Page 7 of The Lady’s Great Escape

“Do you see?” Gray taunted waving the invitation again. “No, you can’t possibly see, because you weren’t invited.”

Kit frowned at his friend. Gray and Celia had been like this since he’d known them. He’d thought they’d grow out of it eventually. So far, there was no evidence of such a possibility.

“Perhaps I will attend anyway,” she said.

Graham held out the card so she could read the words at the bottom.

“Admission granted upon presentation of this invitation only,” she read with a pout. “I’m sure I’d not want to attend something so disreputable anyway.” This last part she said exceedingly loud. Causing Kit to shudder and Gray to groan once more.

Celia smiled broadly as she spread jam on a piece of toast.

“I’m sure you received one as well,” Gray said to Kit.

“I’m sure I did, but I don’t intend to go.” He glanced over at Celia hoping to see approval in her eyes, but she was looking dejectedly at her plate while tearing her toast to bits. Did she truly want to attend such a function?

“You have to go,” Gray said, wincing at his own volume.

“I assure you; I do not have to go.”

“You’re planning to get leg-shackled this year. You must attend one last masquerade at Lady Harrington’s.”

He glanced to Celia as she tilted her head in interest.

“You plan to marry?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I’m of an age and I now have the means to support a family. I’ve been alone for long enough wouldn’t you say?” His father, whom he barely remembered had died when Kit was ten. He’d stayed with his mother in England until she’d died when he was sixteen.

Kit’s bachelor uncle was called on to raise him. He’d pulled Kit from Eton and sent him to Heriot’s in Edinburgh to receive a proper Scots education while Uncle Robert spent most of his time at sea. And then he’d died the following year.

“And with you set to fall victim to the parson’s noose, we need this one last romp of fun,” Graham insisted.

Kit opened his mouth to decline or point out that once they got to the party, they always went their own ways and didn’t see each other the rest of the evening anyway. But he didn’t get the chance because Gray got that devious look on his face and leaned closer.

“If you go, I promise I’ll be on my best behavior when you start courting your potential bride. If you refuse…” He smiled evilly. “I’ll be forced to share all the stories of our previous forays at Lady Harrington’s past masquerades.”

“You are the devil,” Kit said while Celia nodded solemnly in agreement.

*

As was herroutine, Celia left Penbrook House that afternoon to visit the bookstore. As a woman of means, she no longer had to rely on the books at the lending library. Instead, she was happy to buy her own books and then donate them to the library for others to enjoy.

Preferring to walk, she only took the carriage on days when the weather was unfit. Today was not such a day. The sun had burned through the morning fog and warmed her face as she raised it to the sky.

She and her maid had only made it a short distance before a carriage stopped close by and a man called her name.

“Lady Hamlin.”

She turned to see the current Earl of Hamlin coming closer. Edward was a thin man with the Hamlin nose. The fact that he was generally scowling did not help his appearance.

“Good afternoon, my lord.”

“I saw you walking as I was driving by. Surely Lord Penbrook should not want his sister’s virtue to be at risk. Allow me to give you a ride.”

Having picked up on his verbal trap, she offered a cold smile.

“I assure you, my brother knows an experienced woman, such as myself is more than capable of strolling to the bookstore while accompanied by my maid.”

“Experienced?” He picked up on the word she’d used to dissuade him from pursuing this unwanted conversation. “There is a maid at Archstone who will testify that there was no evidence of consummation in your marriage bed with my grandfather.”