Jasper exhaled the breath he had been holding and turned to look at her once more. To his surprise, their eyes met instantly, as though she had been watching him this whole time. And this time, he was certain that both her brows rose in what he could only assume to be a challenging gesture.
A wide grin came to his face, and his heart seemed to stumble in his chest. Now, this was a woman worth knowing!
Chapter Two
THE RIGHT MAN
Bundled-up in warm cloaks, fur-lined boots, gloves, scarves and mittens, Edith and Adele stepped outside into Cumberton Castle’s lush garden, currently buried under a thick blanket of snow. The soft crunch under their feet brought a smile to Edith’s face, and she breathed in deeply of the fresh—and admittedly, freezing—air.
Her heart beat fast in her chest, faster than it ever had before, and it felt heavenly.
“Would you stop smiling?” Adele hissed under her breath, annoyance mingling with disbelief. “You cannot possibly mean to say that you—”
“There he is,” Edith whispered as she spotted the tall, broad-shouldered gentleman, who had seemed quite taken-aback upon seeing her earlier. Indeed, the moment had caught Edith off guard as well, for she had not expected to—
“Don’t stare at him!” Adele hissed once more, a tone of warning now in her voice. “It is unseemly.”
Edith laughed. “I never knew you were such a stickler for propriety, dearest Addie.” She clasped her friend’s hands within her own. “Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.”
Briefly closing her eyes, Adele inhaled a deep breath. “Promise me you won’t do anything…you know?”
Edith grinned. “As I dislike breaking promises, I’m afraid I cannot make such a promise.” Ignoring her friend’s eye roll, she glanced back at Lord Whickerton as he strolled through the gardens with their host’s son as well as his own mother and sister.
Fortunately, Adele’s mother, Lady Ashbrook, had been aware of the young lord’s name and responded without suspicion when Edith had made casual inquiries.
Lord Whickerton’s mother, the dowager countess, appeared to be another one of those match-making mamas while her daughter, Lady Mary, looked ready to faint the moment someone looked at or—Heaven forbid!—addressed her. The poor thing had the look of a deer cornered by a prowling predator, and Edith felt her heart go out to her.
She felt her heart go out to Lord Whickerton as well…but in an utterly different way.
Indeed, there was this strange flutter in her belly as their eyes met across the ice-studded bushes running between the two paths on which they were currently strolling along. Her heart paused for a brief moment, as though it, too, needed to inhale a deep breath before continuing on, and despite the ice-cold wind, Edith felt warm all over. Oh, this was a most wonderful feeling, and Edith fully intended to explore it further!
“You’re staring again,” Adele hissed under her breath, giving Edith’s arm a quick tug to gain her attention.
Blinking, Edith gave in and turned to look at her friend; still, she could feel Lord Whickerton’s eyes upon her. Indeed, it seemed this utterly newfeelingwas mutual. “I am no more looking at him than he is looking at me.”
Adele cast a quick glance past Edith’s shoulder at Lord Whickerton. “Be that as it way. I don’t think you should reveal your…partiality toward him this openly. He might think you—” She broke off, and a frown drew down her brows. “How can you even say you care for him if you’ve never even spoken a word to him? Even I know my betrothed better than you know him.”
Edith breathed in slowly and deeply, trying to sort through her feelings. “I don’t know,” she finally said with all the honesty she possessed. “I suppose there is nothing I can say for certain. All I know is how I feel when I look at him, when he looks at me.” She smiled at her friend reassuringly. “But I suppose you’re right. I’ll have to get to know him better, to be certain.”
Adele’s eyes widened. “No, that’s not what I meant. I—”
Edith grasped her friend’s hand, looking up into her hazel eyes. “Are you truly trying to dissuade me from finding love?” she asked teasingly; yet her friend’s cheeks darkened…and not from the cold.
With wide eyes, Adele shook her head. “Of course not! I would never—” She broke off, a measure of shock coming to her eyes as she stared at Edith. “I was merely…” Her eyes closed, resignation falling over her face. “Perhaps I simply wished…”
Edith squeezed her friend’s hands. “I know,” she whispered compassionately. “You deserve love as well, and I promise I will help you find it.”
Adele lifted her head, her eyes glistening with tears. Still, a tentative smile teased her lips. “You know, when you speak like that, Edie, I truly believe anything is possible.”
Edith felt her heart lighten. “That’s because it is!” she insisted, tugging her friend into a quick embrace. “Never doubt that! Anything is possible. It might not always be easy or straightforward, but it is still possible.”
Adele looked at her with questioning eyes. “You truly believe that, do you not?”
Edith nodded. “With all my heart. You shall see.”
However, before more could be said, Edith spotted not only Adele’s parents approaching from down the path but also the Duke of Halston as well as his son. The young man was tall and fair-haired, with a square jaw and a rather serious countenance. Still, Edith thought to see something kind, even shy, linger upon his face that endeared him to her instantly. Yes, her heart told her he was a good man. But was he therightman for Adele?
Nodding toward the approaching group, Edith slipped her arm through Adele’s, knowing her friend would need support and reassurance. She watched Adele square her shoulders and inhale a deep breath, as though she were preparing herself for battle. Then Adele slowly turned upon her heels, and she finally found the man she was to marry.