Chapter Ten
Gideon was relieved to find Berry and Lord Berwick as quickly as he did amid the crush of guests attending this elegant soirée held in the grand entrance hall of the British Museum.
The place had been decorated to appear as though they were standing atop the Acropolis under a night sky.
If one looked up, one could see gods and goddesses in Greek mythology portrayed amid the stars.
But none of those goddesses were as beautiful as Berry. She was dressed in shimmering gold silk and had a smile for him that sparkled in her captivating eyes.
“Good evening,” he said, bowing over her gloved hand and forcing himself to appear more cheerful than he felt.
But her smile went a long way toward easing the strains of the day.
He bowed over Lady Berwick’s hand next, and then greeted her husband. “Has Lady Berry told you all about our fascinating day?”
Berry laughed. “I would hardly call selecting paint colors fascinating.”
Lord Berwick politely disagreed. “It is the most exciting thing to Mr. Knight because it is the realization of a dream he once thought impossible to achieve. Is that not so, Mr. Knight?”
Gideon nodded. “I could not have said it better myself.”
After a polite exchange of conversation, Gideon raised the matter of scholarships for those orphans who showed academic promise.
“We needn’t discuss it now, but I wanted to mention the possibility.
Something to consider the next time we meet.
” He then turned to Berry. “Nor have I forgotten that you had an idea for increasing the number of orphans St. Brigid’s could take in. ”
“We’ll put all of it on the agenda for next time,” she said, obviously pleased he had remembered. “There is no rush, since this idea of mine has been simmering in my brain for years already. And there has been a lot going on lately that is more important.”
“I’m sure the idea has great merit,” Gideon said. “I am eager to hear more about it.”
“But tonight is for us to enjoy this affair, drink lots and lots of champagne, and speak only of trivial matters,” Lady Berwick declared, no doubt having had her fill of business conversations.
Her husband and Berry must have spoken of nothing but the orphanage and trust finances while riding over here tonight.
Berry locked her arm with Lady Berwick’s and laughed lightly. “Oh, you and I shall walk about the room and make snide comments on what the other ladies are wearing. Gentlemen, do you mind if we leave you for a few minutes?”
Gideon did mind, for he did not like Berry to be out of his sight for long.
Lord Berwick must have sensed his concern. “Berry, stay within this hall and come back to us immediately if you spot Lord Hawthorne in attendance. I am aware of what has been going on and am quite concerned.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
“I’m sure we will be permitted to tour the exhibits shortly, and I want you to remain with me and Lady Berwick during that time. Mr. Knight, would you mind accompanying us?”
“Not at all. It was my intention.” Gideon turned to Berry. “You mentioned that you are a scholar of Greek and Roman art. Would you guide me through those exhibits and point out whatever might be of interest?”
Her eyes once again sparkled. “It would be my pleasure.”
She and Lady Berwick strolled off.
Lord Berwick gave him a friendly pat on the back to regain his attention, for he had been staring at Berry. “You and she seem to have hit it off well. Perhaps a little too well?”
“She’s charming. Doesn’t everyone think so? You needn’t worry that I will ever step out of line with her. I take my responsibility toward her very seriously. I won’t disappoint you.”
“I didn’t think you would.”
Gideon arched an eyebrow. “But you’re just making certain?”
Lord Berwick laughed. “Honestly, I’m not sure what to think at this moment.”
“What do you mean?”
“Come talk to me if ever your feelings for Berry become ardent.”
If ever?
He was there already. He hardly knew her and yet he felt as though he had known her forever.
It was their orphanage connection. And a month of exchanging glances from a distance as he worked on his new home.
Even if they’d had none of that, five minutes in her company would have been enough to seal his fate. His heart had felt their connection at once.
“Oh, hell. Hawthorne’s arrived,” Gideon said, his view to the museum’s entry unimpeded because of his height. “He’s with those same three wastrel friends. If you don’t mind, I would like to fetch the ladies and bring them back to our side.”
“Go to it, Knight.”
Berry and Lady Berwick were chatting with some of their Society friends, but Berry looked up at once when she saw him approach.
Her smile faded. “Is he here?”
Gideon nodded. “With friends.”
“Oh.”
“Lady Berwick, your husband has asked me to retrieve you and Lady Berry.”
The ladies begged their friends to excuse them and returned to Lord Berwick’s side.
Berry immediately went on her tiptoes and craned her neck to look for Hawthorne. “Where is he? Do you see him, Mr. Knight?”
“Yes, he’s off beside the potted ferns drinking with his friends.”
“Has he seen us yet?” she asked.
“No, but he’s now scanning the hall and I’m sure it is you he is looking for.”
“Drat.” She edged closer to him. “Are we permitted to tour the exhibits yet?”
Lord Berwick nodded. “I see the guards have just let some of the guests through to the Greek statuary.”
Berry smiled. “Perfect. Let’s go.”
Gideon was ashamed to admit he had never been inside a museum before.
To say he was awestruck was an understatement.
This was the history of the entire world brought to one place.
He could wander through here for hours and never get bored.
“Have you ever considered bringing the orphans here?” he asked Berry.
“No, but it is something to add to our list of things to organize. Perhaps take the children in groups of ten at a time. We can ask the museum’s head curator, although I do not think tonight is the right time to approach him.”
“Perhaps reach out to him in a couple of days,” Gideon said. “He is too distracted right now by tonight’s charity affair.”
She nodded. “I would need trusted people to assist me in supervising the children, assuming he will agree to having a group of orphans here. A few of the wayward boys might wander off, and I cannot have them getting lost.”
“Or breaking something priceless,” Lady Berwick added.
They moved through the hall of statuary, Gideon enjoying Berry’s explanations.
Each statue held significance. Some were connected to a myth that was usually bloody and had a bad ending for one or both star-crossed lovers.
Others were simply a celebration of the human body, each featuring the male or female anatomy in accurate detail.
Since every statue had a story associated with it, they quickly fell behind everyone else while Berry related this wealth of information to him. She was gracious about it, indulging all his questions and not seeming to mind their slow pace.
Most of the statues depicting men had either a fig leaf or strip of cloth carved into the marble, but there was a row of three statues they now came upon that revealed every detail of the male anatomy.
Nothing hidden.
He smothered a grin upon noticing Berry discreetly peering at one of the naked male statues and then glancing at him.
He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Yes, Berry. It is accurate.”
Her eyes widened as she gaped at him. Then her cheeks turned quite a bright shade of pink. “I have no idea what you mean.”
Berry may not have seen the male anatomy in the flesh, but she would recognize it and hopefully not be shocked by it when she finally did have her moment with a man.
Of course, he wanted to be that man.
Was their situation not a modern myth in the making? He was the mortal who loved the goddess he could not have, the mortal who ached to take her in his arms but knew that a night spent with her might lead to her downfall, and his.
As he contemplated their situation, Berry suddenly turned toward the entrance of the statuary hall and inhaled sharply. “Gideon, he’s found us.”
He followed her gaze and saw the lone guard trying to keep Hawthorne and his friends out. “We are only allowing one party through at a time,” the man insisted.
This was not true, for others had been in here along with Gideon’s party only a moment ago before walking into the next hall of exhibits. But Gideon understood the guard was simply trying to keep these drunken sots away from the valuable works of art.
He left Berry’s side and stepped forward to assist the guard. “Hawthorne, go back to the main hall. You cannot stumble around drunk in here.”
“Who are you to tell me what to do, you guttersnipe?” Hawthorne lunged at Gideon and attempted to shove him against one of the statues, but Gideon easily stepped aside and the viscount landed in a sprawl on the floor.
His friends then attempted to grab Gideon’s arms to hold him down while they shoved him and beat him, but his years of street fighting served him well.
He took a few punches that they never would have landed otherwise.
But it was more important for him to push them away from the works of art.
Once they were safely out of reach of the statues, he had little difficulty dropping them to the floor with a well-placed knee to the groin for one, tripping another, and a quick twist of the arm behind the third man’s back to drop him to his knees in surrender.