Page 52 of If the Slipper Fits
The man smirked in acknowledgment, dark eyes glittering with promise.
Heknewher. He had to. Hadn’t he?
The further she moved from Lord Hardasher, however, the more she chided herself for her bout of hysteria. Certainly Caden found the idea of Hardasher as some sort of investigative spy as preposterous.
Caden.A sudden, intense longing for him welled up inside her, as if his mere presence by her side meant safety and security and…home.
What was wrong with her? He wasn’t any of those things.
Although he had offered to help her. If he knew the truth, though, that she’d killed a member of the nobility…Watch yourself with boys like him, Glory. He’s nobility. With them the title always comes first, even before family.
Why why whywould her mothers words not cease to plague her? She’d never seen any proof her obsessive claim held water.
On the other hand, she’d never had any cause to test it.
Dear heaven. She couldn’t recall ever having such a divided mind. She supposed it all came down to…wanting. She wanted to believe in Caden. In his integrity as a man. In his steadfast friendship.
They emerged from the bubble of people and, as if by magic, the air around them seemed cooler by at least ten degrees.
Lady Wentworth sighed in a dramatic fashion. “Thought we’d get eaten alive in there.”
Eyeing the cluster of guests from which they’d escaped, she leaned close to Anna. “I don’t care for the look of that fellow, Hardasher. Something feral about him. Stay away from him, my dear, eh?”
Anna’s laugh sounded tinny to her own ears. “I couldn’t agree more.”
“Good girl. Let’s away to the terrace.”
She crossed the threshold behind Lady Wentworth to stand under the open skies. A welcome breeze carrying the scent of flowers from the garden beyond the terrace cooled her flushed cheeks.
Not quite dusk, the sun had dipped below the thicket of oaks, elms and birch to the west, lining the tree tops with a silver light. The domed sky, aglow with the last remnants of sunlight, and hanging paper lanterns transformed the gravel-covered terrace into a setting worthy of a fairytale. All she needed now was her prince.
An image of Caden surged to the forefront of her mind. Her traitorous heart leapt, anticipation swarming through her.
Lady Wentworth perused the intimate groupings gathered along the length of stone balustrade. After a moment she tsked. “He’s not out here either, I’m afraid. I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of him. Have you?”
Anna blinked. She contemplated for the briefest moment feigning ignorance as to whichhimthe lady referred. But there was no use trying to outwit the old fox.
“I have not—not that I’ve been looking.”
Lady Wentworth gave her a dubious look. “I’ll wager he’s not yet arrived. Otherwise that pesky baronet wouldn’t have gotten within arm’s length, much less cornered you. Come. Harrison’s holding court at the rail. Perhaps he can shed some light on Thurgood’s whereabouts.”
Anna stifled a groan. Did Lady Wentworth mean to outright ask after Caden? Worse yet, what if Caden appeared at his friend’s side the moment she did? Half reluctant, half enthralled, and with no actual choice in the matter, she followed.
Harrison addressed several enraptured onlookers, gesticulating wildly as he did so, clearly acting out a scene.
“…Unbeknownst to me, he had wedged a shoehorn under the jammed cabinet door. Meanwhile, I caught hold of my cravat which had somehow caught in the hinges, causing the whole mess. I gave a good yank.” Harrison mimed a full body heave-ho. “And whammo!” He gave a loud clap of his hands. “The cabinet door gave way, flying open. Thurgood’s shoehorn went airborne, and the next thing I know he’s on his backside with a gusher shooting from his forehead, and making a god-awful mess I might add.”
A combination of horrified gasps and laughter from his rapt audience greeted Harrison’s summation.
He waited for the chatter to quiet before continuing. “He’s a lucky bloke, that Thurgood. Caught him right here.” He tapped his brow. “A mere half inch lower and he might have lost an eye. At first I thought he had, what with all the blood. The poor girl who came to clean the mess nearly fainted at the sight.”
“One can only imagine what Thurgood had to say,” one man commented. More laughter ensued.
Lady Wentworth chose that moment to make her presence known. “Yes, indeed, Harrison m’boy. What did the so-namedluckylad say? Is he still on premises? If he has any sense he’s got himself as far away from here as possible.”
Harrison went from lounging against the balustrade to standing ramrod straight. “Lady Wentworth, Mrs. Jones, I didn’t see you there. Good evening to you both.”
“Never mind that. What of Thurgood?” Lady Wentworth demanded.
