“Hazel?”
I looked up from my book to see Adam lingering in the doorway of the sun room. I set my book down on my lap and smiled. “Hello.”
“Do you mind?” he asked, motioning to the chair across from me.
“Of course. Please.”
“What are you reading?”
I showed him the cover. “Spring’s Awakening,” I told him.
“I haven’t heard of that one. Is it good?”
I shrugged. “It’s different. I haven’t decided how I feel about it yet.”
Adam leaned forward on his knees. “How did you like the race yesterday?”
“The race? It was fun, I suppose.”
“You suppose?”
“I enjoyed being there,” I said.
“You don’t care much for horse racing, do you?”
“It’s not my cup of tea,” I admitted. “However, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy myself. I liked sitting outside in the sun. I had fun with my family and…” I let my voice trail off.
“And?”
“And I enjoyed spending the day with you, as well.”
He broke into a grin. “I hoped you would say that.”
“Did you?”
“Yes, because I enjoyed spending the day with you.”
I pinched my lips together, but my smile still spread.
Adam cleared his throat. “Hazel, I heard what happened at the races yesterday.”
I froze, but kept the smile on my face. “What do you mean?”
“With Lillian and Hattie.”
My smile faltered. “What did you hear?”
“I heard that Lillian shoved you against the wall. Mr. Carter told me he saw the entire thing.”
“Did he.” My voice was faint.
“Hazel,” he said, his voice serious as he reached over and took my hand. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
I shook my head. “Because it’s humiliating. I hate that they can corner me, torture me like that. I was trying not to let it bother me. And besides, I didn’t want to ruin anyone else’s day. I just wanted to pretend that it didn’t happen.”
“But Hazel,” Adam sighed, “If you had told me, I could have done something about it.”
“That’s exactly why I didn’t say anything. I don’t need you to fight my battles for me. I should be able to take care of it myself.”
“Hazel, you can’t be afraid to ask for help. If they won’t listen to you, perhaps they’ll listen to me.”
“Adam—”
“My job is to keep you safe,” he said.
“But that’s not your job, Adam. Your job is just to be with me.”
He nodded. “I do want to be with you. Do you have any plans for tomorrow night?”
“Depends,” I teased. “If you wanted to do something, I think I could make some time.”
“I would appreciate it if you would,” he said. “I’d like to take you out.”
“That would be lovely,” I told him. It had seemed to be an eternity since I had gotten to spend much time with Adam alone, without my family or party guests or anyone else around. We had these brief interludes when he came over, but we were never truly relaxed here, and the servants lingered. I longed to be back in the woods with him, bathed in moonlight, wrapped in his arms, we two the only two in the world. I ached for him, desperately ached for him. The promise of a night together with Adam made my heart race.
“What would you like to do?” he asked.
I knew what I’d like, but I couldn’t tell him. There was no way I could find the words to express how much I needed his hands on my body, his lips on my lips.
“What are our options?”
“Many things,” he said, thinking. “We could do dinner together at a restaurant, or a picnic. Perhaps we could take a walk together through the park, or go to the museum.”
“Those all sound fun,” I said, though none of them seemed to hold the promise of a night entwined in his arms.
“Surprise me,” I told him with a grin.
“Oh, I don’t know if you want that,” he said, giving me a wink. “You never know what I could come up with.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time,” I told him.
He laughed. “What do you mean?”
“Well, the walk in the woods last year was a surprise as well.”
It had taken nerves to say that, but I was rewarded with a wide smile. “That was the best birthday gift I have ever received,” he said.
“Better than the cufflinks?”
“The cufflinks are gorgeous,” he said. “But not as gorgeous as you were that night.”
My face turned red at the compliment. “Thank you,” I murmured.
“I want our dinner to be as wonderful as that night was, though I don’t know if anything can ever top that,” he said thoughtfully. “I have a few ideas.”
“I can’t wait.”
He rubbed his thumb across the back of my hand, then stood up and pressed his lips to my forehead. “I’ve got to go; the duke is returning tomorrow. I want to make sure he has everything he needs so that I can have the evening off to spend with you.”
“I understand. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow, Hazel.”
He’d asked my parents’ permission, of course. That was the only proper way for things to go. My mother didn’t hesitate to give her blessing, and my father didn’t really care. The next evening I stood in front of my wardrobe, debating what to wear. Eventually I settled on a silk emerald dinner gown with black velvet trim. It was elegant enough for whatever Adam had planned, but still light enough to wear on a warm summer evening. The jewel tone made my skin glow, and even without my hair pulled back or powder on my nose, I felt pretty.
“The new dresses were a good decision,” my mother said, surveying me.
“I do love them, thank you,” I said.
“Well, it was high time we bought you new gowns. You’re finally courting someone!”
I rolled my eyes. “What do you mean, finally? I’m the normal age to be courting someone. You make it sound as if I’m an old maid!”
“I didn’t mean that. It’s only that you’ve never shown much of an interest in men until now.”
The reason I had never seemed to show much interest in men was because my interest had always been in Adam, but I wasn’t about to reveal that embarrassing bit of information to her.
“All right,” my mother said, motioning to the dressing table. “Let’s get you ready to go.”
I sat down, and she pulled out her powders and brushes. As she dipped one of the brushes into the pale powder, I glanced at myself in the mirror. Adam had called me beautiful when he talked about that night in the woods, and I hadn’t been wearing any cosmetics that night.
“I don’t want a lot,” I told her.
She paused. “All right. Just some powder then. Maybe a little color for your cheeks.”
“That’s fine.”
I sat still as she brushed the peach powder over my nose and the pink over my cheeks. I looked properly flushed now, but the powder was hardly noticeable. It looked perfectly normal, just as I wanted.
“It looks lovely,” I told her.
“Are you sure you don’t want a little more?”
“I’m positive.”
“All right,” she sighed. “Now, where’s your hairbrush?”
I glanced across my dressing table. “It should be over by my jewelry box.”
“Well, it’s not there.”
I frowned, craning my neck to get a better look. “But that’s where I always keep it.”
“Hazel, it’s not there. You must have misplaced it.”
“No,” I protested. I had used it earlier that morning. I stood up, looking around the room at anywhere I could have possibly set it; truthfully, my head had been in the clouds for most of the day, so it was possible I had misplaced it. Yet I didn’t think so. I was usually very good at putting my things back where they belonged.
<
br /> “I’ll go grab the one from my room,” my mother said, her annoyance clear. I frowned, running my hands through my hair as I tried to think of where on earth my brush could have escaped to. That was the second one that had gone missing this past month. Who on earth would want one of my hairbrushes? It was possible Harry had taken it as a joke, but even he hadn’t been that petty in years.
My mother finished twisting my hair back, and I finished with my shoes and gloves before going downstairs to wait in the parlor for Adam. If I was ready, there was no point in making him wait for me, so I curled up by the window. Mist lingered outside the window, blocking out most of the summer sun’s light.
Adam didn’t keep me waiting for long; he arrived right on time. I smoothed my skirts in an attempt to soothe my nerves. I took a deep breath as I stood, and Adam crossed the room to me and took my arm.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Let’s go,” I said with a nod. Together we walked through the fog and climbed into the carriage. Once again, Adam sat next to me, and my heart raced as I remembered the last time we had sat side–by–side in the carriage, hands clutching bodies as our lips met in desperation. I tried to focus on steadying my breathing.
“Are you all right?” Adam asked me.
“Never better.”
“Your heart is beating awfully fast.”
“Stop listening, then,” I said, swatting him playfully on the arm. He grinned.
The carriage began to start toward town, and I turned to Adam. “So, where are we going?”
“Well, I thought we’d get something to eat,” he said.
“That sounds perfectly wonderful to me,” I said.
The place Adam had chosen was well–known in town. It was a restaurant that the wealthier patrons frequented. My pulse quickened as I realized that we would be in full view of the public as we went out together. Sure, we had sat beside each other at the races, but this was different. Then, he could have been mistaken for spending time with my brother. Now, there was no question about whether or not we were together.
My father loved to take us here when he’d signed a particularly lucrative deal. The walls were papered in a red damask print, and the arched windows stretched up to the ceiling. The bit of light they let through sparkled in the gold chandeliers. The rest of the light came from flickering candles throughout the restaurant.
We followed the maître d’ back to a table in the corner. As always, the food was delicious, but I struggled to concentrate on what I was eating. All I could think about was how close Adam was sitting to me, how sometimes our arms touched, what it would feel like to have his hands and lips against my skin again. I shivered at the thought.
As we giggled over dessert, Adam scooted his chair closer to mine. Our hands touched, fingers intertwining, a spark shooting up my spine. I was in total bliss as Adam fed me a bite of cake. I never wanted to leave.
“How do you think your parents would feel if we spent some time at my house?” he murmured to me.
All right, maybe I did want to leave.
“They don’t have to know,” I told him.
He looked up and motioned for the server to bring over the bill.
The moment we had shut ourselves in the carriage, we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves. My hands wove into his hair as his lips peppered kisses on my neck. His hands slid up my thighs as I arched my back, leaning into him. My heart rate quickened, my breath short as he kissed my skin, hands cupping the back of my legs.
I was enjoying the attention when a piercing howl broke through the night. Both Adam and I froze, our breathing shallow as we paused to hear the noise. Adam pulled away and I sat up straighter.
Moonlight had drifted through the clouds and through the window of the carriage, and I could see Adam’s face was pale. He swallowed as he turned to me.
“We’re going to have to take a rain check,” he said, his voice husky.
“What?”
He turned to me, taking my hands in his. “Hazel, I’m so sorry, but we’re going to have to resume this at another time.”
“Adam—”
“I’m going to drop you back off at your home.”
“What?” I asked again.
“I have to leave, Hazel,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”
He climbed across the seat and murmured something to the driver before sitting back down. The horses picked up speed.
“Adam, what’s going on?” I asked.
He looked out his window. “I’m not sure, but it’s not good.”
The howling continued, filling the sky as rain began to fall. We raced down the country road, every bump magnified in the speed. I clung to the seat for dear life.
We came to a halt outside my house, the driver reining in the horses so they would stop and not pass by. Adam grasped my hands.
“I am so terribly sorry about this, but I need to go. I’ll make it up to you, somehow. I promise.”
My eyes filled with worry as I reached up, cupping his face in my hand. “You’ll stay safe.”
He closed his eyes, nuzzling into my hand. “Of course.”
He opened the door for me, and I stepped out of the carriage.
“I’m sorry,” he said once again before shutting the door.
The carriage sped off and I watched it grow smaller down the lane, my mouth hanging open in shock. I couldn’t believe that Adam had just left me here, and at the same time, I was deeply concerned for whatever it was that caused him to leave me so abruptly.
All I could do was pray that everyone would stay safe as I turned and started toward my house.
Chapter Twenty–Three
I pinched my lips together, trying not to let the disappointment sink too deeply in my stomach. I had so been looking forward to my night with Adam. This was supposed to be our first real date, and like everything else, it had been sidetracked.
I knew it was raining, knew that I was getting wet, but I couldn’t help but look down the road, hoping that I’d see his carriage returning to sweep me off my feet. The carriage never came, however, and I was left standing beside the road, rain soaking through my new dress. With a heavy sigh, I started back toward the house.
The walk down the driveway seemed to stretch on to eternity. I squared my shoulders, trying to gather any sort of courage as I took steps toward the house. Perhaps I should hurry, perhaps I should run, but I couldn’t find it in my heavy heart to move any faster. More than likely I’d have a cold in the morning, but I’d curl up in a blanket with some tea when I got home. It’s what I would have done anyway to try to soothe my wounded nerves. I kept glancing back over my shoulder, hoping that I’d catch sight of Adam, but once my fingers closed around the doorknob, I knew that I wouldn’t see him again that night.
I did my best to stay quiet as I opened the door. I slipped inside, gently shutting the door behind me. I didn’t want my mother to hear me come in. I had hoped to stay out late enough that when I returned, my mother would be asleep and I wouldn’t have to face an interrogation. Returning home so early, she would certainly have questions, and I wanted to avoid them at all costs. I rested my hand on the banister and moved to make my first step, praying the stairs wouldn’t creak.
It didn’t matter. She saw me anyway.
“Hazel, darling, what are you doing home so soon?” she asked as she bustled through the parlor. Her face fell. “Did things not go well?”
“There was an emergency.”
“An emergency? What sort of emergency?” She took a moment to look me over. “Why are you soaking wet? Did he just leave you outside? Did he make you walk back to the house?”
“Mum—”
“I can’t believe this. What sort of—”
I caught sight of Harry passing through the parlor. When he saw that my mother was beginning to go off on one of her tangents, he began to back away, but I motioned for him to join us.
“Why are you wet?” he asked me. I rolled my eyes. That wasn’t the sort of help
I’d been hoping to gain from him.
“Adam had to drop me off quickly,” I said.
“Oh, yeah, that makes sense.”
“That makes sense? In what world does it make sense for a man to ditch his date in the rain?” my mother asked.
“In a world where the duke needed his help,” Harry said.
“Oh, was that it?” my mother asked in a small voice.
“An emergency at Wolf’s Peak, that’s all I know. You could hear it in the howl.”
“Maybe you could, but how was I supposed to know?” my mother asked defensively. “Hazel, dear, I’ll send Clara to go run a bath for you. You strip off those wet clothes before you catch a cold. And try not to drip on my floors.”
“Yes, mum,” I said, suppressing an eye roll.
Up in my bedroom, I peeled the wet dress off my skin and wrapped myself in a soft dressing gown. Clara took my dress from me to try to dry it, while I slipped into the warm water and soothed my chilled skin.
A storm was brewing outside as I climbed out of the bath. Dressed in a nightgown, I curled up in the chair in my bedroom with a cup of tea and a book, my eyes continually glancing out the window to see if either the gray wolf or Adam was there.
They never were, and finally, I gave up and went to bed.
I woke up the next morning to my mother trying to shake me awake. My eyes felt dry, and I remembered I had cried before I fell asleep.
“What?” I muttered, annoyed at the rude awakening.
“Adam is here!” she said. “Get up?”
I still wasn’t quite alert yet, and I frowned. “What?” I said as I yawned.
“Adam is here! He wants to see you!”
“What?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She tugged at my arm, and groggily I pulled myself out of bed. “Get dressed?”
“That’s not necessary.”
I turned to see Adam leaning against the doorway.
“But…but it’s not proper!” my mother cried.
Adam put his hand on my mother’s arm. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
She gave us a look. “Leave the door open,” she said, as I flushed.
The Wolf's Choice (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 4) Page 18
