The silence, of course, did not last long and she smiled politely when she recognized the approaching figure of Sebastian Fairchild.
“Lady Caroline,” Sebastian greeted, flashing her a smile, and Caroline returned the grin with a nod of her head.
“Lord Casterbridge.”
Though they were alone—something entirely improper, especially as he was her sister’s fiancé—Caroline could not see the harm in staying outside just a minute longer.
“What brings you outside?” Sebastian asked and he shifted to stand next to her, gazing out on the lovely gardens.
Caroline sighed. “I… merely needed some fresh air.”
Sebastian sniggered at this and she turned her gaze, catching his eye. There was a knowing glint in the green depths and her cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson.
“I saw you… dancing,” Sebastian said simply, and Caroline shook her head, mortified that anyone had noticed her obvious discomfort. Sebastian, however, kept his good-natured smile.
“It seems Lord Pembroke will not give anyone else a second of your time,” Sebastian teased, and Caroline shook her head with a groan.
“He is not always like that,” she explained, then shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know what has gotten into him.”
“Perhaps he is feeling romantic,” Sebastian teased, and Caroline groaned. “Is that what romance is? Because I promise you, it felt as though I was caught in the grip of a squid.”
She pressed her hands to her cheeks guiltily immediately after the words escaped her lips and shook her head.
“I apologize,” she said immediately. “I shouldn’t speak like that. He is a good friend.”
“Don’t fret,” Sebastian said quickly, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I do believe that the comparison is quite apt—at least today. But I do suppose we have to return to our captivity.”
Though a frown quickly flashed across her brow at his words, Caroline carefully chose not to question it—instead, nodding and following the man back to the ballroom.
It happened suddenly, as they made their way back inside. Caroline herself was not quite sure how exactly it happened: one moment she was still walking easily and the next, she tumbled forward, nearly falling to her face.
A strong pair of arms suddenly encircled her waist ,and Caroline could feel her hands pressing against a muscled chest. The heat of his strong body seeped through her gown, making her acutely aware of every hard plane pressed against her softer curves. His masculine scent—a mix of spice, leather and something uniquely him—filled her senses, making her head spin with a sudden, unfamiliar ache of yearning. The curve of her breasts pressed against his chest, sending a jolt of electricity through her.
She tried in vain to get back to her feet, but merely managed to stumble once more—grateful for the strong hands steadying her.
“My heel,” she explained needlessly. “It’s stuck on my dress, I…”
Her body pressed rather intimately against his as she bent down to yank at her dress in a desperate attempt to free her heel from the material. As Sebastian's arms tightened around her waist to steady her, Caroline could feel a flutter low in her belly, her skin tingling where his fingers flex possessively against her hip through the thin silk of her dress. For a moment she felt boneless, melting into his solid frame, before she came back to herself with a start.
A gasp from the side caught her attention just as she managed to free her heel, losing her balance as she did so—falling even closer to the brick-like chest in front of her. Caroline pressed her hands against the strong chest. She could feel the thud of his heartbeat beneath her palm, and the coiled strength of his muscles. Warmth pooled in her core at the unfamiliar sensations, a blush staining her cheeks at her body's traitorous response to his nearness. Her face flushed, she turned her gaze to look at the crowd beside them:
A crowd that was staring at the pair in what looked like an incredibly close embrace.
Chapter 5
For Caroline, it was as though she felt everything at once. First, there was Sebastian’s strong arms encircling her waist, the warmth of his chest pressed against her hands and the intimate proximity causing a blush to rise to her cheeks.
Then, it was unadulterated horror as she looked at the crowd that was staring at them—eyes wide and lips pursed.
In the front of the crowd stood Geraldine Wentworth, her wide blue eyes seeming abnormally large in her pale face.
Caroline quickly straightened up and pushed herself away from Sebastian’s chest, meeting her mother’s eyes. “I… I tripped, I stumbled…” she explained quickly, nearly stumbling over her words. “I… I almost fell and Lord Casterbridge was merely helping me regain my balance. That is all. Mother… that is all that happened.”
Despite her explanation, the crowd continued to stare—disapproval radiating from each pair of eyes stuck on the pair. No one seemed to know what to say, and a suffocating silence hung heavy in the air.
Geraldine Wentworth was the first to move, her face a mask of barely contained fury as she reached for her daughter’s arm, grabbing it and dragging her inside.
“We are leaving,” Geraldine said sharply, looking around for her eldest daughter.
