Chapter 4

Four

R oman strolled into the clearing by the pond at a leisurely pace. Yes, he hoped she would be there, but he also realized rushing would go against his own interests. For several reasons… If he walked too fast, he would aggravate the still healing injuries in his leg, and how would it appear for him to come running up on her? She didn't seem like the typical female and probably wouldn't easily startle; however, she would quickly realize how eager he was to see her again. That would give her an advantage in their exchange, and he wanted to keep them on equal footing. At least for as long as possible…

Everything changed inside of him when he met her. It was almost as if he'd been waiting his entire life to meet her, and now that he had, Roman had one goal. To have her by his side for the rest of their lives. He stopped near a tree and glanced around him, then grinned like the fool he most likely was when he noticed a horse tied to a post in the distance.

He hadn't seen her yet, though. Where had she disappeared to? Roman headed in the direction of the pond, glancing around him as he made his way to where he hoped to find her. Underneath a large tree with leaves budding, he found her on a blanket with a leather-bound book in her lap. She seemed engrossed in the pages and hadn't yet noticed him walking toward her.

Roman stopped in front of her and waited. Slowly, she lifted her head and met his gaze. A smile filled her face as she stared up at him. "You're sneakier than you were last time," she said, then laughed. "Aren't you a surprise?"

He lifted a brow. "Is that so terrible?" Roman didn't wish to tell her about his infirmity yet. The last thing he wanted was for her to see him as some sort of cripple. He had worked hard to overcome his difficulties, and he still had more work to do, but he fully believed he would recover.

She closed the book and tucked it away into a small bag. He was curious about it, but didn't ask. She stood up and brushed down her trousers. Her hair was bound, and he found he was disappointed that they were not flowing over her as they had been before. Instead, they were wound around her gorgeous face in firmly secured plaits. Finally, she glanced at him and said, "I had hoped to see you again."

"You did?" That surprised him. He hadn't thought she would admit to wanting to see him again, but he was glad she had. Her smile, though not bright, carried a hint of sadness. He didn't like it. "Because we won't be here much longer. I wanted to apologize for my rude behavior."

"I didn't think you were rude," he told her as her worlds seared through him. "Where are you going?" He focused on what was most important. Roman couldn't very well court her if he couldn't find her. He had thought he could handle his mother and be seen around London a bit, then return to her. That wouldn't work if she left.

"To London, of course," she said, as if that was the only answer that could be acceptable. "I'm to have my first season." She shrugged. "Well, Maeve and I are."

She was one of the twins… He still didn't know her name, but at least he could narrow down which one she was not. He smiled. "That's wonderful," he told her. He felt that in his very bones. He had just decided to return home and then go to London. They would be in the same city and he could court her openly during the season.

"It is?" She raised both brows. "I'm afraid I do not understand your happiness at my upcoming season."

He may regret his next words, but he did not see any reason not to tell her. "Because I'm leaving soon too," he explained. "I'll be in London soon enough as well. Perhaps we shall meet again there."

Her smile held more warmth when it slowly filled her face. He basked in it and wanted to lean down and kiss her. It was too soon. Roman didn't wish to frighten her away.

"I would very much like to see you again," she admitted, then tilted her head to the side to study him. "You don't know me. Why do you wish to be around me?"

Did she not realize how truly beautiful she was? There was something absolutely pure about her. When she glanced at him with those inquisitive eyes, he almost became speechless. Somehow, he found enough to utter, "Because you are a delightful surprise I never knew to wish for."

Her eyes widened, and she stepped closer to him. "I feel the same about you," she admitted.

They were so close now he could close the distance and give in to the need to kiss her. He shouldn't. How scandalous would that be? He'd kiss her and compromise her without even knowing her name…

"I should go." His voice came out gruff as he fought his need to kiss her. He would not accost her like a lecherous old man. "You were occupied when I strolled toward you."

"Do you have to leave?" she asked. "I'd like for you to stay."

He could stay and listen to her speak for hours, or not say anything at all. Roman calmed in her presence and just felt content. "Do you think that is wise?"

She studied him for several moments and then said, "If you must leave me, I have one request before you do."

"Anything," he said and meant it.

"Kiss me," she told him.

He couldn't have heard her correctly. "Pardon me?"

She flicked her tongue over her bottom lip and stepped closer. "You heard me, Lord Kendal," she insisted. "Kiss me. I know you want to."

He closed his eyes and groaned. It would be so easy to do as she asked, and he wasn't strong enough to resist her. Now when she was asking him to do the very thing he desperately wanted. Roman cursed and pulled her into his arms, then pressed his lips to hers. His entire body erupted with need at the contact. He slanted his lips over hers, and when she opened her mouth on a gasp, he slid his tongue inside. Their tongues tangled together as their desire became an entity they couldn't control.

Somehow, with great reluctance, Roman stopped. This couldn't happen in a field where anyone could walk up on them. He had to protect her. He took a step back and stared at her, his breathing ragged. "That…"

"Was everything," she finished for him. Her smile was so sensual it gutted him. "Thank you, Lord Kendal. You've told me all I needed to know."

He wished he could think clearly enough to decipher her meaning. "Roman," he told her. "You should definitely call me Roman." He met her gaze. "Tell me your name." He was tired of not knowing that little detail about her. It was important.

"I'm Athena," she told him. "Lady Athena Thompson." She grinned. "I should return home." Athena folded her blanket and placed it in the saddlebag on her horse, along with her small bag with the book. She mounted her horse and then said, "Until we meet again in London, Roman. Don't disappoint me." Then she flicked the reins, and the horse took off. Roman stared after her like a bumbling fool.

"Athena," he whispered her name. "I will see you again." She'd charmed him the first time he'd glanced her way, and now he was most definitely besotted. He couldn't wait to spend more time in her company.

Three weeks later…

Athena stared down at the gown she'd had designed for her debut ball. It was a dark green that was too bold for a young debutante about to be presented, but she didn't care. Her hair was piled high on her head, with dark ringlets draping around her face. The pendant with her initial that she'd found with her mother's journal was her only jewelry. The black stone glittered in the candlelight and it almost felt as if her mother stood beside her approvingly.

All she could think about was Roman. He had kissed her. Yes, she had asked him for that kiss, but she hadn't thought he actually would grant her desire. And what a kiss it had been… She touched her lips as if she could feel his lips still there. She would kiss him again. Until that moment, Athena hadn't been certain, but now she knew—he was meant to be hers.

That might seem ridiculous to believe, but she did. Athena didn't regret kissing him. It had been a test. At first, it had started out as something she needed, but then it quickly turned into something far more devastating to her. Her heart opened up to him in those fleeting moments, and he had willingly entered. She would bet everything that he had felt what she had. They were drawn to each other for a reason.

A knock echoed through the room, and Isla stepped inside. She wore a gown of deep gold that made her skin glow. Her only jewelry as well was the black stone pendant with her initial. "Are you ready?" Her gown was a declaration in itself. Isla held her head high as she prepared herself to face the ton again. They had flayed her the last time she'd been in London, and she'd fled home to heal. Athena still didn't know all that had happened to her older sister. She wished she could protect her now from what was to come.

"I am," she told Isla. "Is Maeve done dressing?"

‘Almost," Isla said. "There was a slight difficulty with her gown. One of the buttons had loosened, and it had to be repaired. She shouldn't be much longer."

Maeve had decided for a soft peach gown that was more suitable for a debut ball. She was more practical than Athena ever would be. The gown suited her twin, though. They had distinct personalities and their gowns would show the world who they were. Soon enough they would be out in society and they would be subject to the same ridicule that still haunted Isla. Were they fools to go through that same torturous gossip and disdain from the ton?

"Let's go down into the hall then and wait for her. We should enter the ballroom together." They should present a united front to the buzzards. They might not want to pick over their remains if they couldn't actually reach them. She looped her arm through Isla's. "We will be with you every step of the way."

Isla sucked in a deep breath. "Thank you," she said in a quiet tone. "I'll be all right. I promise."

She thought she heard her mutter something under her breath. Had Isla said, at least he will not be here. Did she mean the Duke of Thornridge? That was the only he that Isla avoided. What had happened between them? All Athena knew with certainty was that the duke had broken her sister's heart, and both of them seemed miserable. The duke, the last time Athena had seen him, had been as forlorn as Isla. Maybe one day they would find their way back to each other. It was clear to her they were unhappy apart, so they might erase that unwelcome emotion if they admitted they belonged together. She didn't know if that was possible, or if they would be open to it, but the solution was there for them to grasp on to.

They were not in the hall long before Maeve joined them. Her hair was secured in an elegant chignon, but she did not have as many loose curls as Athena did. She also had on the pendant with her initial. They all had chosen to honor their mother, and Athena prayed they would not regret that choice. The peach gown enhanced Maeve's beauty. "You look beautiful," she told her twin.

"Thank you," Maeve said, then smiled. "You do as well."

"It's time," Isla told them both, then braced her shoulders. She was preparing for something unpleasant and it hurt Athena that her sister felt that need. "Let's descend the stairs and let them announce us. My maid told me that it is a crush. Everyone who is anyone is here."

That should make Athena happy, but dread filled her. Something terrible was about to happen. She only prayed it didn't leave emotional scars as it had with Isla, or worse. "We can do this," she said, more for herself than her sisters, but it applied to them all. Slowly, they descended the stairs, and with each step, they accepted their destiny. They would make it to the end. Nothing could destroy them if they didn't allow it.