Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Another ball,” Lucy muttered.
It seemed like the ton was in a frenzy, hosting one ball after the other. Or maybe it had always been the case, and she was finally realizing it.
She used to enjoy balls when there was still the possibility of finding a match. However, Joshua had somehow tainted every interaction. She could no longer see these events as enjoyable.
The chandeliers in the Somersets’ ballroom had become the object of her deep adoration. They were better to focus on than anyone in the ball.
It was becoming more difficult for her to engage in conversation with anyone. So she lingered by the refreshments table, her fingers hovering over the porcelain.
Joshua stood only a few feet away, thankfully talking to some acquaintances. They were more likely talking about investments. Strangely, it was when her brother was focused on such things that he became less overbearing. At least, he was not following her around.
Well, he was still close by.
Lucy’s thoughts were so consumed by her lack of independence that she did not immediately notice his presence. When she raised her head, it was as if her world had narrowed. She could only see him.
Daniel did not make a move to come closer, but he was there. So close. He was holding a flute of champagne instead of his usual glass of brandy.
Curious.
He glanced at the iced cakes as if they interested him. But when he met her eyes, all noise died down. They stood too far away from each other to touch or even talk, but the look in his eyes was enough to unravel her.
He was a few feet away, but she could already feel his warmth on her skin. Images of their tryst at the greenhouse flashed before her. She had not truly forgotten, but seeing him there in the flesh made that encounter feel like it had just happened—was still happening.
Their tryst had ended everything. Lucy remembered the ease with which she had agreed to his terms. In a way, she understood. There could be no future for them. At the moment, in the middle of a ball with many people surrounding them, they were in danger of revealing the truth behind the lie.
That was last week. They had not even exchanged words.
At the Richmond ball, Daniel’s pull had become stronger. She did not know if he felt the same, but when she moved to the balcony to escape the throng while her temples throbbed, he was there. He was casually leaning on the balustrade, watching the sky.
“The stars are shining bright tonight,” he commented, still looking skyward.
She could not help but look up as well. It was not an idle comment. True enough, the sky was glittering, even though the moon was merely a sliver.
“Oh, they are,” she said with a sigh. Her heart was pounding so hard that she feared it would burst. “They simply seem further away. Not like from the greenhouse.”
She felt too bold, uttering those words, but she could not help herself, and she was relieved that she could not take them back. At least, she was able to see Daniel’s pained expression.
“That was a dream, Lady Lucy.”
The formal address stung.
Still, Lucy knew that they were in public and must conduct themselves with decorum.
“Now, we are in the waking world,” he added, sounding apologetic.
“What if I have become fond of dreaming?” she retorted. “What if I am willing to take risks? Remember, I was the same lady who came by the back door of Valentine St. Clair.”
She was no fool. She could only whisper St. Clair’s name, knowing that it was tainted. Then again, the name was mostly familiar to women who had visited the escort.
Then, she left him there.
Anyone who was watching from afar would think that they were just there to get some fresh air and nothing more. After all, didn’t Daniel choose Lady Cecily’s company over hers when he got the chance?
Still, Lucy did not want to risk it. Joshua’s eyes would narrow into slits whenever he saw her drifting away from him or drifting toward a man.
People closest to her and Daniel could not help but notice, though. Victoria seemed not to have the intention to merely watch. She was the sort who intervened.
“He is waiting for you,” she said. “You can see him in the small library, the one our host kept secret from most guests, but not from Richard and me. I can be quite persuasive.”
“But Joshua will notice my absence,” Lucy sputtered.
She should have just said no. After all, Daniel was never going to fully commit to her. She was better than that. Seeking St. Clair would have been better. At least, she would have control over the outcome.
“Theo is currently speaking with him,” Victoria confided, her smile wide and mischievous. “His stories can be, um, never-ending if he so wishes. However, you do not have much time. A quarter of an hour at most.”
Lucy’s gaze drifted to the impossibly irresistible man who had been haunting her thoughts. He seemed on his way to the library Victoria had directed her to.
When she reached it, she understood why her friend had pointed her to it. It was close to the ballroom, and its entrance was barely noticeable, the black door blending with the black walls.
“Mmm.”
Fifteen minutes.
It was not enough. Lucy could not understand why she was even making an effort.
Inside, Daniel waited. For the life of her, she believed he was just as confused as she was.
“Do you know that I used to hide in the stables when I was a boy?” Daniel admitted.
Lucy’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. Her confusion grew. So, they were just going to reveal random stuff about themselves here?
“It feels like I am hiding again, here,” he continued. “My father was a cruel man, but I was his heir. My sisters were not fully aware that he still found ways to punish me without anyone knowing. A lash on the palm. A slap across the face. Those were some of the worst ones, especially the slaps.”
A slap was considered reasonable by most people. However, it also meant humiliation and putting someone in their place while not causing permanent physical damage.
She supposed the emotional damage was an entirely different story.
“Then the hiding became an exploration. Instead of shaking in fear, I’d pore over my father’s journals about explorers. Even then, traveling seemed inevitable.”
Lucy wondered if they would ever forget about their fears and use their hiding for exploration. But no, they didn’t even come close. They maintained several feet between themselves.
At that point, she wondered if he had more to lose if they were caught in a scandal.
“I like to sketch birds in their cages.” It was her time to confess. “I do not own my life. It just pushes me from one end to another. I am a prisoner.”
“You are not,” he insisted. “Not if I can help it.”
She shook her head bitterly. He would not understand. He would not know that their interaction in this library, devoid of any touch, felt more intimate than anything she had experienced with him. Or with anyone, for that matter.
Suddenly, the door opened. Even though they were feet apart, Lucy still jumped further away. Daniel remained where he was.
It was Victoria.
She surreptitiously slipped inside, her movements slow and quiet. It was not like her at all. But then again, she probably was enjoying the secrecy, the thrill of it.
“Time is almost up, and I believe your brother is growing restless, Lucy,” she whispered. “Daniel, leave first and go straight to Theo. Lucy and I can stay here for a while, and then we’ll leave together.”
Daniel immediately agreed.
There were stolen moments, some brief and some arranged, that skirted the edge of propriety.
Today, at the Royal Ascot, Lucy found herself caught in one such moment.
She had arrived escorted by Joshua, who was every inch the showman.
He stood straight, chest puffed with self-importance, gesturing expansively toward the horses, explaining the bloodlines and the strength in their hocks.
Every word was delivered with the air of a man entirely certain of his own brilliance.
Lucy tried to feign interest. Victoria inclined her head, murmuring politely, her eyes fixed on Joshua’s performance. But Lucy caught the faint, knowing look Victoria gave Richard, the subtle glance meant for those who understood the quiet conspiracies of the family.
Richard caught her eye. The silent signal made her pulse quicken. She could see it in Daniel, too, tucked just beyond the crowd. He had been watching her, always aware, always attuned. And it sent an exhilarating thrill through her chest.
The group moved toward the paddock, following the swirl of expensive coats and ladies’ skirts. The crowd surged as a bell rang, urging the spectators into a frenzy. Lucy felt pressed, jostled, nearly suffocating among the eager bodies and the scent of perfume.
A low voice sounded behind her, unmistakable.
“An unruly crowd might just be a blessing.”
She shivered despite herself. Even amidst the noise, she could feel him there, the heat radiating off him in that subtle way that left her aware of every inch of his presence.
“Daniel.”
“Step back, my lady. You might be trampled.” His hand hovered an inch from her waist, his tone formal, but the intent behind it betrayed a promise he did not speak.
He guided her gently, invisibly, through the throng, keeping her safe without even touching her.
Eventually, they found shelter under a heavy canvas canopy, where grooms darted to and fro, and footmen popped champagne for the esteemed spectators. The noise of cheers and hooves became a wall of sound, rendering their corner nearly private, a stolen moment in the middle of chaos.
“You seem quiet,” Daniel remarked, and the closeness in his voice made her pulse jump.
“I am generally quiet,” Lucy replied, forcing herself to steady her breathing, “unless among friends.”
He pouted slightly at her words, and despite herself, she giggled.
“It is hard to speak here,” she continued, “and I could not argue with some of the things my brother said earlier. It would have been pointless… he would only watch me more closely whenever I defied him.”
Daniel’s eyes softened as he looked at her. “I like horses,” he admitted quietly. “Though I never claimed to understand them. In Italy, I preferred to watch them in their stables, rather than ruins or statues.”
“Er…” Lucy leaned closer instinctively, noticing a speck of dust on his lapel.
She reached out, brushing the fine wool with her fingers. The simple contact made her shiver, a thrill she did not attempt to hide.
Before she could pull away, his hand closed over hers. He pressed her fingers to his chest, steadying them against the thrum of his heartbeat.
Every other sound—the crowd, the cheering, the pounding hooves—faded until only the warmth between them remained.
He was watching her lips. She could feel it, knew just how close they were to crossing a line they might never return from.
Not here. Not now.
Perhaps never.
A groom’s pail clattered against the side of the canopy. Daniel jerked back, and the moment was broken.
A cheer from the crowd marked the race’s end, and Lucy felt the urgency to retreat.
“I must go,” she breathed, trying to mask the pounding of her heart. “Joshua might be looking for me.”
She slipped quickly back into the throng, blending with the crowd before Daniel could respond.
Part of her regretted leaving, for part of her ached to stay, but she knew the danger. They could not lose control, not here, not in public. To kiss him would be a great risk, without any guarantee of the future she longed for.
And yet, even as she moved away, her mind clung to the heat of his hand, the closeness of his body, the silent promise in the way he had held her.
She wondered if she would ever have the strength to resist these moments, or if, when the next opportunity came, she would simply surrender.
Daniel knew that Lucy was becoming addictive. His mind kept wandering to her. So, while the hunt no longer felt as urgent, he decided that pursuing it would ease his longing for her.
Therefore, two days after the last ball in which he had been close to baring more of his soul to her, he was back with Silas. The man had quickly become his most trusted among those under his employ.
“Your Grace, we found the location of the warehouse,” Silas declared, his voice devoid of emotion.
He was always matter-of-fact, almost to the point of being cold. However, he did his job well.
“It’s near the East India Docks,” he continued. “The place is not known for active trade but more for storage, old crates, and rot. The men who work for Gordon are not afraid to inhale the stench and disease, or are too desperate to want something better.”
“Are we certain about this?” Daniel’s pulse was pounding in his throat, but he calmed himself down.
“Yes. The place barely saw any business, and yet the lamps are lit every night. Also, my men saw Moses Gordon himself frequenting that warehouse.”
“Mmm.”
Daniel studied the map Silas had spread across his desk. He knew that place well enough. It was where people disappeared in the fog quite easily. No wonder Gordon liked it.
“Did you find any clues about who paid him to burn the house in Suffolk?” he asked.
“No sight of Gordon’s paymaster yet. However, we plan to follow Gordon. I know he is a rough man, but we are rough men too. We will squeeze the information out of him if we need to.”
Daniel had an idea that the squeezing would also be physical. He clenched his jaw at the thought.
No, he was not opposed to it at all. Memories of his uncle and his cousin steeled his resolve. Of course, the thought of Lucy also gave him that little push. If he pursued whatever it was between them, he didn’t want either of them looking over their shoulder.
“Let us prepare for a confrontation, Silas,” he ordered, his voice steely. “We must finish this as soon as we can.”
Silas’s eyes gleamed. Eventually, he tipped his hat to Daniel and slunk out of the room. The staff at Stonewynn had been made aware of his identity and possible constant presence.
Alone again, Daniel thought back to Lucy. He had been seeing her in quick flashes at a time for the past two weeks. He wondered if he would finally have a chance at peace, and Lucy a chance at freedom.