Chapter Fourteen
“Liberty, smile.”
“I am, Alice.”
“Are you?” Her friend tilted her head to the side. “It looks to be more of a scowl.”
“Absolutely not.” Liberty angled her body so she was looking at her friend and the wall behind her, rather than searching through the guests for Tobias, which she’d found herself doing far too much lately.
She huffed out a breath and forced her lips up.
It had been seven days since she’d spoken with him in the chocolate shop. Unfortunately, she’d run into him everywhere. It was almost like now they’d become reacquainted, if that was what you could call it, they were being hurled constantly into each other’s paths.
There was the bookstore she loved, where she’d found him in the children’s section for some unknown reason.
Did he have children in his life? She couldn’t imagine where from.
She’d been there shopping for a gift for her mother to give a friend’s granddaughter.
Their eyes had clashed, and Liberty had turned around and walked back out the door.
Then she had been out driving with Edward, and he’d seen a sweet shop.
The carriage had stopped, and Liberty had dashed in to buy them something sugary.
Toby had been there and the bags of sweets before him on the counter had been vast. Liberty hadn’t even greeted him.
She’d simply raised a brow and walked deeper into the shop hoping he’d leave. He had.
“Had there been small children present tonight, you would terrify them with that look, Liberty.”
“Yes, thank you, Alice, for your input.” Liberty stopped scowling.
Alice Hamner and Liberty had been friends since they both entered society.
Three seasons on and both were still unwed.
Liberty, because she wasn’t popular, and Alice, because she was being sponsored by her aunt and uncle, and did not have a large dowry, therefore unless a wealthy man fell madly in love with her, chances were she’d struggle to marry well.
Liberty thought that a travesty as Alice was beautiful inside and out, plus she had a wicked sense of humor that often had her swallowing down a bark of laughter.
“I am helping your family to rid themselves of you by making you an excellent prospect for some rich peer to wed,” Alice said.
She, like Liberty, knew how to play the society game with polite smiles and social chatter.
Where her hair was red, Alice’s was black as a starless sky.
Porcelain skin, and the perfect rosebud mouth.
She had emerald eyes, and to Liberty looked like a doll, but not even her beauty had lured a suitor to offer for her.
“I have decided that one day soon I will leave London and return to my village, where I shall have ten cats, and take in knitting,” Alice said.
“You can’t knit,” Liberty added. “And who will you live with?”
“I will learn, and I will find a position with a family who needs a companion.”
“You can come and live with me. I will put you to work cleaning floors,” Liberty said.
“I would prefer that to this, and my uncle’s deep sighs every time he is forced to pay a bill for my clothing, as they are not without funds, but not flush either. Do you know, Liberty,” Alice added, looking at her.
“What?”
“I think being a woman with no means of earning her own money, and at the mercy of a penny-pinching uncle and aunt, is worse than cleaning your floors.”
“I’m sorry, Alice.” Liberty took her hand, hearing the desperation in her friend’s voice. “We shall both retire to Father’s estate and live there in peace. Will that suit you?”
Her friend smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes, and a tinge of desperation.
“It will be all right, Alice.” Liberty vowed silently to make it so. Her family would always support her, but Alice did not have that luxury.
They stood in silence, watching the dancers. Most evenings Alice and Liberty hugged the walls or wandered together. They were happy chatting about many things. Anything from reading, and the silliness of society, and especially a select few of its members.
“That is a lovely dress, Liberty,” Alice said. “Pale green is the perfect color for your hair.”
“Well, my mother doesn’t think it’s lovely. In fact, I am to have a fitting with Miss Battlemore.”
“No!” Alice gasped. “I hear that woman is an absolute tartar.”
“Apparently, while I had believed they were not determined to see me wed, in fact, I was wrong and they are, so mother is starting with restyling me.
“I’m sorry. Perhaps you are right and we should simply run away to one of your father’s estates.” Her friend then looked over her shoulder, frowning.
“What?”
“Lord Corbyn is making his way toward us, Liberty, and it is you, not me, he is looking at.”
Liberty squinted to bring Tobias into focus as best she could.
It certainly seemed like he was coming her way, but why?
They had never danced together before, and nor had he sought her out.
Did he have something about the occurrences in Bidham to discuss?
Yes, that had to be the reason, and dancing would be the best way.
“I’m sure I don’t know why he would ask me to dance,” Liberty said.
She felt Alice’s eyes on the side of her face. “What aren’t you telling me, Liberty?”
“Why would I not be telling you something when you know everything about me?”
“Not everything,” Alice corrected. “No one can know everything about a person, even a friend.”
“Do you remember I told you I hurt my head, Alice?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Lord Corbyn was involved in that,” she said, not sure why she was telling her friend this now.
“Good Lord, really. I want every detail when he’s finished dancing with you, Liberty. And then I want the reasons why you have not told me the truth about that day before now.”
“Alice—”
“Ssh. He’s close. Do you see him?”
“I am not blind,” Liberty whispered. “He’s just a bit blurry.”
“He’s wearing a black jacket, and his waistcoat is black with a gold pattern. Very nice it is too. Lord Corbyn is an exceptionally handsome man, Liberty.”
“Is he?”
She felt Alice’s eyes on her again.
“I really cannot wait to hear this story you have to tell, Liberty, as your tone suggests to me it will be a good one, but right now smile, and make it look less like a grimace,” her friend hissed in her ear.
“Good evening, Lady Liberty, Miss Hamner,” a deep voice said seconds later.
“Lord Corbyn,” Alice said, dropping into a curtsey.
Liberty did the same.
“May I have this dance, Lady Liberty?”
“I have no wish to dance,” she blurted. “I don’t dance often.” Suddenly, she felt panicky at the thought of being close to this man again.
“It’s a waltz, and not overly taxing, surely? Even without your glasses.”
Alice nudged her.
“Very well.” She placed her hand on the arm he held out. Found a tight smile for her friend and then let him lead her to the floor. He turned her into his arms, and soon they were dancing.
Liberty had never danced with Tobias. She’d heard he was an excellent partner, Alice had assured her of it, but they’d always kept their distance, and she’d been content with that.
In truth, Liberty rarely danced at all. Her leg—and the fact she often didn’t wear her glasses—made her seem clumsy, so she’d turned down far more partners than she’d accepted.
The feel of his hand on her back should not be shooting heat through her as they had layers of material between them. Her fingers in his felt delicate, and she’d never thought of herself as that before.
“Why are you dancing with me?” Liberty had never been one to talk around something that needed to be said. “Do you have news about your investigations into Bidham?”
“Are you going to the Bidham fair, my lady?”
“I am, yes.” She went every year, as did her family, because while Corbyns had been associated with the village longer, her father was a duke, and they were happy to have him attend, even if they had yet to ask him to open the event.
But then a Corbyn had done that since its inception.
Then this rat had walked away from the village, and me.
He sighed, loudly, and it had her looking up into his deep brown eyes.
“I know I have no right to ask you to do anything, but I will ask this of you. Have a care, Lady Liberty. Something is afoot in Bidham, and I am going to find out what. But with the death of Sally—”
“You believe it is connected?” she interrupted him.
“I don’t have a solid reason to believe that, but, yes, I do,” he said. “Now, I am planning to go to the fair, but things have come up.”
“What things?” Liberty asked before she could stop herself. “Don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.”
“I’m not telling you anyway,” he said calmly.
Now she really wanted to know.
“I wish to help with the investigation,” Liberty said.
She watched his jaw clench and waited for the refusal, not that she’d listen to him, but Liberty knew it was coming.
“Ask questions, my lady. I believe people may tell you what they will not tell me in the village.”
“Because you walked away from Bidham.”
He nodded. His eyes had returned to over her head, but now dropped to meet hers. “Exactly, and I no longer hold their confidence.”
Something hung in the air between them then.
Unspoken words. Words neither would ever share, and especially not here.
After so many years of hating this man, it felt odd to be close to him.
To have him touching her. Liberty did not want to feel the moorings of the anger she’d harbored toward him for so long slip, but they were.
She’d watched him, of course, as best she could with no glasses. Seen him flirting and women fawning all over him.
“Why don’t you wear your glasses if you need them?” he asked her suddenly. “You’re always squinting, spilling drinks, or walking into people, Lady Liberty.”
“I do not walk into people,” she protested.
He held her gaze for long seconds, and Liberty felt the need to squirm, but as she was an adult, she simply kept her expression blank.
“You were the least clumsy person I knew and yet I have witnessed with my own eyes the times you’ve thrown champagne over people, and wondered why. Now I know it is because—”
“Thank you, I have no wish to hear your words,” Liberty interrupted him.
“When did you start wearing them?”
“That is none of your business,” she said and thankfully the music chose that moment to stop. He escorted her back to Alice, who was smiling prettily, a particular talent she’d learned and Liberty had yet to master.
“Ladies,” Tobias said bowing. He then walked away, and Liberty drew her first deep breath.
“Come along, we shall enter the supper room and load our plates. Then, I want the entire story as it unfolded between you and Lord Corbyn,” Alice said.
She would not tell all of it, but some. The bits that had cut her deeply would stay with just two people. Him and her.