The scant moonlight cast a shadow on her face, giving her skin a silver glow. She turned to him, her mouth opened as if to say something. Then she stopped and tilted her head. “What?”
“Nothing.” He smiled. “Just this.” He pulled her closer and covered her mouth with his. Yes. Just as wonderful as he’d remembered. Her mouth was soft, sweet, warm and moist. When she didn’t pull back and smack him in the face again, he took the kiss deeper, nudging her lips to open and accept him fully.
He groaned and pulled her flush against him, feeling her lush breasts pressed up against his chest. Just as things became interesting, a woman’s cry rent the air.
6
Lydia followed Dante as he rushed down the two steps from the pergola and headed down the path to where Miss Kathleen sat on the ground, holding her foot and moaning. Young Lord Belford, a lad new to his title, hovered over her.
“What happened?” Dante said looking back and forth between them.
They had begun to gather a crowd when Lydia reached them. She bent over Miss Kathleen, careful to keep the bottom of her gown off the damp grass. “Are you hurt?”
“Yes, I think I twisted my ankle.”
Glancing around at a nervous looking Lord Belford, then back to Miss Kathleen, she said, “Where is your mother? You should not be out here alone.”
“I wasn’t alone,” the girl moaned. “I was with Lord Belford.”
“That’s even worse,” Lydia mumbled. She put her hands under the girl’s arms and lifted her. She cried as her foot hit the ground. She had obviously damaged her ankle.
“What happened?”
Miss Kathleen wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “We were merely strolling and my foot hit a rock and I stumbled and fell.
Apparently Lord Belford hadn’t taken very good care of the girl if she went down after a slight stumble. Dante
was busy talking to Lord Belford, and from the look on Dante’s face, he was offering some sage advice to the young lord about taking innocent young ladies for a stroll in the garden with the entire ton a few steps away. More than one hurried wedding had taken place with those conditions. With a pat on Belford’s back from Dante, the man turned and made a quick exit from the garden.
“I will fetch her mother,” Dante said, also making a fast escape.
Lydia wrapped her arm around Miss Kathleen’s back and moved her to a stone bench a few steps from where they stood. She settled next to the girl awaiting Miss Kathleen’s mother.
“I must offer advice to you that I’m sure your mother has told you, but maybe coming from me, you might actually listen.” She pushed wayward curls back from the girl’s forehead that had fallen during her mishap.
“Do not go into gardens with a young man. A stroll on the patio in full sight of the rest of the ballroom is fine. But you are looking for trouble if you wander farther away.”
“Lord Belford did nothing wrong,” the girl said.
“Perhaps because you weren’t here long enough. As I said, you may or may not take heed to my words, but foolish actions can have life-long consequences.”
Just then Lady Wilson came flying down the steps to where her daughter sat. “Oh, my dear. Whatever were you doing out here?”
“Just taking some fresh air mother.” The girl was smart enough not to mention she was escorted by a gentleman.
Her mother tsked. “Your father has sent for the carriage. He will be here in a thrice to help you.”
Dante moved toward Lydia. “I believe this is a good time for us to depart.”
“Yes.” She took his arm, and they made their way up the steps and through the French doors. Once they located their hostess for the evening, and bid her goodnight, they left and settled into Dante’s carriage.
“Not much gained tonight,” Dante said as he stared out the window at the darkness. Being outside the City there were few lights, with only the pale moonlight to guide the driver.
“No, that’s true. However, I really thought the man who walked out to the garden with the Ambassador might be the one.”
Dante shrugged. “Just because they didn’t discuss anything of interest to us, there is still the possibility he is our man. If they are both missing Germany, a conversation on the differences between the two countries would seem normal.”
“I agree.”