Page 42

Chapter Sixteen

Guests departed and the crowds thinned, leaving a few stragglers determined to draw out the last of the entertainment as the grey light of dawn dripped in through the long windows of the ballroom. Miles was ready for the event to be over but he doubted he’d sleep. Damn his brother. How could he do this to Augusta? There was no sign of him still. After all the promises he’d made to her...

He finished the last dregs of his glass of port and put the glass down, too hard for the delicate crystal. The stem shattered and he winced at the sting that cut into his fingers. Shaking his head at himself, he put his finger to his mouth and sucked away the worst of the damage.

He scanned the room. A few people had mentioned Henry’s absence and he had no doubt it fanned the flames of doubt surrounding Augusta and Henry’s courtship. Dancing with her might not have been the best idea but seeing her looking so forlorn had torn a ragged hole in his heart. He couldn’t resist a brief moment with her.

He scowled upon seeing Augusta’s parents still lingering. Her friends had long since retreated home but there was no way they would still be here if Augusta had left the ball. So where the devil was she? It was easy to lose someone in the prior crowds but he’d known where she was for most of the night. He couldn’t help himself. No matter how many times he tried to prevent his gaze from betraying him, it snuck over to her. She’d been exceptionally pretty tonight and he hated that it was all meant for Henry. His brother did not deserve her one jot.

Miles did a casual loop of the room, peering into some of the anterooms but there was no sign of her. He paused by the large windows, almost dismissing the thought that she would be outside until he caught sight of her by the lake. His scowl deepened. Augusta never set foot by that lake and he did not appreciate the sight of her there. It reminded him all too much of the day he’d nearly lost her.

Exiting the ballroom, he made haste to join her outside. Sunlight teased from behind the hills, bringing the promise of a bright and sunny day. A little mist from the damp grass rose and swirled about Augusta’s skirts, making her look other-worldly. Her carefully styled hair had come free from its confines, leaving several curls dropping over her shoulders. She walked with her arms around her, her head bowed low, following the line of the lake.

“Gus!” he called.

She jerked her head up and stilled, a slight but tense smile flattening her lips. “Miles.”

“What are you doing here?”

She pressed her lips together. “Walking, of course.” she continued her slow pace around the generous, uneven edge of the water where reeds jutted up and concealed the threshold between water and land.

Miles mirrored her footsteps. “By the lake, though?”

She gave a light laugh. “Perhaps I was trying to be brave.”

“I’d rather you did not.”

“Do you think me foolish enough to fall in?” She wrapped her arms tighter about herself and peered ahead of her. “Well, I imagine many people think me a fool after tonight.”

“Henry has a great deal of apologizing to do but no one thinks you a fool.”

She twisted her head. “No? You cannot deny that I look silly indeed, waiting around for a fiancé for so long only for him to avoid me at his own ball.”

“His behavior reflects only upon himself,” he said through gritted teeth. He could wring his brother’s neck for upsetting her.

“Do you think me a fool? For waiting so long?”

He shook his head. “Gus, you are one of the smartest women I know. A little too generous at times, but you are no fool.”

“So I have been too generous to Henry,” she murmured.

“Perhaps.” Miles clamped his mouth shut before he said anything further. He’d love to tell her to end things with him but his motives were not pure enough for that sort of advice.

Augusta paused and sank onto the grass, plucking a reed and beginning to shred it in her fingers. Her white skirts spilled about her and she curled up her legs to one side, making her look like a delicate, creamy concoction. Miles hesitated. No one would think to look for either of them here and he’d already vowed he would not muddy the waters of their relationship again. But to see her so fragile, so small and in need of comfort—it would take a lot of willpower not to draw her into his arms and kiss away her pain.

Reluctantly, he sat next to her. “Henry will set a date,” he assured her. “I am not certain what he is going through at the moment but he was determined that he would marry you, Gus.”

He watched her expression, searching for some sign of delight or love or excitement at the idea. She did still love Henry, did she not?

She kept her gaze focused on the reed in her hand while she ripped at it, making it smaller and smaller. “Your father’s death had a great impact on Henry.”

“It did.”

“I wonder if your father had not died, whether he would have offered for my hand.”

“The two of you were always meant to be together. Everyone knew that.”

She glanced sideways at him and smiled. “You did not answer my question.”