Page 44 of Scottish Seducer
Chapter 17
Stephanie
The museum nightrestored a sense of normalcy, though when I put on my light blue Regency debutante dress and styled my hair, I had a feeling that this was it.
I’d told him how I felt. I’d never regret that. We weren’t meant to be. The deal was done.
So I waited for my ride and made sure all my bags were packed. Tomorrow, I would pack this last costume, but at least I had a chance to say goodbye.
Nothing was left for me to do. My time in London was coming to a close.
As I entered the Regency-era party, I followed the rules of etiquette in greeting the host and hostess near the door and made my way to my friends. We stood near the dance floor where people we knew danced and other acquaintances played whist or sat on the couches talking. I started with Sophia and whispered, “I bought a plane ticket home to Pittsburgh.”
She gasped, like I’d just announced that our friendship was over. She recovered and said, “You did? You’re leaving?”
Charlotte hugged me.
I hugged her back and said, “I didn’t mean to stay in London as long as I have. So this is my last big event.”
Amelia blinked like she didn’t understand and asked, “What about next year in Bath?”
For the past few years we’d all stayed in the same hotel room and helped each other. Being with them was why I’d been able to stay as long as I had. I squeezed Amelia’s hand and said, “Maybe I’ll fly in for the festivities, or maybe it’s time to stop.”
Sophia took charge, though her eyes were misty too. “We’ll miss you terribly.”
I hugged her. Ending my time here in Regency gear was fitting, though having these events had probably been a way of not living my life. I whispered back, “I’ll miss you, too.”
The four of us joined the others on the dance floor. The circular style of the English Country Dance made being a quartet easier and fun for the last time we danced together. However, when the Cotillion began, we bowed out.
While we sipped our drinks together for the last time, I was happily lost in the Regency era, when the rules were simple.
But my hair stood on end when another woman joined our group and said, “Stephanie?”
I pivoted but otherwise did nothing. In this era, to make a scene was to court social ruin, but I lifted my chin and said, “Ann? What do you want?”
Ann’s face was red as she said, “I want to apologize. I was so jealous of you and Richard that I threw myself at him relentlessly. But now I’m pregnant and I’m trying to straighten out my life. So I am truly sorry.”
Wow. He’d thought he could return to me when Ann was pregnant. He wasn’t even worthy of being a Collins, even if he was somewhat overweight. My heart raced. Richard truly was more a Wickham character. So I said, “It’s okay, Ann. If he loved me the way I thought he did, he would never have never gone to you.”
She rested her hands on her belly like she was protecting herself, glancing around before she asked, “So where’s your new boyfriend?”
I clutched my mother’s pendant while my heart raced. “Charlie is—”
“Right there.” Sophia pointed to the door.
Charlotte let out a sigh and said, “He looks even more dashing in that outfit.”
I turned...and there he was, wearing a black top hat, white starched shirt with an intricately tied red and gold cravat in his Scottish tartan pattern, tight coat with a black vest, and full-length black pants that showed off his very fit physique.
Our gazes met and my heart skipped a beat. Every cell in my body wanted to run into his arms and never let go.
But that was running to disaster. I knew better. I left my circle of friends and made my way toward him.
As we met in the middle of the room, he moistened his lips, as if to speak. My own tingled for a kiss.
He’d come. He did care.
I held a finger to my lips and pointed toward the next room.
