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Having had the last laugh, he made for the door, anxious to take in the night air.
Lola maneuveredthrough the lively crowd, fighting the flow of visitors who were headed in the opposite direction. She still had time before her performance and wanted to visit the kitchens and get something to eat. She hadn’t taken the time earlier and now her stomach complained noisily. She noticed Marco near the columns along the Picture Room promenade. He played his fiddle to the delight of a small circle of people who gaily clapped along. Sofia probably had the right of it. While at times Marco overreacted, Lola wanted to believe he had her best interests at heart.
Continuing on toward the supper boxes, she skirted a group of young men who’d already over-imbibed. The liquor had loosened their tongues and she ignored their lewd comments and bids for attention as she passed, scurrying to a more indirect path to the kitchens in hopes she wouldn’t meet with further nonsense. Clearly, she’d underestimated the number of guests packed into this part of the grounds. The only way she’dhave enough time to eat and return to the grandstand for her performance would be if she truly hurried, but making her way proved just as difficult on this path as the other.
Dedicated to the most exclusive supper boxes, this clearing had a direct view of the pavilion and was situated in an ideal location near the orchestra pit. All around her wealth and extravagance glittered in the form of the well-heeled elite in their valuable jewelry and dashing attire. In a moment of self-consciousness, she glanced down at her gauzy skirt and plain muslin shawl. Did Theodore compare her appearance to the refined ladies of the ton?
A sudden, sinking pressure consumed her chest. She didn’t belong in Theodore’s world anymore than he belonged in her life now. He’d offered to take her out, prove to her that it wouldn’t matter, but she doubted it would be so easy. There was a time when she might have blended seamlessly into High Society, but now everything had changed. She’d already sacrificed so much, the realization she should end things with Theodore before she developed stronger feelings for him seemed the smartest path forward, even if her heart squeezed tight at the thought of never seeing him again.
A portly man with two tankards of ale clasped in his hand bumped into her shoulder causing her to startle. Pushing past the man, she skimmed the supper boxes in an effort to reach the kitchens without further delay, but a familiar outburst of male laughter struck her so suddenly it was as if someone had pulled her close and slapped her cheek. The blood in her veins turned cold.
Across the lawn in one of the more elaborate boxes, the Duke of Leinster stood with his drink in hand. He didn’t face her, though she could see his profile clearly. While it wasn’t farfetched to see a nobleman in one of the luxurious supperboxes, his appearance was so unexpected after she’d only just reflected on her past, she couldn’t stop staring in his direction.
“Lola!”
She jerked her head to the right, relieved to see Marco force his way through the crowd.
“Lola, what’s wrong?” He came up beside her. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Walk with me.” She grasped his arm, both pushing and pulling him away from the supper boxes.
“What is it?” He followed her into the kitchens, concern etched across his face.
“I saw someone from Ipswich. It was the duke.” She stopped inside an alcove that served as a pass-through for workers and closed her eyes in an attempt to catch her breath. She needed to clear her mind and settle her nerves. “I don’t know why it upset me so much. I guess it was a shock, especially with everything that has happened lately.”
“Did he see you?” Marco asked, leaning against the wall, his brows lowered in question.
“No.” She took another deep breath, feeling more like herself.
“Then you have nothing to worry about.”
“But I do,” she said, sadness filling her words. “What if these are all signs my time here is ending. That my luck’s run out and soon, I’ll have to run too.”
“You don’t believe that, do you?” Marco took her hand in his and squeezed it, wrapping his other hand on top. “You’re just rattled from seeing the duke here at Vauxhall, where you feel safe because that part of your life is over. It ended badly, but you’re never going back to that world. You have no use for dishonest prigs and their nasty condescension, and there’s nothing there for you anymore. I want you to forget about the duke and all the problems he caused. Everything will be okay.”
She listened to Marco, reminding herself his words were meant to console and, at the same time, trying to convince herself his advice didn’t conceal an underlying motive. When Marco spoke of nobs he included Theodore in his statement and yet that was the one choice she wasn’t ready to make.
Or was she?
20
Lola wasn’t surprised to see Theodore’s carriage waiting near the corner when she approached the boarding house later that evening. She stared at his elegant equipage, unsure if she should feel excitement or disappointment. They couldn’t continue their relationship. Too much was at stake.
Sofia and her brothers were busy talking a few strides ahead of her, but as they climbed the front steps Lola managed to subtly indicate her intent to her friend. Once Sofia and her brothers were indoors, Lola discreetly turned around and hurried toward the carriage.
The door cracked open before she reached for the latch and she climbed inside, the warmth an immediate balm to the chilly night air. The interior carried the decadent scent of Theodore’s cologne, enticing her to sit on the cushioned velvet bench and sink into pleasure instead of initiate the discussion she’d mentally rehearsed all evening. He smiled when she settled across from him, his handsome features highlighted by the lantern’s golden glow.
Allowing their relationship to progress as far as it had was foolish. She knew better than to betray her own heart, butnow she had no other choice. Nothing good would come of the situation they’d created.
“I hope you don’t mind that I waited for you,” he said, his eyes reflecting a glint from the candle’s flame, his expression full of affection. “I only came by to say good night. I know you must want to go to sleep.”
Her heart pounded in her chest.
What she wanted had nothing to do with sleep.
When she didn’t immediately respond, he continued.
“I won’t keep you.”