Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

C hristopher watched from his spot at the table next to his sister as Amber’s cousin dragged her to sit beside some slimy guy.

If the look on the supposed gentlemen’s faces was anything to go by, he was starting to figure out why Amber might want to be ruined. He found himself feeling bad for her as he watched the man talk her ear off. Amber didn’t seem to be saying a word, only responding with the occasional nod.

“You’re staring,” Felicity whispered, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“What?” his head snapped to face her.

She had a knowing grin painted all over her face. “You heard me. You’re staring at the woman who totally isn’t your friend, and you have been since we sat down. Are you going to continue to pretend nothing is going on?”

“I wasn’t staring,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. As he did so, he couldn’t help the way his eyes returned to Amber. “I just happened to look in her general direction. It’s hard not to, given where we are both sitting. She’s just in my line of sight, that’s all. You’re reading into things.”

But Felicity wasn’t buying it and just kept asking question after question. “Am I? Then why haven’t you looked away from her since we sat down? Even now, you’re still doing it.”

He scowled at her. “You’re seeing things.”

She grinned. “That’s the first time you looked at me since we sat down.”

“That can’t be right.”

“I can promise you that is it.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“No? Then why don’t you start by telling me when the last time you looked up was.”

“I’m quite sure that I looked up at you when you first started this regrettable conversation.”

“There’s no reason to be so dramatic just because I noticed you staring.”

“I am not being dramatic. You are simply being rather absurd.”

“I don’t think I’m being any more absurd than you are, mooning from across the room rather than having a simple conversation.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” he scowled.

She lit up. “I know! We should ask if you can sit next to her for dinner.”

“And why would I want that?”

“You’re absolutely right. Far better to simply stare at her from across the room. I’m sure that will be far more effective than having a conversation.”

“More effective implies I have an end goal.”

‘Still sticking to that?”

“What could I possibly want from her?”

She sighed. “I wonder? It truly is a mystery.”

His grip tightened on the handle of his knife. The cool silver pressing into his flesh was a grounding sensation against his pounding heart. He couldn’t believe what she was implying. She knew better than to make assumptions like that. She knew his thoughts on women. Combined with the earlier statements, it was obvious what she was trying to imply. “I thought I told you to drop that,” he ground out.

She hummed, “You did, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to listen.”

“I supposed I should have known better than to expect that from you.”

“You truly should have. Your happiness is of the utmost importance to me after all.”

“And you don’t trust me to manage that on my own?”

“Of course not! Why would I? You have already shown you will not do what it takes to find it.”

“Then if I might be a bit more direct, I would like you to promise me you won’t meddle. I mean it,” he added when he saw the petulant look on her face.

She huffed, “I don’t understand why you’re even asking me this. After all, if there’s nothing between you, then there’s nothing for me to meddle in now, is there?” She said the last part while smirking from behind her glass.

“Just because there isn’t anything between us doesn’t mean you won’t try to create something out of nothing for your own entertainment.”

“Is that truly the kind of thing you think I do?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Well, that’s rather rude of you to say.”

“It’s only rude if what I said isn’t the truth. Are you truly going to look me in the eye and tell me anything I have said is false? That anything I said is out of character for you in the slightest?”

She didn’t say a word, simply picking at her food.

“Felicity,” he warned, “you still haven’t promised me.”

She looked away. “Of course, I haven’t agreed to anything. I don’t know what you want me to say. I don’t even know what you’re asking me.”

“Yes, you do. You simply refuse to say it.”

“And why would I do that?”

“Because you know that if you did, it would ruin your little game.”

She laughed. “When you say it like that, it makes it sound like you weren’t expecting me to agree.”

“I wanted you to agree, but it seemed a rather likely possibility that you would argue with me even if you did end up relenting.”

“If you knew I would refuse, then why did you bother asking?”

He whirled around to face her, an intense look on his face. “Because, Felicity, this is important.”

She shrugged.

“I mean it. Promise me you won’t say anything suggesting she should expect any kind of courtship or proposal from me.”

“Do you really think I would do something like that?”

“Yes, I do.”

“That’s rather insulting.”

“Only if it isn’t true.”

“But it isn’t. I would never do something like that to you.”

Christopher leveled her with a look.

“I would never say something nearly as direct as what you claim!”

“No doubt you would try to be discrete, but you lack even the most basic forms of subtlety.”

She pouted. “Must you always be so cruel to me?”

“Only when you deserve it.”

“Then why does it happen so often?”

“Because you frequently deserve it.”

“I wonder what Amber would think if she knew that?”

“So the two of you have been spending a lot of time together?”

“Oh yes. She has been helping me improve my embroidery.”

“Has she?” he snorted. “Poor girl must have her work cut out for her.”

“She said it isn’t that bad and all I need to do is learn to be more patient.”

“So you can never expect to improve then. Good to know.”

She pouted again, but Christopher’s focus was pulled away when he heard the man beside Amber let out an obnoxious laugh.

His eyes darted over to them, and Felicity grinned.

“There’s nothing there, is there?”

“I thought you agreed to drop it?”

“You did ask me to, but I had yet to agree.”

He glared, but she just laughed.

Meanwhile, Amber was in misery. She wanted nothing more than to tell Thomas to leave her alone.

But, of course, she was a proper lady. Even if Simon wasn’t forcing her to entertain his advances, she wouldn’t be allowed to be that blunt.

So all she could do was sit there and listen as he went on and on.

“Where did you go earlier?” Thomas asked.

“What?” Amber asked.

“Earlier, I told you to wait for me while I grabbed you something to drink. When I came back, you were gone.”

“My apologies, only a moment after you left, a girl I’d promised to help improve her embroidery came over. I wanted to find and tell you, but you were lost in the crowd.”

“Next time, tell her you need to wait for me. Do you understand?”

She forced herself to nod.

The second the meal ended, she made her escape.

As she was fleeing, she ran into Christoper.

“Where are you off to?” he asked.

“Does it matter?” She glanced back. Thomas wasn’t far, and he was looking for her.

He followed her gaze. “Perhaps we should take this conversation elsewhere.”

“If you wouldn’t mind, that would be great.”

She followed him through the crowded room to one of the other parlors. They made several turns until they lost Thomas in the crowd.

Only when she was sure he wouldn’t be able to find them did she let out a sigh of relief. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“Do what?” he shrugged. “All I did was walk with you into another room. Anything else that was happening had nothing to do with me. I didn’t help you do anything.”

She hesitated for a moment. “But?—”

“But nothing. Trust me on this.”

She hesitated.

“If you’re that concerned, we can meet up sometime tomorrow to discuss better boundaries when we are in public and sort out the details of the plan, but for now, what could possibly be wrong with us talking in a crowded room?”

Then she nodded, a bright smile on her face. “All right, so then what are you up to over here?”

“I think I want to check on my sister. I don’t like her being on her own here. No offense, but I don’t know anyone.”

“That’s understandable. You’re a good big brother to be so worried about her.”

He hummed. “It’s just what I’m supposed to do. I know how she can be, and I don’t want her to run wild because she thinks I’m not looking.”

Amber laughed. “Then you should find her fast.”

“I intend to.” Then he hesitated, glancing around. “Would you like to join me?”

She frowned. “Now?”

“No, next week.”

“But why?” Her eyes widened. “Are you saying we should…” She gave him a pointed look.

“No, I was just asking if you wanted to join us, but if you don’t, then you can simply say as much.”

“No, I didn’t—I mean, I’d love to join you.”

“Is that right?”

She straightened her spine. “It is.”

“Amber!” Thomas called, still searching for her somewhere nearby.

“Only, maybe not here.”

They turned and started making their way from the room. As they went, they ran into Mary, who immediately spotted Amber. She approached them with a tight smile.

“Amber, we’ve been looking for you.”

Her heart pounded. “You- you have?”

She nodded. “You should come with me before your cousin starts to look for you.”

Amber glanced at Christoper.

“Actually,” he cut in, “she was helping me look for my sister. It seems the girl wandered off again.”

Suddenly a strange smile came across Amber’s face. “I’m sure you can find her on your own. You can tell me all about it tomorrow.”

He studied her for a moment, the meaning of her words working themselves out to him. After a moment, he nodded.

“All right then. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He made pointed eye contact.

When she smiled, he knew she understood.

* * *

Amber’s heart pounded in her chest as she paced the grassy field, waiting for Christoper.

It wasn’t too late. She could still back out.

All it would take would be to turn and walk back down the garden path to where the rest of the party was waiting.

Before she could come to a decision, a voice called out to her.

“Ready to do this?”

She flushed. “Just like that?”

“No point in waiting any longer, is there?”

“I suppose not,” she chewed her lip. “How do you want to do this?”

“The others should be coming down this way for a walk soon. I thought we could linger near the path and let them catch us there.”

“That sounds like it might work.”

“Of course, it will. I came up with it.”

Amber rolled her eyes. “Right, so I guess we should get into position?”

“That would probably be smart. We don’t want to be rushing in at the last minute, or they might think that we haven’t been there very long.”

“And that’s important? Letting them think we’ve been there for a long time?”

“Of course. If we really were a couple, it would mean we actually enjoy each other’s company.”

She snorted. “That’s rather hard to imagine.”

“Think of it as a chance to show off your acting skills. I know I am.”

“Just show me where we should do this.”

“Come on. It’s just down this way.”

He took her hand, and Amber’s face felt hot. Words lodged in her throat as she let herself be led along the path.

Finally, they came to a small gap in the tree line.

“This spot should be perfect,” Christopher decided.

“Are you sure?” she glanced around. “It’s pretty far down the path.”

“Of course, it is. It wouldn’t be believable if we were too close to the house.”

“I supposed that makes sense.” She glanced around, rubbing her arms to stave off the cold. “What now?”

“Now, we wait.”

“Just standing here like this?”

“Go put your back against that tree,” he pointed.

“What? Why?”

“Just do it.”

Amber wanted to argue more but knew a losing battle when she saw on. Instead, she did as he asked, leaning back against the tree.

“Now what?” she grumbled, suppressing a shiver at the feeling of the ice-cold bark on her back.

“Perfect, now, stay just like that.”

Her breath caught in her throat as Christopher moved in close. His hands came to rest on the three beside her, their closeness accentuating the difference in their heights.

She could feel the heat coming off his chest. She couldn’t help but think about leaning in, closer.

But of course, that was just the cold talking.

Silence blanketed them as she looked deep into his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat, heart pounding.

Why did it feel so right to be so close to him?

He was too good at this game. Amber could feel herself starting to fall for the act.

Christopher noticed something in her expression and frowned. “Are you all right?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He frowned. “You’re shaking.”

“It’s a little bit colder out here than I was expecting.”

She expected him to mock her or to tell her she needed to grow up and get over it, but he didn’t.

Instead, his frown deepened, and he started rubbing at her arms.

Heat prickled at her that felt like more than the simple warmth of her hands. Sparks prickled over her skin even through the thick wool of her sleeves.

“What are you doing?” she flushed, scandalized.

“Warming you up. I can’t have you freezing on me.”

Amber’s flush deepened. She found herself leaning into his touch despite herself.

“Is this helping?” he asked, voice rumbling against her chest.

“I- I think so.”

“Good, then I’ll keep doing it.” He grinned down at her in a way that made Amber’s stomach flip.

“Do you need to be so close?” she grumbled.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like having me close? This was your plan after all.”

“Of course, I don’t. Why would I like this?”

“Come on, you can admit it. You’re doing this because you want me close. You came up with this whole elaborate plan just to make it happen.”

“Shut up,” she flushed.

“Why? Is it hard to hear the truth?”

“I’d say it’s hard to hear such lies.”

“Is that right?”

“It is! I?—”

“Quiet!” He cut her off, leaning in even closer. “Here they come.”

Both of them fell silent, listening to the voices in the distance as they crept closer and closer.

Amber’s heart pounded in her chest. This was it. They were going to get caught then she would be free and?—

“Didn’t you say you had a new rose bush planted in the greenhouse?” one of the voices asked.

No, Amber’s heart sank. That was on the other end of the grounds.

“Maybe they won’t go,” Christopher whispered.

“Of course, we did. Not too long ago if I remember correctly. Why do you ask?”

Don’t say it.

“I thought it might be a nice change of pace to take a quick detour and take a look if you don’t mind.”

Say no!

“Of course. Good thing you said something now. Otherwise, we would have had to wait until the end of our walk.”

“And what a shame that would have been,” Christopher muttered.

Amber bit back a laugh.

The pair were helpless to do anything but listen as the voices moved further and further away from them.

After a moment, Amber cleared her throat. “Maybe we should go now.”

“Eager to be close to me, and now eager to get away from me.”

“I was never eager to get close to you.”

“Of course, you weren’t.”

“I wasn’t! Why would I want that?”

He shot her another look then finally stepped back, face falling back into his natural mask.

“Come on. We should get back to the others.”

“That’s what I said a few seconds ago.”

“Come on, Amber. We shouldn’t linger here,” he declared, turning to walk away without waiting to make sure she was following.

Amber glared at him for a moment before trailing after him, arms crossed over her chest. She wanted to yell at him, but she wasn’t sure how close anyone was, and it wouldn’t do to attract the wrong attention to themselves now.

The time had already passed.

They made their way back to the others who were waiting. The second they stepped out, Felicity was by their side.

“There you both are,” she grinned. “I was wondering where you two took off to.”

“Nowhere,” Christopher said quickly. “We’ve been here the whole time.”

She shot him a look, a strange sparkle in her eye. “Sure, you were. I must have just missed you.”

“Obviously, you did. How long have you been looking for us?”

“A while, but you don’t need to worry about that.”

“What—”

“Amber,” a voice cut through the crowd.

Her spine stiffened.

“Simon,” she said.

“I have been looking everywhere for you, and I don’t think I am the only one. Where have you been?”

“Nowhere,” she said a bit too quickly.

He gave her a heavy look. “Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter. After all, I have found you now. Come with me.”

“But—”

“Now.”

She shot Christopher and Felicity a look. “Sorry, I need to go.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Felicity reassured. “I’m sure we’ll see you later.”

She shot them one more look over her shoulder as she was pulled away.

Christopher was surprised by just how much irritation bubbled under his skin at the sight.