Perhaps she truly needed to give them a chance. Perhaps it would be wise to keep her distance from Drake at least for a while. At the moment, Leonora did not feel strong enough to face him after what she had blurted out, not knowing how those words had been received. After all, in the moment before she had fled, he had looked deeply shocked. Yes, she would be wise to turn her attention to a man who clearly harbored intentions toward marriage. Lord Sedgwick was such a man, was he not? But was he the right man for her?
Leonora urged herself to believe so, and yet, in the last moments before sleep finally claimed her, it was not his face she saw.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Voices Through the Hedge
Leonora was not coming. That much was clear. And yet, Drake could not bring himself to abandon hope.
Donning his coat, he strode outside into the gardens and began pacing along the hedge, never quite venturing as far as the gap through which she had crossed countless times. Indeed, Drake had worried about how they would face each other again after what had happened. Something had changed the last time she had come to visit. They had shared something with each other they never had before, and Drake was not certain what that meant. What was he to make of it?
Again, his feet carried him toward the gap in the hedge, and again, they turned before he reached it. He could not hear voices on the other side and supposed the garden lay deserted. Who knew what the family was doing this afternoon? Was Leonora upstairs in her chambers? Or perhaps the drawing room receiving visitors? Was he merely imagining that something had changed between them? Was she perhaps simply occupied with something unexpected and her absence had nothing to do with what had happened two days ago?
Drake could only hope so. Yet, he doubted it.
Hanging his head, Drake was about to turn around and head back into the house when voices drifted to his ears. He paused and listened, wondering where they had come from. His own garden lay deserted, neither gardener nor servant in sight on this day. Had the wind carried voices from far away? Or had perhaps…?
Moving closer to the hedge, Drake strained his ears to listen. At first, he heard nothing, but then a familiar voice drifted to his ears.
Leonora.
“Yes, in the sun it sometimes already feels warm enough to walk without even a coat,” she exclaimed laughing. “Spring is coming, but we need to be patient for a little bit longer. The promise is there, and the fulfillment will swiftly follow. I have no doubt.”
Drake inhaled a deep breath at the sound of her voice. Although she sounded cheerful, he could not help but detect something strained in the way she spoke. Was she truly enjoying herself? Or was she forcing this cheerfulness into her voice? But why would—?
A male voice chuckled. “Indeed, I must admit I’m growing tired of this cold weather.” A small pause followed. “Yes, I do believe you are correct, Lady Leonora. It is growing warmer every day, and before long more pleasant days will be upon us.”
Drake gritted his teeth, his mind working to place the voice that echoed to his ears. He had heard it before. He knew that he had; only he could not quite place it.
“There are many enjoyable indoor activities to be sure,” Leonora replied, her voice growing louder with each step she and her companion took closer to the hedge. “Nonetheless, I do long for longer promenades through Hyde Park, picnics under the sun and rides along the Serpentine. It will be a most wonderful Season; do you not agree?”
“I most certainly do,” Leonora’s companion replied eagerly, much to Drake’s displeasure. “However, I must admit that there is something I will miss about the wintry season.”
“And what is that, if I may ask?”
Drake heard their footsteps draw to a halt. He could all but imagine Leonora’s companion turning toward her, halting her steps and stepping closer. He listened carefully for a sharp intake of breath but could hear nothing. His body tensed, and he wanted nothing more than to march through the gap in the hedge and pull them apart. Yet, he knew he could not.
“Mistletoe,” Leonora’s companion replied, an amused, somewhat wistful tone in his voice that turned Drake’s stomach. “In fact, you still owe me a kiss, Lady Leonora. Do you not remember?”
“A kiss?” Leonora’s voice was no more than a breezy whisper, and Drake could hear the apprehension that held her.
“Indeed, do you not remember? You were coming down the stairs when I was heading up. Lord Archibald had hung the mistletoe halfway up. Unfortunately, though, Lord Pemberton detained me, relaying a message to me that my mother required my assistance. Of course, I immediately rushed off. When I found her though, she knew not what I was speaking about.” He chuckled. “Quite frankly, at first, I believed Lord Pemberton had intentionally lured me away.” A heavy pause lingered, and Drake wished he could see Lord Sedgwick’s face. “However, it never seemed as though he paid you much attention afterward, so I supposed it had to have been a misunderstanding after all.”
Drake gritted his teeth, remembering that day perfectly. Indeed, he had made up that excuse in order to rid Lady Leonora of the threat of a mistletoe kiss. It had been Lord Sedgwick who had walked toward her that day, eyes intent upon that bit of greenery. Drake had acted as quickly as possible, drawing upon a false excuse in order to protect her. Clearly, Lord Sedgwick had not forgotten that day. Neither had he forgotten the promise of a kiss.
A nervous chuckle drifted from Leonora slips. “Surely, my lord, you cannot mean to…” Her voice trailed off, and Drake could all but picture her face going white. He marched toward the gap in the hedge, torn between rushing to her side and keeping his distance. Would she be able to handle the situation on her own? What if she needed him, and he simply was not there? What was he to do?
The silence stretched as Drake imagined a most horrible scenario of Lord Sedgwick moving closer, and Leonora unable to hold him at bay. Yes, he had taught her well. She knew how to defend herself. She knew how to extricate herself from an unwanted situation. Still, he knew well that an imagined scenario was a far cry from an actual situation in which one found oneself frozen by fear.
“Lord Sedgwick, I don’t believe it wise…” Again, her voice trailed off, and Drake could hear her footsteps retreating. He dashed forward, his eyes fixed upon the gap in the hedge, cursing Sedgwick under his breath. He had thought the man a gentleman. Quite obviously, he had been mistaken!
“Leonora, do you have a moment?”
At the sound of another female voice, Drake jerked to a halt. Who had spoken? Was someone else present? He wished he could see and so he moved to push a few branches aside, allowing him to peek through the hedge.
Indeed, it was one of Leonora’s younger sisters who was currently hastening toward her and Sedgwick. The young lord did stand too close to Leonora, her face pale and her hands lifted in defense. Drake wanted to strike him down!
Leonora breathed a sigh of relief at the sound of Christina’s voice calling for her. Never in her life had she been so relieved to see her sister’s face.
Lord Sedgwick had been most insistent, moving closer without regard for her wishes. Truth be told, Leonora had to admit that she had not denied him. Indeed, she had not. She had been unable to find her voice at the threat of his approach. Her eyes had flitted to his lips, and she had imagined finding herself in his arms, his mouth upon hers.