Nearly a Lady

by Alissa Johnson

  “Quite all right.” She wanted to wince at how breathless she sounded. She cleared her throat instead and carefully withdrew her arm from his grasp. “I was woolgathering. Do excuse me.”

  She turned to leave, but he moved around, quick and smooth as you please, and blocked her path. “You shouldn’t go just yet.”

  “Good heavens.” The man even moved like a cat. “Why ever not?”

  “Because you want to stay here.”

  He offered that outrageous statement with such remarkable sincerity that there could be no doubt of his jesting. The act of silliness both stunned and intrigued her. He didn’t look to be the sort of man who teased.

  “That is the most ridiculous, not to mention presumptuous—”

  “Very well. I want you to stay here.” His lips curved up, crinkling the corners of his eyes. “It was unkind of you to make me say it.”

  She was surprised to find he had a charming smile. The sort that invited one to smile back. It did little to slow her racing pulse, but she liked it all the same.

  She shook her head. “Who are you?”

  “Connor Brice,” he supplied and executed an eloquent bow.

  She curtsied in return, then righted her mask when it slipped. “Miss Adelaide Ward.”

  “Yes, I know. Settle your feathers, Miss Ward.”

  “You’ve not ruffled them, Mr. Brice.” She hoped he believed the lie.

  “No, I meant . . .” He reached out and brushed the edge of her mask with his thumb. She swore she could feel his touch on the skin beneath. “Your feathers need smoothing. What are you meant to be, exactly?”

  “Oh. Oh, drat.” She reached up and pulled on the knot of ribbons at the back of her head. They refused to give. Sighing, she pulled the contraption over her coiffure and tried not to think of the damage she was doing. “A bird of prey.”

  “Ah.” He grasped his hands behind his back, leaned down, and peered at the mask in her hands. “I thought perhaps you were aiming for disheveled wren.”

  The sound of her laughter filled the hall. She much preferred the gentle insult to the sort of compliment Sir Robert was sure to give. Mistakes were so much easier to accept when one was allowed to be amused by them.

  “It’s true,” she agreed. “I look dreadful.”

  He straightened and his green eyes swept over her frame in a frankly appraising manner that made her blush. “You’re lovely.”

  “Thank you,” she mumbled. And then, because she’d mumbled it at the mask instead of him, she forced herself to look up when she asked, “And where is your mask?”

  “I don’t have one.”

  “But it’s a masquerade.” Had a mask been optional? She wished someone had mentioned that earlier.

  “There is more than one way for a man to hide himself.” He gestured at a door she knew led to a small sitting room.

  “Is that where you came from?” No wonder he’d been able to sneak up on her so quickly. “Whatever were you doing in there?”

  “Avoiding a particular lady. What were you doing out here?”

  She wanted to ask which lady, and why he’d broken his self-imposed exile to speak with her—she was hardly the most interesting person at the party—but she was too busy trying to arrive at a suitable excuse for her dallying to devise a subtle way to pry. In the end, she didn’t have to come up with anything. He answered for her.

  “You’re avoiding a particular gentleman.”

  “I’m not.”

  “Sir Robert,” he guessed, and he shrugged when she sucked in a small breath of surprise. “Your courtship is hardly a secret.”

  She hadn’t thought it was fodder for gossip either. At least not in . . . wherever it was Mr. Brice was from.

  “I’m not avoiding anyone.”

  “You are.”

  Since he seemed immovable on that point, she tried another.

  “Perhaps it is Mr. Doolin,” she said smartly. She did make a habit of steering clear of the elderly man and his wandering hands, so it wasn’t a lie, per se, but more of an irrelevant truth.

  He gave a small shake of his head. “It’s Sir Robert you’re not eager to see, and you were wise to drag your feet. Last I checked, he was lying in wait for you right on the other side of the ballroom doors.”

  Her mouth fell open, but it was several long seconds before she could make sound emerge.

  “Sir Robert does not lie in wait. I am quite certain he is not to be found crouched behind the doors like an animal.” It was a little discomfiting that she could, in fact, easily imagine the baron doing just that. More than once in the past, she’d felt as if his sudden appearance at her side had been something of an ambush.

  She sniffed, and with what she thought was commendable loyalty, she added, “He is a gentleman.”

  “Do you think?” Mr. Brice’s smile wasn’t inviting this time. It was mocking. “It is a constant source of amazement to me how little effort the man must exert to disguise his true nature. But then, the ton is ever ready to take a baron at his word and at his . . . five thousand pounds a year, I believe you said?”

  Oh, dear heavens. She’d said that bit out loud?

  Heat flooded her cheeks. This was awful. Perfectly dreadful. There was no excuse for having made such a comment. And yet she couldn’t stop herself from attempting to provide one.

  “I was only . . . What I meant by that is . . .” She told herself to give up the effort before she somehow made matters worse. “One cannot . . . There is no shame in marrying a man with an income.”

  And there it was . . . Worse.

  Oh, damn.

  Leave, leave now.

  “Excuse me.” She struggled to untie the ribbons of her mask. She’d put it on, go to the ball, and pray to every deity known to man that Mr. Brice’s low opinion of Sir Robert kept the two men from speaking to each other, or about each other, or near each other, or . . .

  “Allow me.” Mr. Brice took the mask from her hands, his long fingers brushing across her skin. “You’re right,” he said gently. “There is nothing wrong with making a practical match.”

  “Oh. Well.” That was very understanding of him, she thought with a sigh of relief. Then she wondered if he might expand on that understanding a little. “You’ll not repeat what I said?”

  “On my word.” He pulled the knotted ribbons free and handed her the mask. “The true shame is that you’re given no other choice.”

  Was he speaking of the lack of opportunity for women everywhere to make their way in the world, she wondered, or was he referring to her shortage of suitors? She would have asked him, but she was distracted when his gaze flew to something over her shoulder.

  She heard it then . . . Footsteps. The sound was muffled and distant, still around the turn in the corridor, but it was growing louder and more distinct.

  She winced and stifled the urge to swear. It wasn’t uncommon for two guests to meet in the hall and share a few words in passing, but it was generally frowned upon for a young, unmarried lady to converse with a gentleman to whom she’d not been properly introduced. At seven-and-twenty, she was no longer considered a young lady, but that wouldn’t stop Sir Robert from chiding her for not making the trip to the ballroom in the company of a maid.

  She didn’t care for his chiding.

  “Please, do pretend we’ve not been speaking,” she whispered and took a step to move around Mr. Brice. Perhaps, if she put a bit of distance between them . . .

  Mr. Brice had another idea. He reached over and opened the door he’d emerged from earlier. “This would be easier.”

  “Yes, of course.” Hiding seemed something of an overreaction, but it was preferable to having a marriage proposal turn into a lecture.

  She brushed past him into the dimly lighted room. The door closed behind her with a soft click of the latch, and she stood where she was for a moment, taking a deep breath to settle her racing heart. It was fortunate Mr. Brice had so quickly interpreted the cause of her discomfort. It was even mor
e fortunate that Mr. Brice had thought to shield her presence while he sent the passing guest on his way. Quite considerate of him, really. Very nearly the act of a knight-errant.

  Having never before been the object of a gentleman’s chivalry, the thought brought a warm slide of pleasure and a small, secret smile. But both began to fade as the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She turned around slowly and found herself staring at the small ruby pin in Mr. Brice’s crisp white cravat.

  “Good Lord,” she gasped and stumbled back in retreat. “What do you think . . . ?”

  Mr. Brice held a finger up to his lips, and she had no choice but to obediently snap her mouth shut. The unknown guest was approaching the door. She could hear his footsteps . . . or were they hers? She couldn’t make out a click of a heel, and there was an odd rhythm to the gait, as if the person was shuffling down the hall.

  The noise paused outside the door.

  No. Oh, please, please don’t.

  She watched in mounting horror as Mr. Brice slowly extended his arm and took hold of the door handle. Surely he wasn’t going to try to turn the key in the lock. Surely he wasn’t stupid enough to open the door.

  He wasn’t. He kept perfectly still, his hand wrapped around the handle as if he meant to physically keep it from turning if necessary—which wouldn’t seem at all suspicious to someone on the other side—until their uninvited guest resumed his leisurely stroll.

  She let out a long, shaky sigh . . . then froze when the shuffling stopped and a loud creak issued from an old wooden bench not five yards down the hall.

  He was stopping to rest. Who the devil actually used those benches to rest? An elderly guest, she realized, or a maid or footman neglecting their duties. It could be Mrs. Cress’s mastiff, Otis, for all she knew. The dog was always climbing on the furniture.

  Adelaide bit her lip and clenched and unclenched her hands. What was she supposed to do now? She couldn’t be seen leaving a dark room without causing raised brows . . . But Mr. Brice could. Gentleman could get away with all sorts of suspicious behavior.

  She waved her hand about to catch his attention, then pointed a finger at the door and mouthed the word “go” as clearly as possible.

  Apparently, she wasn’t clear enough. He gave a slow shake of his head.

  She pressed her lips together in frustration and jabbed her finger more emphatically.

  He shook his head again.

  Idiot.

  He lifted a finger and pointed behind her. “Go.”

  Glancing over her shoulder, she saw doors leading onto the terrace. The dark terrace that led down to the dark garden. The ballroom and lighted side of the terrace and garden were on the other side of the house.

  She turned back with a scowl and shook her head.

  He nodded.

  She had the most ridiculous urge to shake her fist at him.

  She fought it back. The silent battle of wills was getting them nowhere, and the longer they remained in the room, the greater the chance of discovery. With no other option left, she gave him a final resentful glare, then spun about and headed for the terrace doors.

  The soft pad of his footsteps trailed behind her. Damn it all, he was following her. She would be in the garden, at night, with a complete stranger.

  Without another thought, she grabbed a sturdy brass candlestick from the mantel. Instantly, he was beside her, his large hand covering hers on the candlestick. The scent of him filled her senses—the hint of soap on his skin, the light touch of starch on his clothes. His breath was warm and soft in her ear as he bent his head to whisper.

  “It’s the poker you want.” His hand slid over hers until he grasped the top of the candlestick. He drew it away from her slowly and replaced it on the mantel without moving his mouth from her ear. “Longer reach.”

  She heard the edge of amusement in his voice and could have cheerfully murdered him in that moment. At the very least, she would have liked to snatch the weapon back and take aim at his head. But ever the practical woman, she took the poker instead, slipping out the doors and into the garden.

  Mr. Brice fell into step beside her. “There’s a rarely used door around the back of the house. It opens to a short hall and stairwell that will lead you back upstairs.”

  “I know that.” Her sister, Isobel, had an insatiable curiosity. She’d explored every inch of the house on their first day and given a detailed accounting of the building that evening. Adelaide made a mental note to apologize for the lecture she’d delivered to Isobel on the perils of snooping.

  “Why are you following me?” she demanded.

  “What sort of gentleman would allow a lady to traverse a dark garden alone?”

  “The gentlemanly sort.” Her eyes scanned the grounds for other guests, but their side of the garden was as still and silent as a tomb. “Why on earth did you come into the room? You should have remained in the hall.”

  “I should have? Why not you?”

  “Because . . . you opened the door. I assumed—”

  “That I opened it for you? There’s a fine bit of arrogance.”

  She tried to remember if he had motioned her inside the room or not and was forced to admit he hadn’t. “Nevertheless, you should have remained outside once I had gone in.”

  “You were not the only person hoping to avoid a particular guest,” he reminded her.

  How was it she could be walking in a dark garden while carrying a fire poker and fearing for her future—all because of the man beside her—and still feel as if she needed to apologize for the circumstances?

  She was not apologizing. Probably. She would reconsider the matter when she was safely back inside. For now, she needed to concentrate on the best route through the garden.

  The single path before her split into three. The one to the right went to the front of the house. The path to the left led to the back, but it wound about the flower beds close to the house. It was visible to anyone who happened to look outside. The path in the center led deeper into the garden where they would be shielded from view by a hedgerow. She could make her way to the back of the house from that path, but she hesitated at the thought of going farther into the darkness with a near stranger for company.

  “If I wanted to hurt you,” Mr. Brice said conversationally, apparently aware of her line of thought, “I’d not have troubled to introduce myself first. Nor suggested a better choice of weapon.”

  Adelaide had to admit that he made a sound point. But, all the same, she readjusted her grip on the poker before setting off down the middle path.