Page 6 of The Dare Before Christmas

Barnaby had heard her breath hitch. He’d thought he’d heard her curse under her breath too, but likely he had imagined that against the lively chatter that filled the dining room. Everyone was having a marvellous time… well, except for him and, it appeared, Lady Victoria. He had an awful suspicion he was to blame for the lady’s unhappiness, which seemed ridiculous. Why on earth should she care for what he thought? But… But she’d told him why, hadn’t she? She had written him those lovely words which had made his chest ache, made him dream of impossible things…. Well, he’d dreamed of impossible things before, and look how that had ended.

“Excuse me,” the lady said, her voice strained as she shoved her chair back and hurried from the room.

Barnaby watched her go with consternation and then looked around to see Louis glaring at him. His friend jerked his head towards the door the lady had just departed through, his meaning obvious.

Barnaby hesitated but Louis glared harder.

Oh, damn and blast.

Reluctantly, Barnaby pushed to his feet and followed the lady out. A footman pointed him in the direction the lady had fled, and Barnaby hurried after her. The sound of a door closing had him changing direction as he came across a door that led outside to the gardens. She had pulled the curtain back and the chill night air still lingered in the room. Barnaby stepped out into a frosty December night, his breath clouding around him.

The skies were clear now, studded with stars, the day’s rain and cloud all vanished and promising a brighter day tomorrow. Barnaby blinked in the dim light, sensing movement at the far end of the terrace he found himself on. Cautiously, he followed.

The lady was standing at the corner of the terrace, staring up at the stars. His heart clenched as he took in the sight of her bathed in moonlight. She was heartbreakingly beautiful, the kind of woman a man would fight duels for, would go to the ends of the earth for, if he were fool enough to fall in love with her. Barnaby did not want to be that fool. A man like him was ill-equipped to be her knight in shining armour. Yet it was hard to see her like this, so exquisitely beautiful and so unhappy. Her slender arms were bare and wrapped tightly around her middle, and she was shivering.

“Lady Victoria?”

She jumped at the sound of his voice and spun around.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, holding out his hands as if to show he meant her no harm.

“M-Mr Godwin, what are you doing here?” she demanded, sounding none too happy about the fact he had followed her.

“I was worried you were unwell.”

“I already told you I was not,” she said curtly. “I just needed some air, that’s all. Please, do n-not let me k-keep you,” she added, her teeth chattering.

Barnaby shrugged out of his coat, and she took a step away in alarm.

“W-What are you doing?” She glared at him.

“You’re freezing, and you’ll catch pneumonia if you stay out here like that,” he said firmly, moving closer and putting his coat around her bare shoulders.

“There’s n-no need,” she said crossly, but he heard the catch in her voice and guilt sliced deep in his chest.

“Yes, there is.”

“Now you’ll catch pneumonia,” she retorted.

Barnaby gave a huff of laughter. “Well, that would serve me right.”

She glanced at him, her gaze uncertain. He looked steadily back, offering her a tentative smile. The lady turned away and put up her chin.

“You had best go in. If you’re found alone with me, you might have to marry me, and you wouldn’t want that.”

There was more bitterness in her voice than Barnaby could have expected, despite what had passed between them.

“My lady,” he began, needing to say something, anything, but he did not know what.

“Oh, please go away,” she begged, turning back to him, her beautiful eyes shining too brightly in the darkness. “I know you don’t like me and you’re only here because you’re a kind man, but please… please….”

“I do like you,” he said, unable to let her believe that, unable to bear her unhappiness when it was his fault.

She snorted, and the sound was so unlike anything he expected to hear from the untouchable duke’s daughter that he could not help but smile.

“It’s true, and I was never more surprised nor touched by your words, my lady. I… I am very aware of the honour you did me in writing such a letter, and in return I have behaved very shabbily towards you. Please forgive me.”

“You left me standing in the middle of our ballroom feeling like a fool,” she accused him, the quaver returning to her voice and making him want to drop to his knees and beg her forgiveness. She deserved so much more than that. Lady Victoria deserved the moon, but he was not the man to reach it for her.