“Did I say that?” Julia balked, not quite remembering the words.
“You did. I found it rather amusing, especially as there were gentlemen there far worse than I.”
Julia winced as the memory came back to her. She remembered exactly why she was so defiant and refused the dance with the Duke of Stapleton. It was because when she had read of him in the scandal sheets, she had vowed never to fall prey to a man like him, then the night they had met, she had been shocked by how handsome she found him.
It was sudden and striking, so much so that she had fiddled with her dance card and worn the thread around her wrist through until it broke. She had been quite cruel in her refusal, merely as an attempt to desist her attraction to him.
“You have a good memory. I had not the slightest idea that my words would be so remembered.”
“Well, they were.” The Duke came to a stop at the end of the avenue. The clearing between the shrubs had narrowed so far that as Julia stopped at his side, she realized how close they were, with her chin tipped upward to face him.
She was tall herself, but the Duke was taller, with broad shoulders. He was a commanding presence, one that made the idea of kissing him not so horrific.
He is a rake, remember that!
“What is it you had to say, My Lady?” the Duke asked with a sigh, as if giving up on all his attempts at jests and lightheartedness.
“I wanted to…” Julia faded away, watching as his brows lifted, clearly startled at her silence.
“Would you like to act it out instead of saying it?” he asked, teasing her once more.
Yes! I very much would.
That was when Julia heard it in the distance. She could hear someone else had escaped the ball, possibly more than one person. There were the sounds of boots in the grass and distant laughter of someone in conversation. There was no guarantee these people would come anywhere near them in the garden, especially as she and the Duke were so hidden in the rhododendron avenue, but she had to take this chance.
“Lady Julia, I beg of you, return to the ball.” The Duke pleaded one more time and gestured away, down the avenue before them.
“No.”
He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face, blocking out the view of her for a second.
Time to be bold, Julia!
She couldn’t wait any longer. She stepped forward and reached up, taking hold of that hand in front of his face and pulling it down.
“What the –” he began, startled by her touch.
Julia lifted herself onto the balls of her feet and reached toward him, not choosing to think, hesitate, or wonder even how she was supposed to kiss, for she had no experience. She pressed her lips to the Duke of Stapleton’s, preying he would not jump away from her.
One more minute like this, Your Grace, and I will be free.