Page 21 of His Scarred Duchess
Of course! How could she have forgotten about the garden gate? Without another word, she turned and dashed towards the far end of the garden, leaving the bemused stranger behind.
But as she reached the wrought iron gate, her heart sank. It was locked, the metal unyielding under her desperate hands.
“No, no, no,” she muttered, rattling the bars futilely.
“I’m afraid it’s kept locked during events,” the man’s voice came from behind her, closer now. “Something about preventing guests from wandering off, I believe.”
Adeline ignored him, fumbling with the pins in her hair. If she could just find something to pick the lock…
“Good God, woman!” the man exclaimed, sounding both impressed and exasperated. “Are you actually attempting to pick the lock? With a hairpin? Have you taken leave of your senses entirely?”
“My senses are perfectly intact, thank you,” Adeline snapped, her frustration mounting. “And I’ll thank you to mind your own business, Sir.”
The man moved closer, and she found herself acutely aware of his imposing presence.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. Not when I find a lady attempting to break out of a respectable gathering as if she were escaping Newgate Prison. What on earth has driven you to such desperate measures?”
Adeline’s hands stilled on the lock, her shoulders sagging in defeat. “You wouldn’t understand,” she said softly. “I have to leave. For my sister’s sake. Her debut… I can’t ruin it for her. I won’t.”
There was a moment of silence, broken only by the distant sounds of the soirée and the gentle rustle of leaves.
When the man spoke again, his voice was softer, tinged with curiosity. “Your sister’s debut? But surely… Wait a moment. Your voice. I recognize your voice.”
Adeline’s head snapped up, and she looked at the stranger—reallylooked at him—for the first time.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a bearing that spoke of authority. And his voice… A memory of another encounter, of witty banter exchanged behind the safety of masks, flashed through her mind.
“The masquerade ball,” she breathed, realization dawning. “You were there.”
His eyes widened in recognition. “The lady in blue. Of course. But what were you doing at such an event if your sister hasn’t yet debuted? Surely you know the risks.”
Adeline hesitated, then sighed. “I was tricked into it by my sister. She can be quite persuasive when she wants to be.”
The man’s eyebrows rose. “Tricked? By your younger sister? Surely a woman of your age and supposed wisdom shouldn’t be so easily deceived by a mere girl.”
Adeline bristled at his condescending tone. “I beg your pardon, Sir, but you know nothing of my situation. My sister can be quite resourceful when she sets her mind to something.”
“Resourceful?” he scoffed. “Is that what we’re calling it now? It seems to me that you allowed yourself to be dragged by the nose into a potentially scandalous situation. What if you had been discovered?”
“It was harmless fun,” Adeline protested, feeling defensive. “One last adventure before… before I leave London.”
“Leave London?” he repeated, stepping closer. “To Scotland, I presume?”
Adeline’s eyes widened in surprise. “How did you?—”
“Word travels fast in certain circles,” he interrupted, his tone a mixture of curiosity and concern. “But why? And why the desperate escape attempt?”
Adeline backed away, suddenly very aware of how alone they were in the darkened garden. “It’s none of your concern, Sir. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really must be going.”
“Going where, exactly?” he challenged, his tone colored with amusement and exasperation. “Over the wall? Through the locked gate you’ve failed to open? Or perhaps you plan to tunnel your way out?”
“You are insufferable!” Adeline exclaimed, her temper flaring. “Why can’t you simply leave me be?”
He stepped closer, close enough now that she could see the flecks of gold in his gray eyes. “Because, Madam, contrary to what you might believe, I am actually trying to help you.”
“Help me?” Adeline scoffed, even as her heart raced at his proximity. “By mocking me and preventing my escape?”
“By saving you from yourself,” he retorted, his voice low and intense. “Do you have any idea what would happen if you were caught out here, alone, with a man? Your reputation would be in tatters. Is that what you want?”
