Page 24

T he maze began with high shrubbery opening into a wide expanse of foliage.

Georgina would have thought that walls would have been erected, and perhaps they had.

The greenery towered over her, and she could not see above any of it—even if she were to go on her tiptoes.

She glanced at Lord Foxmoore. The shrubbery even towered over him.

How had they built this place? Perhaps she would ask the Marquess of Easton about the maze’s history.

She was utterly fascinated by it. As they strolled through the maze, she noticed that there were some sections not entirely consisting of greenery.

Some trellises had been built for growing vines and ivy that completely took over the framework.

There was beauty in the strangulation of the metal lattice now filled with those overflowing vines.

“How often have you been through this maze again?” she asked him.

“I don’t recall mentioning how many times I’ve traveled through it,” he said in an amicable tone. “Does it matter how many times I’ve been inside these green walls?”

Georgina thought about it then shook her head.

It didn’t matter. Not really. Her only concern was being able to find their way out of the maze after they reached the center and found their next clue.

“I suppose it doesn’t,” she replied. “Though I am curious.” She tilted her head to the side.

“Is there a reason you do not wish to disclose your experience with the maze?”

She glanced up at him through lowered lashes.

Trying not to stare, but also to admire his handsome face all the same.

Georgina was not a fool. Perhaps Lord Foxmoore believed her to be one.

She could not be certain and even if she were to ask him, she couldn’t be certain he’d tell her the truth.

They did not know each other well enough to decipher hidden meanings in words and deeds.

Sometimes even a prior knowledge of a person could not really help with such matters.

But she did understand one thing with certainty.

They were going deep into a maze where no one was likely to stumble upon them.

The heart of that maze, at the fountain built on a premise of love, would make a fine place for a romantic tryst.

If the earl had traipsed through this maze often enough to know it well—he’d had a few of those in his past, distant or otherwise.

Those past escapades did not matter to her.

They were behind him, and well, if they had a future at all she had to move forward, not keep her head in the past. She certainly had a terrible one.

Not in the sense of a scandal as many of the ladies at Havenwood Academy.

Being a wallflower did not often lead one to that sort of path.

But as she had no scandals, that also meant she had nothing of interest to recommend her either.

She was, for lack of a better description, boring—unnoticeable.

That he spent any amount of time with her was a sheer miracle. No gentleman had ever bothered before.

And now… He seemed at a loss for words and unable to respond to her inquiry. Should that concern her? Georgina didn’t think so, but it wasn’t as if she had never been wrong before.

He sighed and then finally said, “My past has questionable aspects to it that I’d rather not speak about.”

“Because you’re embarrassed by what you’ve done?” She lifted a brow. “Or because you think I’m too sensitive to hear about your scandalous liaisons?”

“Perhaps both?” he answered.

“Was that a question or a statement?” Georgina studied him.

He was such a beautiful man. Breathtaking really.

She could easily become lost in his warm brown eyes.

They were so inviting. The man was temptation personified.

He could easily lead her down a path of ruin and she’d gladly follow him—knowing that at the end he’d leave her and never look back.

No regrets and no penance for their actions.

She would welcome his brand of scandal, and it would be glorious to be kissed by it all.

How could anyone regret finding a grand passion even if it fizzled out as quickly as it had been lit?

He was the wrong gentleman to pin any sort of hope for a future on.

Perhaps she was a fool, because Georgina wanted exactly that.

She wanted to call him hers and forever be the one woman he claimed as his.

It would probably never happen, but oh how glorious it was to envision it all and dream of that fictional future.

“I don’t know what you want me to say,” he told her.

“The truth always helps. Less likely for any sort of misunderstanding that way.”

“I don’t know what the truth is anymore,” he admitted. “But I do know we have a wonderful chance of winning this scavenger hunt. Perhaps we should give that all our attention.”

“If you insist,” she said, not able to keep the hurt out of her tone.

He didn’t want to discuss anything that made him uncomfortable.

She supposed she could relate to that. Georgina had lived nothing but an uncomfortable life.

Her innate shyness had made every interaction in her life difficult.

He was perhaps the easiest person to talk with outside of her new roommates.

Before coming to Havenwood she had never had anything come so naturally to her. It was a revelation.

“We can discuss this later.” He frowned. “I just need to think about it. Sometimes it is too difficult to express what is felt and time is necessary to sort it out.”

“I suppose I understand that.” She motioned toward the maze. They had stopped at a juncture as they spoke and hadn’t moved forward. “Should we continue?”

He nodded. “I think we should. We would like to win, wouldn’t we?”

“We would,” she agreed.

They started back down the path and headed toward their destination, the fountain depicting Aphrodite, the goddess of love.

It was rather ironic when she thought about it.

Love had been a lacking emotion in her life and now she sought out the goddess for a simple clue.

Shouldn’t she ask her for guidance or something?

Isn’t that what one did when they were uncertain about what direction they should take with their life?

The hedge maze was a wondrous thing. All the hedges were neatly trimmed an even length.

The tall green foliage didn’t allow for any sight over them, and if not for Lord Foxmoore she’d definitely have been easily lost. They reached a section that forked in two different directions.

She halted and glanced up at him. “What way should we go?”

“To the left,” he said, then smiled. “Though if we go to the right there is a glorious sculpture you might enjoy.”

“Oh?” She tilted her head to the side. “What does it depict?”

“At this section of the maze, so close to Aphrodite’s fountain? Can you hazard a guess?”

“Well,” Georgina began, “she was the goddess of love. She had many lovers, but I suppose Adonis is the one most would think of when they think of her.”

“That is true,” he said, “But she was married to Hephaestus. Don’t you think he should be close to his wife?”

“Possibly,” she agreed. “I’m sure he is somewhere in this maze. He was her husband, as you said, but she was not a faithful wife. I stand by my guess that it is Adonis.”

“Then I think we should go right to see if your guess is correct. It is only fair. Should we wager on it?”

Georgina shook her head. How could he want to bet on everything? Though it wasn’t a fair wager as he already knew the truth of it, she was still tempted. “I will walk with you to see this sculpture, but I’m not wagering on anything. It’s a fool’s bet, and you know it.”

He chuckled softly. “You’re correct as always. Let’s go look at this statue.”

They turned right and strolled along the green paths until it opened up into a large square.

At the center was a sculpture of Adonis.

It portrayed him in a dynamic, yet relaxed, pose.

He was standing to emphasize his natural elegance.

He held a hunting spear in his left hand, and he was draped in a loincloth that partially covered his figure, accentuating the smooth lines of his body while maintaining a sense of modesty.

The overall effect evoked admiration for his physical perfection and an air of mythological grandeur.

It was a breathtaking rendition and a testament to the artist’s skill.

“I was correct,” she said and glanced up to meet his gaze.

The sculpture was indeed beautiful, but it didn’t compare to the man before her.

He stole her breath, and suddenly she wanted so much more from him.

What would it be like to be kissed by him?

Would it be as wondrous as her imagination had prepared her for, or so much better?

She might never know the answers to her questions but she wanted, desperately so, to have him kiss her.

The question, of course, was how to make that happen, and she had no way to discern any of it.

*

Adrian glanced at the sculpture of Adonis, then turned his attention on Georgina.

She studied the figure and seemed to be assessing every bit of detail with an intensity he didn’t appreciate.

What did she see in the sculpture that he failed to notice?

The art seemed to be flawless in the way that most art was—creative and beautiful.

But the exquisiteness of the art didn’t compare to the woman in front of him.

Georgina’s elegance and classic gracefulness outshone the intricate aesthetics of the sculpture.

It may only be his opinion, but Adrian believed he had the right of it.

“What are you thinking?” he asked her. Adrian wanted her attention on him, not this stone figure of a man that had caught her interest.