Page 26 of Seducing a Frigid Lady
Having given in to his aunt’s suggestions, Lionel was pleased to have finally agreed to spend a little time in Lady Caroline’s company. She was a pleasant enough woman and though she was not at all the Ice Queen that Miss Lloyd was. She did not appear overly interested in throwing herself at him, as other ladies might have been. In fact, he found their walk around the pond quite pleasant indeed. Lady Caroline was simply a pleasure to speak with.
Yet he was not at all prepared for what came after their walk. Having reached the point where they had begun, where all other members of thetongathered to walk the same route, Lionel found himself quite speechless to find Miss Lloyd having just wandered up behind them.
Though she was standing some distance across the path, he could not take his eyes off her.
“Did you enjoy your walk, cousin?”
Lionel barely heard Max, who stepped up beside him, having gone off to do his own thing somewhere in the park. It was only when his cousin placed a hand on his shoulder that he was finally able to look away from Miss Lloyd, whose attention had been drawn away from him.
Was she staring at me?He asked himself, wondering if maybe he had mistaken her staring at him for actually staring right through him. She was, after all, known for being the iciest woman in all of their society.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Max follow his gaze, a knowing and amused expression crossing his face. Digging his elbow into Lionel’s ribs, he whispered, “Go ahead.”
“I cannot,” Lionel protested, glancing at Lady Caroline and her mother who had taken to discussing all the nature they had seen during their walk and how the pond was teaming with life.
Max gave him another nudge before slipping around him to address Lady Caroline. “My lady, perhaps you might escort me for a second turn of the pond?”
Lady Caroline glanced in Lionel’s direction as if she were searching for how he might feel about such a suggestion. When he simply smiled back at her, Lady Caroline glanced at Max’s proffered arm and said, “I would be pleased to join you. The pond is so beautiful today.”
Lady Montgomery looked slightly dismayed at the development, but Lionel was relieved when she did not attempt to get in the way.
“I shall join you all momentarily,” Lionel assured them, hoping that it would dissuade the ladies from worrying about where he might get himself off to. “There are a couple of friends across the way I wish to speak with.”
Lady Caroline followed his gaze, though if she thought anything of thosefriends,she did not appear to mind.
“Please, Lord Sinclair, take your time,” Lady Caroline assured him, hooking her arm through Max’s. “I am sure your cousin will take fine care of my mother and I.”
With a polite nod and a smile, Lionel gave her a grateful expression, half-feeling as though they were on the same page, whatever that might mean for the two of them. It was clear to him that Lady Caroline was far more easy-going than many ladies of thetonmight be and she seemed greatly at ease as she turned to converse with his cousin.
Max looked over Lady Caroline’s shoulder at his cousin and offered an encouraging inclination of his head. With a roll of his eyes, Lionel did as his cousin suggested and started to make his way across the path with his hands braced in the pockets of his jacket.
“I’m afraid I don’t think I will be able to escort you any further, Miss Lloyd,” said the pale-looking gentleman who was almost doubled over on the metal bench among the group of Miss Lloyd’s companions, just as Lionel wandered up behind her.
Even without being able to see her face, Lionel guessed that she was relieved by the man’s words. He could see it in the way her shoulders started to slope off, relaxing as though she had been tense for quite some time.
“Perhaps I might be able to offer a little assistance?” Lionel suggested, instinctively. All but Miss Lloyd in the party turned to look at him. A mixture of expressions were offered to him in that moment, from confusion on the faces of the two gentlemen in the party to surprise on the face of Miss Lyttleton and even a little dismay upon the faces of the two elder women in the group.
The latter was quickly rinsed away and replaced by smiles even as Miss Lyttleton said, “Lord Sinclair, what a pleasure it is to see you again.” She glanced at Miss Lloyd for a moment as if she expected for her friend to say something. Then, offering her attention to him once more, she added, “I did not expect to meet you here today.”
With a warm and welcoming smile, Lionel curtly nodded his head in the direction of Miss Lyttleton.
“I was quite surprised when I recognised you all from across the way,” he responded, “And after the lovely time we shared together when last we met, I could not help but come and offer a greeting.”
Placing his hands behind his back, he discreetly bowed in greeting to all but Miss Lloyd, who had still failed to look around at him. Raising one eyebrow, he stated, “Miss Lloyd, it is a pleasure to see you again.”
Slowly, she turned. And with every agonising moment that it took for her to do so, Lionel felt himself holding his breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the man on the bench behind her had furrowed his brow.
Surely she was not in company with this sickly-looking gentleman?Lionel thought, surprised by the sensation of jealousy that started to claw at his stomach.Why would he apologise to her for not being able to go on if she was not?
“Lord Sinclair.”
Miss Lloyd said his name just as coolly as she ever had and her curtsey was stiff yet still graceful. When she straightened up again, Lionel was once more reminded of the elegance of her height. Compared to the other ladies in their company, she was the tallest, though still quite small compared to himself.
“Miss Lloyd.” He bowed his head, greeting her once more now that she had turned to address him. “Am I right to believe you are in need of an escort around the pond?”
For half a second he believed that the man on the bench might offer up some kind of protest. He actually looked as if he wished to. Yet Lionel would not have stood for it if he had. He did not know the man, but he did know Miss Lloyd, enough to know that she had her own mind and could quite easily offer up her own protest.
“I do not wish to trouble you, my lord,” Miss Lloyd said, shaking her head. “I am perfectly capable of walking alone. Besides, is Lady Caroline not awaiting you?”
