Page 55 of Heartless

‘I’m not entirely sure that’s true.’ He lowered himself on the branch, like a cat ready to spring. ‘Lady Pinkerton, have you ever been to a real tea party?’

‘Oh, countless.’

‘No, my lady, not like at the castle today. I mean, a real one.’

The question crystallized between them as Catherine shifted through all the parties, galas, gatherings she’d attended over the years, and she couldn’t fathom what he meant.

‘I . . . I suppose I’m not sure.’

He smiled, a little mischievously. ‘Would you like to?’

CHAPTER 17

SHE DUCKED INTOthe washroom under the guise of tying back her hair. Her heart was dancing as she combed back the long locks and knotted a ribbon at the nape of her neck. She didn’t know what she was thinking. Perhaps she’d gone raving mad.

She shoved the doubts aside. She couldn’t change her mind now. Or rather, she could, but she knew that she wouldn’t.

It was only for one night. She would do this once. To see, to experience, to make her own choice.

She pinched her cheeks, dabbed rose water on her wrists, and was at the window again before her nerves could overtake her.

Jest was still in the tree boughs, playing with his deck of cards. Raven was cleaning his feathers. Noticing her, Jest perked up and slid the cards back into some secret pocket.

‘Are you ready?’ he asked, his whole face lighting up in a way that filled her with warmth and sugar.

‘I’m not sure this is a good idea.’

‘That’s because it’s most likely a very bad idea.’

With one easy movement, he stepped across to her windowsill and hopped down into her bedroom.

A certain amount of shock skittered down her spine. There was a man in her bedroom – unchaperoned. Unsupervised.

In secret.

She said nothing of this nature, only took half a step away from him. Her heel brushed against the white rose she’d dropped.

Jest took off his hat and turned it upside down. ‘This is going to work,’ he said, reaching into the hat. ‘But it’s going to require a certain amount of faith.’

He pulled his hand out, revealing a black lace parasol with an ivory handle. He popped it open above their heads.

‘What are we doing with that?’

‘You’ll see.’ He set the hat back on his head, stepped back on to the windowsill, and held his free hand towards her.

After a count of three, during which she determined that she had lost her wits, Cath placed her hand into his and allowed him to pull her up beside him.

‘You’re not going to scream, are you?’

She didn’t bother trying to hide her terror when she met his gaze.

Frowning, Jest ducked his face closer and released her hand so he could instead grasp her elbow. ‘You’re not going tofaint, are you?’

She shook her head, though it had no confidence behind it. She risked a glance at the ground, two stories below.

‘Lady Pinkerton,’ he said warningly.

She looked up again and moved her trembling hands towards his tunic. ‘I wonder if it would be terribly inappropriate for me to hold on to you.’

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