Chapter 22
“So unlike you to be out here alone, Luke.” The Duchess of Bannerman’s voice made Luke look up.
He was sat on a low-lying garden wall, peering through the moonlight at the flowers. He had been gazing so intensely at them, thinking of how to get back to see Annie without being noticed by Mr Knight, that he hadn’t noticed the Duchess’s approach. He watched her now as she walked through the undergrowth, past yew bushes toward him. She walked as she had always done, with a sway in her hips that she knew caught gentlemen’s eyes.
“It is unwise for you to be out here, your Grace. You should return to the ball.” Luke gestured back toward the building. He rested his elbows on his knees, returning his stare to the flowerbeds.
“So eager to see the back of me these days. That is not like you.”
“Do you really know what I am like?” Luke asked, tempted to laugh at the idea. He was aware his words had brought her up short, for she had come to a stop, her shoes no longer making sounds through the grass.
“Do not be silly, Luke. I know you better than most, do I not? I know what makes you laugh, I know your favourite drink, I know how to make you smile in the bedchamber.” Her words felt so cheap on his ears that he lifted his head once again. Clearly, through the moonlight she could see the harshness of his stare as the smile that had been on her cheeks faltered.
“That is not the summary of who I am.” He considered who knew the real him.
Annie.
In every regard, she knew him better. The entirety of their relationship was not just about heat or excitement. That was only a part of what existed between them. What they shared was a bond, one so deep that he could have described her for many minutes at a time, as he was sure she could him. All the Duchess of Bannerman could manage was a list of three short things.
“Care to tell me more of you then, Luke?” the Duchess clearly tried again to get his attention. As she sidled toward him, he stood from the wall, showing he was about to walk away.
“Not tonight, your Grace. We should return to the ball.” He stepped away when her next words brought him to a sudden stop.
“If you hope to find your favoured lady of the moment in that ball, you may be sorely disappointed. I just found her alone with Mr Knight in the library, sharing what I could only describe as anintimatemoment.”
No....
Luke didn’t want to believe it; he couldn’t believe it. After all, he knew what he and Annie shared was real. She didn’t share that with Mr Knight. Yet the number of times he had seen her dance with Mr Knight was enough to make that envy burn.
Could it be possible?
“I thought that might get your attention.” The Duchess walked past him with a rather wicked smile on her face that left him a little sick. “It would appear Miss Storey is more calculating than I gave her credit for. Charming two gentlemen at once and in private. Who would have thought it?” the Duchess asked, tossing the last words over her shoulder before she disappeared back into the darkness of the undergrowth.
Luke felt sick the moment she was gone. Trapped somewhere between disbelieving it and thinking himself a fool, he stared at the grass beneath him, watching the dewdrops on the grass blades shimmer in the moonlight before he took action. He marched back toward the building, moving so quickly that he swiped tree branches and stray leaves out of his way in his eagerness to get back to the house.
Hurrying through the door, he passed through the corridor, heading for one room in particular. He searched for a library, knowing the Duchess had mentioned it. He found the room at the far side of the corridor and flung the door open, only to find it completely empty with not a soul inside.
Luke glanced back and forth, nervous of what had passed between Mr Knight and Annie in that room. There was no sign that anyone had been in there at all, for cushions were still straight with barely a dent in them.
“She could have lied,” he muttered aloud after a minute of silence. He knew the Duchess of Bannerman was capable of lies by now, but there was a hindrance to this thought. He knew that Annie crept off somewhere to be alone, waiting forhim.He also knew that Mr Knight had escaped the ball after their conversation in the corridor. It was just possible the two of them could have ended up alone together in this room.
Muttering curse words under his breath, Luke left the library and hastened back to the ballroom.
I have to see Annie.
Once inside the room, he tried to appear as normal and unruffled as possible. He straightened the creases from his tailcoat and was careful to check for any signs of grass or leaves upon his clothes, then he walked forward, searching the room. He angled his head back and forth, looking for one face only.
At one point, he caught sight of Adam and was tempted to hurry to his side to ask if he had seen Annie. That’s when he caught a glimpse of the face beside him. It was Miss Grove, and the two seemed locked in a rather intense conversation, perhaps even an argument. Miss Grove was shaking her head repeatedly, and Adam was saying something with clear purpose, that was evident even at this distance. Luke decided it was wise to keep away and looked around again, searching for Annie.
He found her eventually, but much closer than he had expected. She was walking through the ballroom, looking into a wine glass in her grasp, rather than where she was going. He moved into her path, startling her so much that the two of them nearly collided.
“My lord!” she said in surprise and jumped back.
“Miss Storey.” His voice was tense. He had to be proper when they could be overheard, he knew that, but it did not make this moment any easier. He looked around, glancing at others who could potentially hear them, knowing quickly enough that they could not speak freely here, for others were standing so near.
“It is good to see you again, my lord.” Annie was speaking politely, talking to him as if they were near strangers, yet he could see there was an uneasiness in her. She could barely maintain eye contact with him, repeatedly glancing down at what was in her glass. There was a redness to her cheeks too, but not from a blush. It appeared she had been angry, possibly even shouting at someone.
“Are you well?” he asked, hoping that for anyone who could hear him, it sounded a normal question, though he meant it with so much more feeling. Annie flicked her gaze up to him and nodded, though she said nothing.