Page 24 of Seducing a Frigid Lady
Priscilla had never known anyone to be able to find every single dip and hole in the path. In fact, she almost believed he deserved some sort of commiseration reward for how many times he had almost twisted an ankle.
“I must apologise, Miss Lloyd, I am never nearly so clumsy,” Baron Bessington insisted, finally catching up with her after his latest stumbling. She had long since given up trying to stop and wait for him to correct himself, even though she kept catching the disgruntled eye of her aunt whenever she failed to do so.
“Please, do not apologise to me, my lord,” Priscilla responded, knowing that her aunt would likely be listening. “I fear it is your poor ankles that need the apology.”
Though she had not meant it to be amusing, the baron did indeed laugh. And somehow, that made him even less attractive. It made Priscilla grit her teeth even harder until her jaw was hurting.
Will this walk ever end?She thought, glancing around the pond and wondering just how far they had come. To her dismay, she realised that they had only walked about halfway around. Maybe if she were the one to stumble or even trip over entirely, she might be able to come up with an excuse to cut their walk short.
There was just one problem. Although she had always been excellent at remaining cool, calm, and collected, she had never been a great actress or liar unless she was able to somehow bend the truth. Unfortunately, she feared she would only make herself look a fool and with half of thetoncurrently present at the park, she could only imagine the laughter that would spread about her.
With her father currently in one of his eccentric business idea moods, she knew she ought to be on her best behaviour to avoid any more talk about the family.
And yet, as she continued to walk around the pond with the baron catching up and falling behind every other moment, she found her eye drifting to one member of thetonin particular.
How she found him at such a distance, she could not be sure, but there the viscount was, walking perhaps another quarter of the way around the pond. Though he was walking away from her, she knew him immediately from the strength of his shoulders and his tall and broad stature. The way he held himself as he walked was unlike any of the other men in attendance, or so she believed.
His walking companion took only a few moments more to recognise. Knowing Lady Caroline quite well, it didn’t take long to decipher her honey-blonde hair and the pale gown that she liked to wear from across the pond.
The two looked as though they were in quiet and adamant conversation and the fact gave Priscilla a small clenching sensation in her stomach. These were not butterflies like the ones she had felt in the viscount’s presence, but the opposite, like little bugs swarming in a way that made her feel quite nauseous.
Somehow, the sensation encouraged her to walk a little quicker, though she was not at all sure why. What exactly would she do if she were to catch up with them? She couldn’t exactly encourage the two of them to join their little party, especially not without inviting Lord Sinclair to make a play on his wager.
Just the thought of that little bet they had made together on the dancefloor made her heart race and her insides tingle.Does he have a similar wager with Lady Caroline?She found herself wondering as she remembered how the lady had been in the hatmaker’s shop. Had all her refusal of a possible courtship between them been all a ruse to hide what was really going on?
Gritting her teeth and tightening her gloved hands into fists, Priscilla snapped at herself firmly,Stop it. Don’t even think about it. You only accepted the wager to come out on top and show him that men don’t always get what they want!
Priscilla was so intent on watching the viscount and the lady that she barely noticed when she practically stumbled right into the back of Sophie and her walking companion.
“Oh! Lord Knighton! Miss Lyttleton!” she exclaimed, barely managing to sidestep out of the way with a mere brush against their backs as she went. “Forgive me. I appear to have lost my wits for a moment.”
Both Lord Knighton and Sophie turned to look at her with smiles on their faces, neither one of them looking too flustered by the episode. In fact, Lord Knighton looked quite amused as he looked over Priscilla’s shoulder and commented, “I do believe that poor Lord Bessington might have rubbed off on you a little.”
Priscilla immediately bit back a sharp retort. She would not allow them to see just how flustered she had become, especially when Lord Bessington, her aunt, and Sophie’s mother started to catch up with them.
“I do believe you might be right, Lord Knighton,” Lord Bessington said, huffing a little as though he was struggling to catch his breath.
“Are you quite well, Lord Bessington?” Lady Bishop asked, looking almost genuinely concerned for the man’s welfare. Even Priscilla had to admit that the nobleman was looking quite peaky. Perhaps there was more to his behaviour than merely being of a clumsy disposition. Maybe he was ill or something.
“I can assure you, I am, Lady Bishop,” Lord Bessington responded, straightening up and looking as though he was at least attempting to appear prepared. “Though I have never really found long walks to suit me.”
Priscilla just barely refrained from rolling her eyes. It didn’t take a genius to know what he had just said was true. It had been quite clear from the moment they set out. In fact, Priscilla couldn’t think of a single thing so far that had agreed with Lord Bessington.
“Well, that is no good,” Lord Knighton responded, shaking his head. “I was rather hoping to take a second turn.”
The way he placed his hand upon Sophie, and the way he looked down at her, told Priscilla all she needed to know about how well their walk had gone so far. Her stomach clenched and not for the first time she wished that she could be like her friend, far more accepting of the attentions of men even though she was not entirely interested but for her parents' sake.
Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to be the perfect daughter, to be the daughter that every single member of thetonwished for, the one who would simply do as she was told and not complain about it. Then it hit her all over again just how stupid that was. She would rather spend her life alone than spend it miserably with a man that she loathed just because it was what everyone else expected of her.
“Oh, I… I do not know,” Lord Bessington stammered, looking rather flustered at his friend’s words. “I would hate to embarrass Miss Lloyd any more than I already have.”
“Lord Bessington, I can assure you that you have done no such thing,” Priscilla assured him coolly, her hands clasped before her. “Though I am entirely happy to walk again without your company if you should need some time to rest.”
Though she kept her expression clear and would not allow them to see so, she was relieved at the idea. The walk had been painful enough already.
“Well, I suppose we should all see how we feel once we reach the end of our walk,” Lord Knighton suggested.
“Oh, yes, I imagine so,” Sophie put in with a smile, though it was clear from the way she looked back at him that she liked the thought of taking another turn.
