A sharp intake of breath reveals how he is just as affected by our proximity as I am.
"You will be the ruin of us both, Miss Swanley," he murmurs.
"Only if we're caught," I remind him. "And we haven't been so far." I purposefully ignore the fact that isn't true. But nothing came of us beingdiscovered at the Ferrington ball, which means that we have nothing to concern ourselves with.
"I'm going to kiss you," he says.
"I hoped you would," I respond.
He reaches out and touches my cheek with his fingers.
My eyes flutter closed as I accept what is to come with barely contained excitement.
His lips brush against mine, tenderly at first, but then more demanding, as if I am the one person in the world he desires above all others. I know that may be a simple fantasy, but it is the one I will take with me into this moment.
In the distance, a door slams closed. It isn't until there's a small shriek that I realise someone has joined us in the room and I spring back from Lord Cygnus, trying to put some distance between us despite knowing that it is too late.
"Miss Rocke," Lord Cygnus says, filling me with both relief and dread.
I peer past him to catch sight of my friend, giving her a weak smile in the process.
"Lord Cygnus." She dips into a curtsy, then turns her attention to me. "Would you mind giving me a moment with Miss Swanley?" Her voice shakes, but there's determination in her gaze.
He nods and turns to me. "Miss Swanley." Helifts my hand to his lips and presses a brief kiss against the back of my glove.
"Lord Cygnus," I whisper, my voice hoarse with tension and emotion.
He bows to us both and exits the room, leaving me to explain myself to my friend and not having the words to do it.
"What were you thinking, Letty?" Georgiana demands, a stern expression on her face.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "We weren't doing anything that would ruin me," I assure her. "Lord Cygnus would never do that."
"Just being alone together could ruin you," she points out.
"Because you were never alone with your Captain." The moment the words are out of my mouth, I regret them. I know how much pain his leaving caused her.
She lets out a low hiss. "Don't bring him into this."
"I'm sorry, that was cruel," I say softly.
She nods. "It's all right. I know he isn't going to come back at this point. And even if he does, what can I say to him? He left and didn't write a single letter."
"In fairness, you are betrothed to someone else now."
"Which is how I know you shouldn't allow yourself to be alone with Lord Cygnus," she says firmly, taking a seat on the retiring chaise. "It is not just what society will think, but also what your heart will desire. If I had kept the proper distance from Henry..." Her voice cracks as she says his name.
I sit next to her and take her hand in mine. "He is a fool for not writing to you."
"And I am a fool for believing he would." She dips her spare hand into her pocket and pulls out a small pebble, rolling it between her fingers.
"What is that?" I ask.
She glances down and lets out a sharp laugh. "His favourite rock. He gave it to me before he left."
"I'm missing something, aren't I?"
"It's an otter thing," she admits. "I have one too." She sets the pebble down and gets another one out of her pocket to show me.