been answered and Lord Marcus bowed before her. “Lord Marcus, I had begun to give up hope that I might see you this evening.”
“A Phoenix?” Anabelle admired the shimmery orange and red feathers of his mask.
“Yes, exactly.” He smiled in delight. “Have you been here for some time?”
“Since the dancing began yes, but we’ve been enjoying the cooler climate of the terrace.”
Lord Marcus looked towards the open doors. “Ah, yes. How thoughtful of our hosts. Would you care to dance?”
“I’d love to.” Anabelle smiled warmly. The set just finished and a new set was forming. He took her hand and Anabelle assessed her feelings. There was no spark like when Draven touched her, no tense energy of anticipation mixed with excitement.
Perhaps that was because, unlike Draven, Lord Marcus was not devouring her with his eyes. Lord Marcus was his usual patient and reserved self. But he had looked for her, she reminded herself. He had explicitly sought out her company. That had to mean something. Anabelle did her best to enjoy the dance. There was very little time for speaking as they moved through the steps. When it was over, she let him escort her to the refreshment table and took an appreciative sip of lemonade. Hazel was there with a gentleman dressed as a ram. Lord Marcus was in discussion with a horse headed man and talking eagerly of a race soon to occur.
“How nice that Lord Marcus finally found you,” Hazel remarked quietly.
“Yes, now I can enjoy the rest of the evening in his company.”
“I must confess…” Hazel hesitated.
Anabelle turned to her sister with a frown. “What is it?”
“I saw Lord Marcus in the drawing room when we were getting ices.”
“Then why did you ask about his whereabouts on the terrace?”
“I didn’t know if you would want Lucy to know. Did you know it wasn’t him?”
“Not until it was too late,” Anabelle said quietly.
“I knew from the beginning,” Hazel admitted sheepishly.
Anabelle turned wide eyes to her sister. “What didn’t you say anything?”
“You seemed quite enamored of the mysterious dragon. Who am I to deny you that sort of fun?”
Anabelle felt a hollowness in her stomach. “Only because I thought it was Lord Marcus and the dragon now knows that.”
“Who is the dragon, Anabelle?” Hazel whispered.
“You don’t know?” Anabelle laughed bitterly.
“I suspect I do,” Hazel finished and turned away to set her glass down.
“Lady Hazel, Lady Anabelle,” Lord Marcus turned to introduce the gentleman he had been conversing with, “May I present Lord Daniels. He and I attended university together.”
Anabelle and Hazel smiled and nodded. Another set was forming, and Lord Daniels requested Hazel’s hand. They departed and Anabelle waited awkwardly beside Lord Marcus. A second dance would indicate a definite intention on his part, and suddenly, Anabelle was not ready to take that step. She needed to know if she could feel more than just a liking for him, and that wasn’t going to happen on a crowded dance floor.
“Have you seen the lanterns in the garden, my lord?”
“I have not had the pleasure,” he answered.
“Then it is my duty to show you. The topiaries are not to be missed.”
He presented his arm and together they made their way towards the terrace doors. It was slow going, but eventually, they made it to the cooler air. Anabelle was extremely nervous. If they kissed and she felt nothing, how was she going to respond?
They stepped down into the gardens and followed the path around the topiaries. They paused and viewed each one until they were almost at the very end. Anabelle was losing her nerve. It had been Draven who directed their course from here. A rake always knew the places to find privacy at ton events. It was clear Lord Marcus was no rake.
They paused at the last shrub that was shaped like an octopus. Anabelle pretended to admire it half-heartedly.
“What a splendid little gate. I wonder where
“A Phoenix?” Anabelle admired the shimmery orange and red feathers of his mask.
“Yes, exactly.” He smiled in delight. “Have you been here for some time?”
“Since the dancing began yes, but we’ve been enjoying the cooler climate of the terrace.”
Lord Marcus looked towards the open doors. “Ah, yes. How thoughtful of our hosts. Would you care to dance?”
“I’d love to.” Anabelle smiled warmly. The set just finished and a new set was forming. He took her hand and Anabelle assessed her feelings. There was no spark like when Draven touched her, no tense energy of anticipation mixed with excitement.
Perhaps that was because, unlike Draven, Lord Marcus was not devouring her with his eyes. Lord Marcus was his usual patient and reserved self. But he had looked for her, she reminded herself. He had explicitly sought out her company. That had to mean something. Anabelle did her best to enjoy the dance. There was very little time for speaking as they moved through the steps. When it was over, she let him escort her to the refreshment table and took an appreciative sip of lemonade. Hazel was there with a gentleman dressed as a ram. Lord Marcus was in discussion with a horse headed man and talking eagerly of a race soon to occur.
“How nice that Lord Marcus finally found you,” Hazel remarked quietly.
“Yes, now I can enjoy the rest of the evening in his company.”
“I must confess…” Hazel hesitated.
Anabelle turned to her sister with a frown. “What is it?”
“I saw Lord Marcus in the drawing room when we were getting ices.”
“Then why did you ask about his whereabouts on the terrace?”
“I didn’t know if you would want Lucy to know. Did you know it wasn’t him?”
“Not until it was too late,” Anabelle said quietly.
“I knew from the beginning,” Hazel admitted sheepishly.
Anabelle turned wide eyes to her sister. “What didn’t you say anything?”
“You seemed quite enamored of the mysterious dragon. Who am I to deny you that sort of fun?”
Anabelle felt a hollowness in her stomach. “Only because I thought it was Lord Marcus and the dragon now knows that.”
“Who is the dragon, Anabelle?” Hazel whispered.
“You don’t know?” Anabelle laughed bitterly.
“I suspect I do,” Hazel finished and turned away to set her glass down.
“Lady Hazel, Lady Anabelle,” Lord Marcus turned to introduce the gentleman he had been conversing with, “May I present Lord Daniels. He and I attended university together.”
Anabelle and Hazel smiled and nodded. Another set was forming, and Lord Daniels requested Hazel’s hand. They departed and Anabelle waited awkwardly beside Lord Marcus. A second dance would indicate a definite intention on his part, and suddenly, Anabelle was not ready to take that step. She needed to know if she could feel more than just a liking for him, and that wasn’t going to happen on a crowded dance floor.
“Have you seen the lanterns in the garden, my lord?”
“I have not had the pleasure,” he answered.
“Then it is my duty to show you. The topiaries are not to be missed.”
He presented his arm and together they made their way towards the terrace doors. It was slow going, but eventually, they made it to the cooler air. Anabelle was extremely nervous. If they kissed and she felt nothing, how was she going to respond?
They stepped down into the gardens and followed the path around the topiaries. They paused and viewed each one until they were almost at the very end. Anabelle was losing her nerve. It had been Draven who directed their course from here. A rake always knew the places to find privacy at ton events. It was clear Lord Marcus was no rake.
They paused at the last shrub that was shaped like an octopus. Anabelle pretended to admire it half-heartedly.
“What a splendid little gate. I wonder where
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