Page 26 of Scars of a Passionate Revenge
She took a few slow breaths, then reached out to take a roll from the basket of bread on the table in front of her. In that same instant, Benedict reached out for the same basket and their hands brushed together, just for a split second. Alice felt a jolt of electricity coursing through her at the touch of his hand.
She felt her cheeks burning as she fixed her gaze on the tablecloth in front of her. Once again, she did not dare to look up at Benedict and meet his eye. She felt sure that if she did, everyone else around the table would know what was in her mind.
She forced herself to butter her roll slowly and methodically, all the while listening to Lord Grant and Clara chatting happily across the table about their journeys to Bath, the state of the roads, all sorts of inconsequential things that normally would have made Alice roll her eyes.
But she could tell from the tone of Clara’s voice that she wouldn’t have cared if they were discussing the most boring thing on earth—the only thing that mattered to her now was that Lord Grant was there at the party, and she would be able to enjoy his company for the next few days.
Alice realized that she felt exactly the same about Benedict, but she felt a small pang of envy for her friend; her situation was much less complicated. There was no deep hidden secret behind her relationship with Lord Grant.
Assuming that they began courting, there would be no familial objections to the match—far from it, in fact. The daughter of a viscount marrying another viscount was the perfect arrangement, and everyone in society was sure to approve of it.
Whereas Alice had an underlying fear, every time she thought about Benedict, about what would happen when his true identity was revealed. But there was no point in wishing for things to be different. All she could do was make the best of the situation they were in and try to enjoy this unexpected time with Benedict. For who knew what was around the corner for any of them?
“So, what plans do you have for us today, Lady Shrewsford?” Lord Grant was asking.
A hush descended on the table as everyone waited for Lady Shrewsford to answer. Although she no longer lived with her parents, she still clearly held the authority of the eldest daughter and seemed to be enjoying the position of co-hostess for the house party.
“Well, the weather is fine,” Lady Shrewsford said, glancing through the large windows of the breakfast room at the bright morning sunshine outside. “My sisters are keen to visit the ribbon shop in the village, and I thought some of the other ladies might enjoy it too, so I propose that we all take a walk along the riverbank into the village, and visit whichever shops we desire, then return together in time for luncheon. Does that suit everyone?”
The consensus of the party was positive, and Alice thought that the plan sounded a good one for such a sunny day. She enjoyed walks in the countryside, and she allowed herself to hope that the village shops might possibly include a bookshop, although this seemed unlikely as it was only a rather small village on the outskirts of Bath. But still, she could hope.
The party assembled on the front steps of the house a little later, and began the walk towards the river. The sun was now high in the sky. The path that led towards the water was picturesque, with fields and mature trees on either side; their elegant branches hanging over the lane and casting dappled shade overhead, and their bright green leaves rustling gently in the breeze.
Alice allowed herself to enjoy the beauty of nature as they walked along, but she could not stop herself from glancing at Benedict a few times, as he walked a little way ahead of her, next to Lord Grant and Clara.
She hoped that they would manage to fall into step next to one another, and finally, once they reached the sparkling river, she found Benedict at her side.
“Are you enjoying the scenery, Miss Dunberry? I remember you saying that you prefer the countryside to the town.”
Alice smiled and felt a surge of happiness that he had remembered what she said. “You are quite right, Mr. Fletcher. Some of the happiest times of my life have been spent in the countryside, and the scenery here really is quite breath-taking.”
He held her gaze for a moment before responding. “I was very glad to be able to spend some time with you.”
Alice felt her heart swelling as she looked into his eyes. “I am very glad of it too, Mr. Fletcher,” she replied. She hoped that the intensity of her feelings was not too obvious to him in the tone of her voice, or the look on her face, but the more time she spent with him, the harder she was finding it to conceal her emotions.
***
A little while later, the party had finished their various shopping tasks in the village and were about to start the walk back to the house together.
Benedict had stayed close to Alice throughout their excursion, and now it was his intention to walk with her all the way home as well. He wanted to ensure that his attentions toward her were clear; not only to Alice herself, but to their companions as well. The plan would not work if no one knew that an attachment was supposedly forming between them.
He deliberately slowed his pace as they made their way back along the path beside the river, until he and Alice were lagging behind the group to such an extent that their conversation would not be overheard.
He cleared his throat, feeling unexpectedly nervous about what he was planning to say to her. “Miss Dunberry, I was wondering if you might consider joining me for an early morning walk tomorrow, before the rest of the party are up and about? I hear that the gardens are particularly beautiful in the morning.”
He knew he was taking a risk in asking her such a thing. Even in the more relaxed atmosphere of a house party, she should not really allow herself to be alone with him without a chaperone. But he was hoping that she would agree to it, despite the potential for danger or scandal.
The look on her face told him that she was torn by the request. He could tell from how her eyes sparkled that she was tempted, but she bit her lip as she looked at him and he could see a shadow of doubt crossing her face.
His heart was pounding as he waited for her response. He had not realized until that moment just how much he wanted to be alone with her. But would she agree?
After what felt like an eternity, she nodded. “I would like that very much,” she said softly. “But how about we go riding instead? We can meet by the stables.”
Benedict fought to keep his composure. Riding? He had hardly admitted his terror of horses to anyone, and he was not about to confess it to Alice, but the thought of riding a horse filled him with abject horror. And yet, he knew that he did not want to say no to her.
He swallowed and tried to calm himself down before responding. “Yes, let’s meet by the stables,” he replied, forcing the words out of his mouth, and trying to smile. He would figure out a plan later; either he would think of a way to avoid the ride, or find some way of making himself to go through with it. Anything to spend time with her, and make her happy.
She beamed at him. “I shall look forward to it!”
