Page 9 of A Wish Upon an Earl (A Maypole in Mayfair #3)

S arah sat in her room, the distant sounds of the party filtering up through her open window.

She made a face at the window. Then she sighed. She wished she was down there too. She missed the party, naturally, but mostly she missed her friends…and Jack. Who was her friend too, of course.

Friends.

She made another face, wrinkling her nose and letting out a loud sigh. She should be glad they’d repaired their relationship, but who wanted to be friends with a handsome earl?

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. “Who is it?”

“It’s me. Aubrey,” came a whispered response from the other side of the door. Why was her friend being secretive?

“Come in,” she called, sitting up on the bed.

Aubrey pushed open the door just wide enough to stick her head through. She gave Sarah a long look before she opened the door wider. “You’re dressed. Good.”

“Of course I’m dressed.” Then she stopped as Aubrey turned to look at something or someone in the hall. “Wait. Why is that good?”

“You can come in,” Aubrey said to someone behind her, not bothering to answer Sarah as she stepped into the room, Drew at her back.

“What are you planning—” But the words died on her lips as Jack came in last.

“Hello,” he said, giving her one of his winks. The one that made her melt like ice on a hot day. “We’re here to help you escape.”

“Escape?” she asked, but her hands pressed together. “Escape to where?”

“Just to the north garden,” Aubrey answered. “But we thought… Well, that is to say, Jack thought you could use a break from your room.”

“We’ve set up a dinner picnic,” he said as he came to her bedside.

She looked at him, joy bubbling inside her. It was exactly what she needed, and while she’d lamented being friends, she saw the merit in the idea at this moment. “Thank you.”

“You’re most welcome.” He stepped closer, dropping his voice. “Drew is going to carry your chair, but if you’ll permit me, I’m going to carry you.”

Her heart began to thrum wildly. Touching was likely not a good idea, as it created a riot inside her each time. “I can walk.”

“Sarah,” he replied, giving her a long look. “You’re supposed to stay off that foot.”

“It’s getting better,” she said as she slid her feet over the side of her bed. “I’m going to attend dinner tomorrow. It’s Ash who requested I stay up here another day. He’s been rather protective the past few days.”

“Well, then it’s doubly important that you don’t overdo it on that ankle. We would not want to upset your brother.” And without another word, he scooped her up, cradling her close to his body.

Heat radiated from all the places his body touched hers, so she clamped her lips together to keep from gasping.

“Aubrey, you’re lookout,” Jack said as he turned toward the door. “Drew will carry the chair, and I’ve got the princess, I mean, Lady Sarah.”

Her brows lifted even as her hands tightened. “Princess?”

He winked. “It feels a little like a story, doesn’t it? Shall we pretend we’re rescuing you from a tall tower guarded by dragons?”

“Where is your armor?” she teased.

He let out an exaggerated huff. “You wouldn’t survive the interaction were I wearing it.”

Aubrey stuck her head out the door and looked both ways. “Besides, the entire party is wondering at the identity of the knight. That armor should never again see the light of day.”

“Still?” Sarah asked, a bit of concern making her stiffer in his arms. “Oh dear.”

“Still.” He shrugged, causing her to roll in his arms. “They likely want to know my identity so that they can print it in the scandal sheets.”

She winced. She knew what it meant to be at the center of people’s ill intentions.

He’d said he didn’t care who knew, but did he actually mean that?

Had he ever experienced that sort of cruelty?

Even though he’d aided in her own humiliation, she found it upset her to think of him suffering the same.

“You’ll have to hold off the dragons unprotected by armor then, a much more difficult task to be certain. ”

He grinned then. “Do not worry, my lady. I shall defend you with my life.”

A laugh rose to her lips, but Aubrey shushed them as they made their way out the door. “We must be quiet until we reach the garden in case we meet any staff or?—”

“Dragons,” Jack answered.

Aubrey rolled her eyes, but Sarah stifled a giggle.

“The largest is green and gold, and the flames that he shoots are tinged with silver,” Sarah said.

“Beautiful to be certain, but if they should touch you, not only will you be burned but you’ll be encased in the metal, frozen in the very position, the heat trapped inside your gilded capsule. ”

Aubrey stopped, staring at her. “Did you just make that up?”

Sarah looked over at her friend. Had Aubrey really never heard her tell a story? She’d given up romanticism for practicality, but apparently, she’d been even more withdrawn than she’d realized.

“You should hear her read. It’s mesmerizing,” Jack said as they made their way down the stairs. Then he looked at her, his face so close, she was reminded of the other night and her fantasy of a kiss. His kiss. “Now tell me more about the dragon. If I had my armor, would I be more protected?”

Pleasure at his touch, but also at the story they shared in this moment, made her pulse quicken. “Only if it’s made of pure silver. Otherwise, his fire will melt any other lesser metal.”

“We should check that fact with Camilla,” Aubrey said, having inspected the second floor hall before continuing on.

“I think this chair is made of silver. It’s blasted heavy.” Drew grunted from behind them.

“A chariot fit for a princess must be impressive,” Jack said by way of answer.

Drew groaned as he continued down the steps.

Sarah had to stifle a giggle. Her brothers had always indulged her stories, of course, but neither of them had ever participated in them, and just now, it felt so good to have someone share in them. Encourage them even.

The rightness of the whole thing settled over her.

* * *

Jack briefly searched his memory for a time when he’d been happier than he was right now, carrying Sarah down the servants’ stairs. Nothing came to mind.

She belonged next to him like this. In his arms, her laughter tickling his ears even as her fingers lightly brushed the skin on the back of his neck.

They reached the hall by the kitchen, and Aubrey tiptoed across the stone and opened the door out into the yard. Looking both ways, she waved them forward.

The moment they stepped out, Ash’s two bulldogs began barking and another laugh bubbled out of Sarah. “Watch out, it’s the dragon’s watchdogs. He’ll come for us for certain now.”

Jack’s grin was so wide, his cheeks ached a bit. Drew set down the chair with a grunt, and Jack reluctantly settled Sarah into the seat. He’d brought the thing out here to push her, but he found he liked her in his arms a great deal better. “In that case, we must hurry. Hold on!”

She grabbed the arms of the chair, and then Jack gave the chair a heaving push as it rolled over stone and through the manicured grass. They were both laughing, rather louder than was likely necessary, and as Jack ran faster, Aubrey and Drew fell behind, walking arm in arm.

“Did you hear the whoosh of wings?” he asked, as he tipped the chair back a touch so that it only rolled on its larger back wheels.

Sarah looked over her shoulder at him, grasping one of his arms. “Jack.” Her voice had that breathless quality that made his hand clench on the back of the chair. “Dragon or no, don’t let me fall.”

He slowed, leaning down close to her ear. He’d been responsible for two injuries, one to her ankle and one to her heart, but from here on out, her protection was his first priority. Her happiness, his second. “I’d never let anything happen to you.”

Her hand tightened on his forearm as she looked up at him. “Really?”

“Really.”

The garden came into view, and he started to walk. “I think we’ve beaten the dragon.”

A bark followed by another sounded through the night air. “Perhaps. But not the hounds,” Sarah said, her voice taking on an ominous tone.

Jack chuckled. “Not even I can compare your brother’s bulldogs to demon hounds. Two more lovably lazy dogs never existed.”

“Next masquerade, we’ll make them costumes too; they can coordinate with ours.”

Pleasure coursed through him to hear her make future plans for the two of them. It was what he’d hoped.

That made another round of laughter fall from his lips. “What shall we be?” Then he drew in a sharp breath. “I’ve got it; we’ll be a dragon.”

“One?” she asked, her green eyes twinkling in the night. “We’ll share a costume?”

“Precisely.” He stopped then, bending down so that his head was on the same level as hers.

“That is not coordinated, my lord. It’s scandalous.”

“Well, you’ll be the face, of course. You’re too stunning to stuff in the tail. And no one will even see me.”

Her fingers were still on his arm, circling his wrist. “That is a terrible plan.”

“Why?”

“Because.” She huffed, her breath tickling his cheek. “Everyone will wonder who is in that costume with me. I’ll be the talk of the?—”

But she stopped, her mouth clamping shut.

Oh Sarah . He winced. He’d made her retreat into this shell of fear. It was his fault. When she was younger, she never gave a whit what anyone else thought. “Hmm,” he said. “How can we protect your reputation? Let’s think. I could crouch very low so that everyone will think I’m a woman.”

She wrinkled her nose. “With those shoulders?”

A thrill of satisfaction that she’d noticed his shoulders ran down his spine. “My shoulders?”

“The only way I’d ever be safe from that sort of scorn is to be married. We both know that.”

He drew in a long, slow breath. Was this the moment when he should tell her how he felt? When he should share his feelings, his intentions? “Marriage…” He likely shouldn’t. He’d amended that this time would be about her. Not him. Still. If she were broaching the subject…

But the words died on his lips. Because, well, his lips were getting other ideas.

He was so close to her, and as her green eyes stared into his, they were drifting closer.

What better way to tell her how he felt than to kiss her in the moonlight.

But when he was a breath away, a deep voice called out, breaking the bubble around them. “Max!”

Sarah pulled away, her hand dropping from his arm. He grimaced into the darkness, trying to discern who was yelling and why.

Drew and Aubrey joined them, finally having caught up.

“The dogs must have followed,” Sarah said, just as Ash’s two bulldogs emerged from the darkness. “Did you invite Ash along too?”

“No,” Jack answered with a wince. Ash had been too busy, or perhaps he just didn’t want to see Jack. But he’d been unable to speak with his friend much at all.

“Max. Mabel. You’d better head on back,” Sarah said as she made a shooing motion with her hands. “He must be worried if he’s calling you.”

But neither dog listened, and one—Jack couldn’t tell which, they looked exactly the same to him—attempted to climb up into Sarah’s lap.

“Mabel,” Ash called again. Louder and closer.

“Will he mind that you’re out here?” Aubrey asked. “You’re perfectly chaperoned and you’ve stayed off the ankle.”

Sarah gave up trying to sway the dog and allowed it to climb into the chair with her. “Normally, I would say that he would not mind in the least.”

Aubrey stared off in the direction of Ash’s voice. “My impression of your brother was that he was always very calm and supportive.”

“He is. Normally. He’s been a bit…off the past few days.” Sarah nibbled her lip as she stared into the darkness.

Jack grimaced. Sarah had noticed too.

“Does he not like parties?” Drew asked. “I’m not overly fond of them myself.” Then he bent down and began petting the larger of the two dogs. “Now Max here, I’m quite taken with. He might not be a hunting dog, but he’s a solid chap.”

Ash emerged out of the darkness, but even in the dim light, Jack noted his friend’s frown. “What’s going on out here?”

Sarah waved to her brother around the dog now planted in her lap. “They came to rescue me.”

Ash’s grimace deepened. “Do you think it wise that you’re out here?”

“Why not?” Sarah asked, attempting to straighten. The dog made it nearly impossible.

“We’re trying to keep your injury quiet,” Ash returned, joining the group. “What if someone sees you?” Then he outright glared at Jack, his arms crossing, his frown deepening. Jack didn’t have to think very hard to know what was upsetting Ash.

Jack was the problem.

“Her lungs needed a bit of fresh air,” Jack replied. If Ash wanted to be angry at someone, it could be him. He needn’t snip at Sarah.

Ash’s gaze cut to Jack’s. “May I have a word?”

Jack gave a single nod as he stepped away from Sarah’s chair.Ash turned and started walking the way they’d come, leaving little choice but for Jack to follow.