walk around the gardens.” Lord Stoneleigh only grinned, then offered his arm to her cousin. “Of course, I will walk with you, Lady Fullerton. My betrothed has not yet arrived this evening, and I would be glad for some company while I wait for her arrival.”
Henry blinked, seeing that the situation had come upon him without his awareness. There was no other choicebutto walk with Lady Emma, for Lord Stoneleigh and Lady Fullerton began to promenade ahead of them, leaving him to offer his arm to Lady Emma, regardless of whether or not he thought it a good idea.
