Chapter 3

Maggie's head was spinning. For a moment, she had no idea what had just happened. One minute, she had been trying to hide in the maze when she heard someone giving chase, and the next, she collided with someone bigger and more solid than her, and they were now in a heap on the ground, Maggie lying on top of whoever had grabbed her.

It was the gentleman she had witnessed talking to Lady Phoebe. He really had come looking for her. Maggie's heart raced, her head pounding as she tried to think why he would do that. She didn't know what this meant.

But she knew she was reluctant to leave his embrace, even if it was a very awkward position and more than a little compromising.

Maggie saw the moment he realized he was holding a woman, and she managed to roll out of his arms, landing on the ground with a gasp.

"Forgive me, miss!" He scrambled to sit up, turning to her as Maggie stared up at the sky. "Are you alright?"

"I … I'm fine."

She wasn't, not really. There was a sharp pain in her back that was making Maggie grimace. It had to be a stone. Whatever it was, it really hurt.

Maggie couldn't believe that she had done something so stupid. And she had been caught. Now she had made a fool of herself, and it was likely going back to her employer. There was no chance of keeping this quiet.

"Here." The gentleman scrambled to his feet and held out a hand. "Do you want some help?"

Maggie was about to turn him down – she felt embarrassed about what had just happened – but she didn't think she could get up without help right now. She was still a little winded. Managing a tiny smile, she sat up slowly and slipped her hand into his.

And almost snatched her hand away again when she felt something tingling between their touched fingers. It curled around her hand and traveled up her arm to the point that it felt like her whole arm was somehow vibrating.

It made Maggie catch her breath. She had never encountered anything like it before. What was that? Why would something as simple as touching hands cause that reaction?

There was a slight intake of breath, but Maggie wasn't sure if it was coming from her or him. He was staring at her, his mouth slack. It was like he had been stunned into a statue as well.

What was happening?

Maggie was the first to break out of the stupor first, giving his hand a slight tug.

"Are you going to help me up, My Lord? Or shall I stand up on my own?"

"Oh. Right." He pulled her easily to her feet. "Forgive me, I … I just … well, I …"

Maggie dusted herself down, picking up her bonnet from the floor. It had somehow come off in the collision, and her hair began falling out of the pins. It was going to take a while to get her plait pinned back up on her head.

She would have to keep it loose and down her back now. Mrs Crawford would wonder what was going on with her when she saw her like this, and Maggie wouldn't be able to explain it.

"Are you alright?" the gentleman tried again, looking nervous as Maggie put her bonnet back on. "You're not hurt?"

"I'm fine, My Lord." Maggie gave him a small smile. "You don't need to worry about me."

"I don't normally chase after ladies …" He cast a look at her uniform as if seeing it for the first time. "Maids, I mean. I don't chase after women at all."

"I see." Maggie wasn't sure why that smarted. She cleared her throat. "Is there a reason you were chasing me? I don't really care for being pursued like this."

"I was going to ask you about that." He folded his arms, his dark eyes narrowing at her. It was like the moment between them had passed, and he was turning icy. "Why were you spying on me? What are you up to?"

What was he talking about? It sounded bizarre. For a moment, Maggie didn't know what to say. Never had she been accused of spying on someone.

There was definitely a misunderstanding going on here.

"Spying on you?" she squeaked.

"I caught you staring at me. Why were you spying on what I was doing? Looking for something that you could use to your advantage?"

Maggie blinked. He honestly thought that she was spying on him? She drew herself up and pulled her shoulders back, fixing him with a hard stare.

"I was not observing you, My Lord," she said stiffly. "I was watching my mistress."

"Your mistress?"

"Lady Phoebe Cavendish. I'm her personal maid. I was just looking out for her out of sight." Maggie folded her arms and mimicked his stance. "I am not permitted among the actual guests, so I have to do it from somewhere. She is young, and it's her first ball."

He didn't look convinced. Maggie had no idea how she would convince him of who she was. It wasn't like she could go to Lady Phoebe and ask her to confirm it; her mistress would certainly make it look like Maggie was a madwoman instead, and Maggie would end up embarrassed in front of this gentleman.

A very handsome, imposing gentleman who was making the pulse in her throat thump to the point it was distracting.

"Oh, you are, are you?" He shook his head. "I don't see why you would peek in behind a curtain. Surely, you wouldn't need to keep that close an eye on your mistress like that?"

"She's being introduced into Society, and we all want to be sure she isn't hurt." That was partially true, but Maggie wasn't about to tell him the truth. "It's not my fault that you were standing in the way and talking to her when I was observing her."

"If that's the case, why did you run away like you had something to hide? Why come out here?"

"You scared me when you started coming towards me. I thought you were going to cause a scene in front of everyone demanding to know why I was looking in on a ball like that." Maggie lifted her chin defiantly. "People have caused a stir for much less, and I had no idea what you were going to do, so I decided to get some space."

If he had made a scene, then Lady Phoebe would have known about it. She would have made it even more embarrassing for Maggie, especially in front of this gentleman, who was making Maggie's heart skip a few beats, and she couldn't stop herself from staring at him. It didn't make sense that he would cause such a reaction in her.

Before he could give a response – and it looked as if it was going to be scathing from the expression on his face – Maggie heard a familiar voice calling for her.

"Maggie? Maggie, where are you?"

Mrs Crawford. Maggie had never felt so relieved to hear the housekeeper's voice. She turned as there were footsteps, moving to stand in view as the older woman appeared. Mrs Crawford started to say something, only to stop when she saw the gentleman. Her eyes widened, and she dropped to a curtsy.

"Your Grace. Forgive me; I had no idea you were out here."

Maggie frowned. What did she just say? Did that mean …?

This man was a duke. Oh, God, she had just ended up in an unintentional embrace with a duke. Maggie felt her face getting warm and wished it was dark. Dusk was not enough to hide her blushes.

What if Mrs Crawford thought they had been up to something? That would be humiliating. As it was, the housekeeper was frowning at her in confusion.

"What's going on? Is there a reason you're out here and not in the kitchens, Maggie?"

"I'm afraid that is my fault, ma'am," the duke said suddenly before Maggie could answer. "We ended up … encountering each other by accident." He glanced at Maggie with a blank expression, his eyes roaming over her. "I think you should make sure that your … maid doesn't wander around the house alone, though. She could end up getting into a lot of trouble if she's not careful."

#

Adam could feel the shock coming off the maid Maggie with the older woman standing there. She didn't show it, but he could feel it as she glanced at him. After that, she was trying really hard not to look at him.

So, it seemed that being Lady Phoebe's maid might be the truth. But Adam didn't completely believe everything she was saying. Whoever was terrorizing him could have employed her to spy on him. Bribing a servant to have more eyes on Adam wouldn't be a surprise. He'd had to dismiss his valet, after all.

Could this woman know who it was who was targeting him? It was possible.

"He's right, Mrs Crawford," Maggie said quickly as the older lady looked between them. "It was a complete accident."

"I see." Mrs Crawford didn't look convinced. "Well, Maggie, why don't you head back inside and start work in the kitchens? I think you're going to be needed shortly. Things are getting busy."

"Yes, Mrs Crawford." Maggie glanced at Adam, and gave him a quick curtsy with her eyes on the ground. "Good evening …Your Grace."

Then she hurried off, Mrs Crawford giving Adam one more rueful look before she followed. Adam watched them go, his eyes more on the maid than the housekeeper. So her name was Maggie. And she was hiding a lot more than she was letting on.

She was definitely up to something, that much Adam was certain about. He just needed to find out what she was up to. And he wouldn't get that by openly confronting her; she would absolutely deny it.

His father had told him before that it was best to keep those he wanted answers from as close as he dared. Adam had never understood that before, but he did now. Now, an idea was forming in his head. It could work, and it should tell him, one way or another, whether Maggie was working for whoever was tormenting him.

He was still thinking about it as he went back inside and almost didn't notice George standing just inside the doorway. Given how large his friend was with a bright red coat that matched his thick hair, which never seemed to be under control, that was some feat not to realize that his friend was right there. Adam slowed before he bumped into him.

"Where did you go?" George asked, looking past him and into the darkening garden. "You worried me when you hurried off like that."

"I … I had to go and check on something," Adam said lamely.

"In someone else's house? Isn't that the host's job?"

"I'll explain later. It's a bit too much."

Also, Adam didn't want to talk about what he, George, and a few others had done when they were younger. People in the ton were incredibly good at picking up tidbits of information when they weren't even anywhere near the conversation, and rumours would run amok.

Adam had no intention of letting people know what he had done before; they would love the gossip, and then Adam would embarrass his family. His mother and sisters did not need to know about something he did years ago.

George would understand.

"Are you going to tell me at least something?" George asked as he stepped beside Adam, heading back to the ballroom. "I don't like being kept in the dark, Adam."

So much for George understanding not to talk about it right now. Then again, his cheeks were a little flushed, indicating that he'd had a bit too much to drink. Alcohol was flowing more than Adam anticipated; he had forgotten that Baron Atterbury liked to be merry.

"Like I said, I'll tell you later." They stopped at the end of the hallway, and Adam glanced around them. They were alone, but he still lowered his voice. "I've decided to invite Lady Phoebe and her parents to my home for the weekend."

George blinked.

"You're going to court Lady Phoebe? I didn't think that she would be your type."

"How so?"

"She's … well, she's not what I expect you to find interesting."

Adam couldn't help smiling.

"Was she not that interesting to you?"

"She's … different." George huffed. "Don't make me say it, Adam. You know I don't like being impolite about people."

Adam did know that. George was one of the most genial people who liked to have a good word to say about everyone. He was not able to be cruel, even if it was justified. He wasn't afraid to stand up for himself, but he would be the most fair person when it came to describing someone. Adam liked that about him, although it wasn't really helping when he needed George's opinion on Lady Phoebe.

"Well, maybe my opinions on people have changed, George. I would like to get to know Lady Phoebe more. Maybe she is different from how she is tonight." Adam shrugged. "First impressions are meant to count, but that can fall through if you"re nervous. I want to see what she's like when she's more relaxed."

George arched an eyebrow at him.

"I don't understand your reasoning, Adam. It's not something you've done before."

"People change, including me." Adam stiffened when he heard voices. "I'll explain the real reason later, but just back me up for now and trust me."

"I trust you." Although George looked dubious. "I'm just wondering if you know what you're doing."

Adam wasn't really sure. He had a feeling he was opening himself up for scrutiny if he got this wrong, and people would be more than a little upset with him about it. Lady Phoebe was a means to an end, and normally, Adam wouldn't do that to anyone, but this time, he had a very good reason.

How else would he know about Maggie the maid's motivations if he couldn't observe her? The way to do that was to have her in his house and see what she did. Perhaps he would be able to find out who she was working with. If she was working with whoever was going after him and stealing his belongings …

Adam intended to find out. And not think about how he wanted to pull Maggie into his arms and kiss her. There had been plenty of opportunity in the maze, and the sensation had shocked him.

That was not what he expected at all, not with a servant. But as he thought about those hazel eyes, her dark hair tumbling about her head, and her soft body lying on top of his, all Adam could think about was kissing her and seeing if those lips were as soft as they looked.

You need to get yourself focused. She's a maid, not a prospective lover. And she's also up to no good.

Forcing thoughts of Maggie out of his head, Adam and George turned as someone came around the corner. It was Lady Phoebe and her mother; the contrast between them was so vastly different and yet incredibly similar at the same time.

Lady Phoebe was tall and slim with golden blonde hair curled enough to bounce around her face, while Baroness Atterbury was shorter and plump, her hair a paler blonde colour and straight, scraped back into a simple chignon. Appearances were different, but Adam could see the similar features in their faces; their eyes were the same, and even the way they walked was the same. There was no doubt that they were mother and daughter.

"There you are, Your Grace!" Lady Phoebe exclaimed with a bright smile, sidling up to him and laying a hand on his arm. "We were beginning to think that you had left already."

"No, I just saw someone I needed to talk to." Adam glanced at George, who gave him a slight nod to say he would back him up. "Besides, you looked like you were engaged in conversation with Lady Scarlet."

"Oh, she's an old friend I haven't seen in a while. I'd much prefer to be in conversation with you." Lady Phoebe squeezed his arm for a moment before she let go. "Shall we go back? Mother says it wouldn't do to be having a conversation in an empty hallway."

Baroness Atterbury nodded, and Adam bit back a sigh. He would rather talk to anyone else than Lady Phoebe, who was a little too overly confident and brash for his liking, but it would help his objective.

She wasn't Lady Melinda, which was something. But Adam had a feeling that he was going to regret saying that.