Page 116 of If the Slipper Fits
Anna had never attended a real ball. Still, the scene unfolded before her, clear as day. A shiver of longing coursed through her and whispered if she stayed, if she and Caden wed, she might experience such an evening first-hand.
In the arms of the man I love.Caden, whom I’ve always loved.
She turned to stare, wide-eyed, at Caden, her heart lodged in her throat. Should she tell him? But what would that accomplish? It was clear he felt something for her, butsomethinghardly equated with undying devotion.
He must be the one to broach the subject of affection, even if it wasn’t love precisely. She stared at him, willing him to do so with all her might—or at least kiss her.
Caden gestured toward the doorway. “Ready to venture outdoors?”
Not waiting for an answer, he took her arm and led her out of the ballroom and down another corridor. “We’ll go across through the portico.”
“Delightful,” she said, annoyance pricking her.
They were alone. Not a soul in sight. They hadn’t crossed paths with a single servant. No one would witness Caden sweeping her into his arms to kiss her as she ached for him to do.
As she’d ached for him to do since yesterday afternoon, in her bedchamber.
But no. Caden’s chivalrous streak evidently asserted itself the moment he blithely announced their engagement.
What happened to the passionate man who betrayed his own sense of honor to make love with her? Had their lovemaking left him unmoved? He’d implied otherwise when they spoke of it in the carriage.
What if he lied to spare her feelings? What if he no longer desired her? What if he wanted to marry her out of duty alone?
That she could not bear.
She nodded woodenly at the pristine potted plants and overflowing flower baskets adorning the portico which Caden pointed out.
She had to know the extent of his feelings for her. At least if they shared passion, they had a chance for love to grow. At least, she thought so. What had he said in the coach, precisely?
He found their lovemakingeverything he had hoped and more.At the time, she’d taken his words as high praise. In retrospect, he could just as well have been hedging.
She clenched her jaw. She loved the man and wasthis closeto accepting his proposal. How could she not? Despite his words to the contrary, he was everything she could want in a man and more. What kind of fool would she be to reject him?
A fool in love, evidently, because without some sign he cared for her, at least a little, she could not marry him. It would kill her.
“Are you listening to a word I’m saying?” He demanded, stopping in his tracks.
Anna stumbled to a halt beside him. “Um…Yes?”
He frowned down at her. “You’ve hardly said a word about the grounds. Not the winding path, nor the fountain nor the pond.” As he spoke he gestured hither and yon, as if pointing out same.
She glanced around her, surprised to find they had walked quite a distance from the castle and now stood beside a small pond with a delightful fountain depicting a mermaid riding a large fish in its center.
Caden continued in an peeved tone. “I thought you’d enjoy the estate’s famous secret garden. But if you’d rather turn back—”
“Secret garden? As in hidden?”
“Oh, you are awake.” He inclined his chin toward the dense forest on the eastern side of the path into which the gravel walk seemed to vanish. “Hidden, invisible to the naked eye, and so on. What do you think? Should we go back?” One corner of his mouth quirked upward.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” A garden, safely tucked away from any possible onlookers? Once there, shewouldcoax a kiss out of the man, if she had to plant one on him herself.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Leaves and bramble crunched underfoot as Caden led Anna off the graveled path onto a worn foot path leading into the forest. As always, the proximity to the river left the morning air thick with moisture.
Above, the sun had burned off much of the overcast sky, but the prevailing cool temperature hinted at fall’s arrival. Upon entering the dense thicket of trees, the air grew downright frigid.
Whether from the sudden absence of light or the knotted roots beneath their feet, Anna stumbled.
