Page 79 of The Secret Sister

His lips twitched. ‘Sorry.’

They continued walking. The silence between them feeling less tense than a moment ago.

‘Tell me about your family,’ Eliza said after a while as they meandered along the path. ‘You know a lot about me, but I know very little about you.’

‘There’s not a great deal to tell,’ he said, matching his long stride to her much shorter one. ‘My father died two years ago. He was a wonderful man and I miss him enormously.’

‘I’m sorry. It’s hard to lose one’s papa. Is your mother still alive?’

‘She is.’ Robert glanced sideways at her. ‘Alive and well in Scarborough currently. She enjoys the sea air. Swears that it does her good.’

‘I’m sure it does. I miss the sea at Howick. Scarborough is a lovely place to visit.’

‘You’ve been?’

‘I have. I loved the castle and the sea. It was spectacular. I would love to go back someday.’

He nodded, casting her a sidelong glance. They walked along a little further.

‘Is it your first visit to the Pleasure Gardens?’ he asked, eventually.

‘It is. You?’

He hesitated, looked a little sheepish, then replied, ‘No, but none of my previous visits have been quite so pleasant.’

Eliza’s heart jumped, making her skin prickle. ‘I see,’ she said, wishing that she could come up with something clever and witty. It seemed easy to do with Hart, but with Robert, words deserted her. She glanced up at him, and there was a frown on his face and a flush to his cheeks that made her wonder if he had the same difficulty.

He paused and looked about. ‘Where have Lady Hannah and Ed gone?’

Eliza glanced around. They had strayed from the main path and were alone. ‘I don’t know. I think we took a wrong turn somewhere.’

They walked a little further and came upon a small, circular garden with a bench. It was quite deserted and Eliza realised that they had strayed from the main path. She had been warned about straying from the path. She had imagined it was a figurative instruction, but here, it was clearly literal.

They stood together and looked around. It was dark, with the soft glow of lanterns in the trees and the quiet noises of revelry gentle on the night air.

Robert looked down at her with serious eyes.

‘You look lovely,’ he murmured.

‘Thank you.’

He sighed. ‘I’m not very good at this.’

‘At what?’ Eliza wished she could read his expression better.

‘Forgive me, you must think me completely foolish.’ He ran a hand around the back of his neck, one hand on his hip. ‘I find that… that I like you,’ he blurted. ‘I like you a great deal, but I am never very good at saying what is on my mind in an acceptable way.’ He looked troubled. ‘I’m a soldier, you see. I can manage social situations reasonably well, but important things like… I am not terribly good at saying… important things.’ He shrugged and looked defeated.

Eliza’s heart was thumping hard against her ribs. He liked her. He liked her a great deal. She had imagined if a gentleman were to express liking it would be done with some kind of romantic gesture. Like flowers. Or something. But the awkwardness of a soldier faced with an unfamiliar emotion stole her heart completely.

She touched his arm and he startled. His eyes widened as he looked at it laying there. ‘If it helps at all,’ she said, gathering her courage, ‘I rather like you too.’

He stared at her, unblinking, almost disbelieving. The flush on his cheek deepened, and that smile that had initially snagged her heart crept out.

‘I see. Well then. That’s good?’

Eliza nodded, and he nodded too.

‘Would you… would you like to call me Robert?’ he said in a rush.