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“We will be one moment…”

Lady Ramsbury snatched her husband’s arm and dragged him across the room. Then they put their heads together, bickering under their breaths as they hurried out of the room. And Frederick watched them, wondering if perhaps this was not the worst idea he’d ever had. Maybe he should just cancel the wedding and resign himself to living the rest of his life as a single man. Not a bad idea, although… Amelia.

A shake of the head and he walked over to the door, leaning against the frame as he cast his gaze down the hallway. As he did, he attempted to listen for what he was sure was the sound of shouting from upstairs, another sign that this marriage was off to a less-than-perfect start.

But then he noticed movement down the hallway. What was more, he saw a body darting from doorway to doorway as iftrying to hide. They glanced back over their shoulder, a wicked grin spread across their face, and then they ducked through another door which Frederick guessed led outside and into the back garden.

He could not help but laugh at the sight. It was Lady Hannah, doing all that she could to avoid her parents and him by extension.

For a moment, Frederick wondered if he should wait for Lord and Lady Ramsbury to return so he could explain what he just saw, only for a new idea to occur to him. A better idea.

He wanted to speak with Lady Hannah and clear up a few misunderstandings, hopefully convincing her to go through with the marriage while assuring her it would not be as tragic as he had made it out to sound. And he couldn’t very well do that with her parents looking over his shoulder.

But she was alone now. Likely hiding in the garden. So, what was to stop him from speaking to her now, directly, free from prying eyes and ears?

Frederick took a final sip of his brandy and put the glass down. He chanced a glance back toward the foyer, making sure that Lord and Lady Ramsbury were not there. And then, moving quickly, he swept through the house and made for the back door.

It was time, finally, to get this marriage back on track. And then, hopefully, put this awful week behind him once and for all.

Chapter Six

Frederick spotted her the instant he stepped outside. She was sitting with her back to the house, hidden by a large oak tree that grew toward the back of the garden, clocked in shadow. Had he not been looking for her, he might have missed her.

He was about to go to her, only to pause and take a closer look, for he realized that not only was this the first time he had seen his bride-to-be in over a week, but it was also the first time he had seen her in daylight. And, strangely, when she was fully clothed.

No need to confirm her beauty, for he had noticed that the first time he had seen her. Dark brown hair that fell down her shoulders, porcelain white skin, and features that were round and somehow defined at the same time. But her body was what had stood out to him, and still did. Curves… plenty of them. Even sitting down as she was, even with her dress bunched up, he could see them clear as day.

Memories of his hands tracing her curves flashed in his mind, how they had felt as she shuddered beneath his touch. Thoughts of tearing that dress off her so he might see those hips and those br?—

Frederick gave his head a shake and straightened up. He was here to set boundaries, not cross them. Fantasies such as that… well, they were nothing but dangerous.

Keeping his expression neutral, he hurried across the garden, careful to remain silent until he reached the tree. Then he stood over her, choosing to lean against the trunk so that he was half-facing her, half-turned away. He crossed his arms and adopted on a casual stance, grinning to himself because, although he stood right over her, she still did not notice him.

“I am not disturbing you, am I?” he asked.

“Oh!” she yelped, half-jumping to her feet, half-stumbling forward as she lost her balance in an effort to turn around. She ended up on her hands and knees in the dirt, looking up at where he stood, a look of utter shock on her face. “You!”

“Me,” he said simply, still leaning against the tree. “Tell me, how is it down there? It looks cozy.”

“What are you doing here!” She pushed herself back and scrambled to her feet.

“Your parents invited me,” he replied. “Did you not hear?”

“Not here!” she snapped as she dusted the dirt off her dress. “Buthere. In the garden! And sneaking up on me!”

“Well, seeing as you were attempting to sneak away, I thought that sneaking up on you was my best option. Personally, I think it worked rather well.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What do you want?”

“To talk.”

“I think we have spoken enough, don’t you?”

“On the contrary,” he responded coolly, despite the heat radiating from her. “I have been thinking about the other night, and there was a lot left unsaid. I was hoping we might be able to remedy that.”

“And what if I do not want to?” She crossed her arms and glared at him.

“Then this promises to be a rather dull marriage, wouldn’t you say?”