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A strange sense of calm entered Amber. Maybe there was more she could do while she waited to see her main plan come to fruition.

“I would apologize, and of course I do, but you should know, I’m rather known for being a bad conversationalist.”

He clicked his tongue. “Who told you that? Because I must say I asked around about you before your cousin introduced us, but I have never heard this before.”

Her heart pounded in her chest. “Asked around about me?”

“Oh yes. To anyone I could find who knows you.”

“And- and what did they say?”

“Everyone I spoke to said that you are an absolute delight. You’re spirited and rather fun when you want to be. Everyone I spoke to only made me more sure of my decision.” He set his hand on hers, and Amber had to resist the urge to rip her hand away. “I can understand if you’re nervous, but you don’t need to be. My mind is made up, and once I decide what I want, I don’t stop until it’s mine.”

Her skin crawled, palm sweating under his touch. Finally, he pulled his hand away, and she felt like she could breathe again.

“I suppose I should be glad to see you’re so nervous. It’s a sign the rumors weren’t wrong. You are a proper young lady. Your cousin told me no one has ever courted you before. Is that correct?”

She nodded, eyes locked on her plate.

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear it. I understand if that means it takes you a little longer to warm up to me. I can be patient.”

“I fear I am not worth your patience. Perhaps you should turn your attention to more worthy endeavors.”

He chuckled. “You are being too humble. I assure you, I can think of no more worthy endeavors than this.”

Amber couldn’t bring herself to eat after that. She pushed her food around her plate and did her best to pretend to listen as he chattered on and on. She wanted nothing more than to go home to her mother. She wondered if the woman had any idea what was happening here. She couldn’t.

Amber was confident that if she did, she would never allow it.

When the meal finally ended and people started to disperse, Amber caught Christopher’s eye from across the room before slipping towards the door.

Amber slipped down the hall, shut herself into one of the rooms, and waited. Every second felt like hours. All she could do was stand there, heart pounding in her chest. She tried to distract herself by studying the room around her.

It appeared to be Mary’s writing room. It had a small bookcase filled with novels, and a few plants littered the corners and shelves. A woman’s writing desk took up the space in front of the window, all implements neatly put away in their respective places.

Despite her best efforts to distract herself, Amber’s thoughts quickly turned back to Christopher.

She wondered if he would even come.

He had every reason not to trust her after all.

Maybe he would just tell her cousin where she was and what she had asked. If he did, would that really be the worst thing in the world?

Maybe word would even get back to him, and it would be enough of a scandal to make him give up.

Maybe things would be fine even if he didn’t come.

Or maybe he wouldn’t come and would put the incident from his mind. Amber would wait until late into the night, and nothing would come of it. She would be on her own to find a new accomplice or try and find another way to change her fate.

The more seconds that ticked by, the surer Amber was that he wasn’t going to come. Sighing, she glanced at the clock. She’d give it another five minutes, and if he didn’t come, she would return to the party alone.

Just as she was about to give up, the door opened behind her. Whoever entered didn’t speak. She had no way to know for a minute if it was him here to meet her, someone else by pure coincidence, or Simon, here to reprimand her.

It was now or never.

Amber took a deep breath and turned around.

A few minutes ago