Page 38 of The Earl's Demure Spinster
Lord Marcus offered her a warm smile, though there was a hint of confusion in his eyes, like he sensed she was holding back. “The pleasure was mine, Lady Sylvia. I am glad to have had the opportunity to spend time with you. I always enjoy speaking with you, I hope you know that.”
There was a pause, a pregnant moment of hesitation as Lord Marcus seemed to search for the right words. Sylvia held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited for him tospeak. Fear gripped her as she worried that he might be about to confess some real feelings for her. Words that would trap her in a corner and she would have to make up her mind.
But to her relief, Lord Marcus merely nodded, his expression thoughtful yet resigned. “Until we meet again, Lady Sylvia.”
Sylvia returned his nod with a small smile, grateful that he had chosen not to broach whatever topic lingered unspoken between them. It had been a very heavy day, and she needed a break. She needed some time to get her thoughts in order before she decided on her next move.
“Goodbye, Lord Marcus,” Sylvia said softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she stepped out of the carriage onto the cobblestone pavement.
As the carriage pulled away, disappearing into the fading light of the evening, Sylvia watched its departure with a mixture of relief and regret. She could not deny the sense of liberation that washed over her, knowing that she had avoided a potentially uncomfortable conversation with Lord Marcus. But that conversation would have to come at some point, she just knew it. She was going to have to prepare herself for it.
Sylvia lingered on the doorstep for a moment longer, watching the last traces of Lord Marcus’s carriage fade into the distance. The weight of her decision hung heavily upon her shoulders, the burden of uncertainty pressing down with each passing second.
With a heavy sigh, Sylvia turned away from the empty street and stepped inside the comforting embrace of her aunt’s London home. The familiar sights and sounds offered little solace, however, as her mind continued to churn with thoughts of Lord Marcus and Lord Wesley, and the impossible situation in front of her.
One wrong move, and she would potentially lose everything, turning this Season into a complete disaster.
