Page 5 of Surrender Your Grace
Left with no choice, she performed a quick, awkward curtsy and offered her apologies. “Forgive me, my lord. I’m overly warm from the dancing, and my mind had wandered to other things.”
It wandered again to how her sister could reject such a man.
*****
The sisters couldn’t be more dissimilar. One a classic beauty but cool and aloof. Noticing her discomfiture and the blush rising to her cheeks, Andrew suppressed a smile that would have embarrassed her further and took her hand, bowing low with a flourish. The younger Edwards girl was a beauty. Although not of the classical style like her sister, her vivid features and nicely rounded figure warranted a second glance.
“Think nothing of it, Lady Cecilia. I merely asked if you had toured the Marquess’ gardens before. They are quite impressive.”
“I haven’t had the pleasure, my lord, but I could smell the roses and lilacs as soon as I left the house and look forward to seeing them, even after dark.”
Her tone, too, was pleasing, unlike Elizabeth’s usual shrillness and impatience. But, he had already committed his attentions to the elder sister, so he turned and took her armfirst, offering his other to Cici who curled her fingers around his forearm with more enthusiasm than her bored-visaged sibling.
They proceeded a few feet ahead, reaching the stepping stones at the entrance to the garden. Lanterns cast a gentle glow upon the stone pathway and illumined the meticulously maintained flower beds. In the distance stood a moonlit gazebo. In full view of anyone leaving the ballroom, it didn’t smack of clandestineness or impropriety, yet offered the privacy he’d hoped to find to discuss the betrothal approved by her father earlier that afternoon. If only they were alone. Unfortunately, societal norms didn’t permit even fleeting privacy. Still, he had hope a moment might arise where he could issue his proposal.
“I’m told there is an azalea garden beyond the gazebo. Shall we stroll and see if we can find it?” he asked.
Elizabeth nodded eagerly, while Cici hesitated.
“We should wait for Mama. She was to meet us here to chaperone. Isn’t that right, Sister?”
“Yes, I wonder what is keeping her.” Elizabeth glanced around the garden for her missing parent. “She was heading this way before I went to find you, Cici. Maybe she wandered toward the back, searching for us. Oh dear. What if she became faint or twisted her ankle? We should check.”
“It’s a crush tonight. I’m sure she is just detained. Besides, if she preceded us into the gardens, she’s more fleet of foot than you give her credit for.”
Elizabeth forged ahead, taking the lead rather than allowing him to guide them as propriety demanded. Because of the narrowness of the footpath, he had to drop Cici’s arm. When he turned to beg her pardon, he didn’t miss the infuriated glare Elizabeth cast her way. Cici didn’t seem to mind. In fact, it appeared as though she stifled a giggle.
“Is something amusing?” he inquired, finding amusement a strange reaction if her mother was indeed lost or injured.
Caught, Cici’s cheeks colored, the rosy blush noticeable even beneath the night sky. Lovely that.
“Not amusing, my lord. More so ironic since it is my sister whose beauty is usually praised. She is quite stunning in her rose gown, don’t you think?”
“Indeed,” he said, “But your ice-blue satin is a lovely shade too.”
When he smiled at the pretty young lady, Elizabeth practically vibrated with indignation. Was it his praise of the younger girl’s gown rather than hers that bothered her, or that he’d paid her attention at all? He eyed the lovely Elizabeth, her beauty striking even in the dim light. It was disturbing that she begrudged her sister the smallest compliment. He’d dismissed the whispers of her vanity as overblown, but now he realized they were spot-on accurate.
“Are we actually discussing dresses when our mother could be lying in the shrubs, bleeding or worse?”
“Of course. You are right to be concerned,” Cici replied, her tone chastened. “What was I thinking?”
Elizabeth sniffed inelegantly. “Obviously, you weren’t. But as the concerned elder daughter, that responsibility falls to me. We should make haste and locate her.”
The interplay between the sisters, one deferential, the other demeaning, caught his attention. Cici took it in stride, just like the previous scolding and fan swat. She didn’t flinch or protest. Had she always borne this kind of cruelty in silence? It unsettled him more than her sister’s words did. He looked from one to the other, battling a frown, as he wondered if he’d made a grave mistake.
As the ladies moved deeper into the garden, he followed, naturally. It was only a short walk to the gazebo, which was calm, inviting, and empty. As were the other paths leading to it.
“How peculiar,” Elizabeth announced as she climbed the steps and sat on a bench, her concern for her injured mother suddenly evaporated. In contrast, Cici was the one who seemed agitated, and, despite the coolness of the evening, excessively warm. In fact, her face was no longer rosy but quite red and glistening with perspiration.
She snapped her fan open and fluttered it wildly. “I am not feeling well. I think I need to sit down.”
Before she could climb the stairs to the benches, her knees gave way. Andrew, who was beyond reach, became alarmed when the little redhead collapsed on the grass. Rushing to her aid, he swept her up in his arms and carried her up the steps, taking them two at a time. When he laid her on the bench, she was as weak as a kitten and had difficulty catching her breath, wheezing a bit with each inhale.
Elizabeth sprang to her feet. “I’ll fetch Mama. She always keeps salts in her reticule.”
Before Andrew could utter a protest, she was down the steps and hurrying up the path toward the house. This left him to look on helplessly as a distressed Cici gasped for air.
Thinking it might help, he untied the bow at her throat and loosened the sheer lace cape that accessorized her gown. This didn’t look like a typical female swoon from a too-tight corset. In fact, it alarmed him she muttered incoherently, squirming restlessly and scratching her skin as if she suffered from a fever. He laid a hand against her forehead to check, but drew back abruptly when she cried, “Bugs!” and slapped her arms.
