Page 10 of Drowned in the Pleasure of a Devilish Baron
She lifted her own glass, touching it to his. “And to mine.”
He leaned down to her conspiratorially. “We had better separate for now and do our duty as good party guests. I shall call on your brother first thing tomorrow morning.”
She felt his eyes sweep her body, and a happy blush rushed to her cheeks. “Yes,” she said simply. “Yes.”
Chapter Five
It was the best party he had ever been to. Across the garden, he and Sarah exchanged happy, secret glances. Wherever she was, whoever she was talking to, he could not stop his eyes from following her, appreciating the way her hips moved below her gown, the catch of the sunlight on her hair, the lips touching her glass.
“It seems your heartsickness has only increased since the lady hit her head,” Leonard said at his side, noting his distraction.
Felix cast a glance around to ensure no one was close enough to overhear him. “I’m visiting her brother tomorrow to ask for her hand in marriage.”
Leonard nearly dropped his champagne glass. “You… what?”
“We shared a moment, up in the guest room,” he said. “It was not proper, I admit, but it was right. We share the same feelings for one another. Her chaperone witnessed our moment, and so it is only right for me to make it official with her brother as soon as possible.”
“What exactly occurred in this moment of yours?” Leonard asked, a hint of a smirk in his voice.
“That is none of your concern,” he said stiffly.
“I believe it was my guest room, in my house, at my party,” Leonard returned, his smile widening.
“Hardly your party,” he scoffed. “We all know Juliet did the hard work, even when it comes to why we’re having the party at all. I don’t remember you working very hard on bringing baby George into the world.”
“Because we are speaking of your sister, I will not answer that,” Leonard said.
Felix groaned and gave his brother-in-law’s shoulder a shove. “You are incorrigible.”
Sarah had spoken with nearly every guest at the party, but could not have told what was said in any of the interactions. She had eyes only for Felix, and not a moment went by that she didn’t feel his eyes on her as well.
Feeling a bit flushed and lightheaded, she looked for a place to sit for a moment. Spotting Juliet and her sister-in-law, Lady Margaret, at a table together talking, she decided to join them.
Juliet stopped speaking at once when Sarah sat down, turning to her with a question in her eyes.
Sarah answered the unspoken question with a nod, and Juliet let out a little squeal and threw her arms around her.
“Well done, you!” Juliet said.
“At last!” Sarah said. “At last!”
Lady Margaret, who could be quiet serious and formal, even after a year of friendship, looked irritated. “What at last? Whatever has happened?”
Juliet pulled away, wiping at her eyes, smiling from ear to ear. “Forgive us, Margaret. How rude of us.”
“It’s only rude if you don’t tell me what is going on,” Lady Margaret said, looking between the two of them. “What’s happened? Miss Sarah, are you quite well?”
Sarah looked at Juliet, wondering if she should divulge her little secret. Juliet nodded, urging her on.
“That’s all right, Sarah, Margaret won’t go around spreading rumors. You can trust her discretion.”
Lady Margaret looked intrigued despite herself.
Sarah took a deep breath, glanced over her shoulder, and filled the lady in with a rush of words. Her lingering feelings for Juliet’s brother, the improbability that he would ever see her as a grown lady and not a little girl, a friend alone and nothing more.
Lady Margaret nodded. “I understand that feeling more than you know,” she said, a dark look crossing her face as she looked across the garden, where Charles was standing alone, sipping a drink and looking out at everyone else.
Sarah wondered at that, but did not want to press and make such a new friend uncomfortable.
