Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Tucked beneath the warm sheets of her bed, Isabella opened her book. She read the first few lines, and as her eyes moved to the next section, she realized she ' d taken in nothing at all. So, she read the first paragraph again, and then a third time.

Isabella simply could not stay focused. Mason Alton was on her mind, keeping her from her sanity. She pictured his face on the character in her book.

Her mind was completely riddled with thoughts of Mr. Alton. She pictured him smiling at her the way he had that day in the park as he fought through a pack of wild coyotes. Then he was on horseback as he raced through a ranch as he chased after the woman of his dreams to rescue her from kidnapping.

She flushed then as the character in her book took his heroine into his arms. She pictured Mr. Alton ' s arms around her waist, his piercing blue eyes staring into hers. It was almost too much to handle. She had to kick the top blanket off her bed just to cool herself down.

Her candle was burned almost down to the bottom. Soon, her room would be dark, but she wasn't certain she could sleep. Her mind was wide awake with images of Mr. Alton in various dangerous situations.

That was what she dreamed of that night when sleep finally graced her.

***

The streets were crawling with constables as they searched for the hooded assailant. Everybody was talking about it already. It didn't matter where they went, someone was talking about the assassination attempt.

Isabella was feeling better about being dragged around town by her mother. She had decided the night before that she would change her mindset about it. Rather than see it as a trip to shop for a new gown for the duke, she decided she would choose something for Mr. Alton.

She didn't know him or what he liked, but she intended to find out. In the meantime, she would make sure she looked her absolute best. There wouldn't be much more time for it. A letter had arrived from the duke inviting them for that very night.

Her stomach had fluttered when she ' d read it. She had expected perhaps a few more days to prepare. That morning, before they ' d left for town, she had wondered about her hair. Perhaps she would attempt something more interesting.

" What about this one?" her mother asked, holding up yet another purple dress.

" You know how I dislike purple," Isabella argued.

Mrs. Alton rolled her eyes. " Don ' t say that. Purple is a perfect color. Everybody looks good in purple."

Isabella looked through her options. She held the fabrics against her pale hand to see how they made her seem. Some yellows would make her skin seem as though she was ill. Bright pink would often make it look as though she was flushed with a fever.

She reached for a deep blue dress then. Isabella liked the way the blue against her pale skin looked like a porcelain tea cup. It had always been her favorite color, so when she pulled it from the shelf, her mother wasn't entirely surprised.

What made this dress different to the rest of the blue dresses she owned were the golden decorations. Fine gold thread weaved in and out creating floral patterns that were hardly visible until the dress was viewed close up.

" I like this one," Isabella said.

" Oh, what about something a little brighter?" her mother pressed. " Something a little more cheerful."

" I ' m sorry, Mother, but you've already lost this argument," Isabella said with a laugh. " This is the one."

***

After she arrived home, she wasted no time getting ready. She and Eliza prepared for the dinner together. Small gold flowers were pinned into Isabella ' s hair to accompany the new dress. She had paid special attention to her cheeks, making them look flushed and filled with life.

Then she picked out a deep red shade for her lips. So dark that it might look black in the shade. It reminded Isabella of fine wine.

Eliza put herself together more easily. She ' d always been good at it. Her pale green dress was vastly different to Isabella ' s outfit. Soon enough, they were ready, and it was announced that the carriage was waiting for them.

" Please, do all you can to impress him," her mother said with a knowing look. " This could be the most important dinner of your life."

Isabella nodded, although she did not agree. She had little intention of impressing the duke. Isabella didn't want to marry him. Rather, she had her sights set on Mr. Alton. However, it wasn't until she was in the carriage and already on her way that she considered he might already be courting someone.

She simply didn't know anything about him. Isabella held her breath a moment and tried to still her nervous heart.

Her parents were joining them for the dinner, so she knew she would have to tread carefully when it came to Mr. Alton.

" You ' re nervous," Eliza spotted well. " You have no reason to be. You ' re perfectly pleasant company. I can assure you of that."

Isabella smiled. " Thank you, Eliza," she said. " I suppose I ' m just tired. I did not sleep well last night."

" She should be nervous," Lady Owen said. " This could be a very important night."

The carriage slowed and she knew that soon enough they would be outside the Trent manor. Her night was about to begin and she wished with everything in her that it would be an adventure of some kind. That she would be whisked away like her mother so hoped for.

Isabella was afraid she was too logical for something like that.

Her nerves had been pointless. The night was perfectly enjoyable. The duke ' s house was bright and beautiful. Large rooms with marble floors and pillars and art on the walls. They spoke and laughed easily as the dinner commenced.

Soon enough, Isabella felt no worry at all.

It did not go unnoticed by her that every time she glanced toward Mr. Alton, he was already looking in her direction. They made eye contact every few minutes as the conversation continued. Every time that he looked at her, she felt as if it burned against her skin.

The duke sat at the head of the table. Also at the table were his son, the Earl of Trent, his wife, and Mr. Alton ' s friend, Ethan Langley. All of them got along perfectly well, and the conversation flowed easily.

" You really should all come back some day for a picnic," the duke said fondly. " The gardens can be unbelievably pretty this time of year. My wife always had a keen eye for such things."

" Oh, that sounds lovely," Lady Owen said eagerly. " Isabella loves picnics, don ' t you?"

She didn't. But she smiled and nodded anyway, in an attempt to keep her mother happy. Isabella didn't speak much. Out of fear that she might come across as too opinionated and upset the conversation. A risk she couldn't take when she was trying to impress someone.

Someone she desperately wanted to get some attention from.

Her heart swelled every time he spoke, and she listened with rapt attention as he told stories of his travels. She had never met a man who had traveled as much as Mr. Alton did. He had seen parts of the world that she hadn't even heard of before.

" I must admit, your short life has been remarkably impressive," Sir Brian said between bites. " To have seen so much and still be so young. I dare say you likely have a fair amount of adventure left in you."

Mr. Alton smiled. " I hope so." He glanced at Isabella as he said it and something in his eyes lit up.

" Oh," Isabella said with a weak chuckle.

It was a meaningless answer, but she didn't know what else to say. Whenever Mr. Alton spoke to her she felt as though her mind cleared of thought. As if she ' d forgotten everything she ' d ever learned in her life.

" Where would you go next?" Isabella asked, redeeming herself.

" I rather like the sound of Egypt," Mr. Alton answered. " I'll have to see when I get the time, though."

" I often think he will never settle," Mr. Langley teased. " A man who could never be rooted."

" It ' s exciting, isn't it?" Isabella asked, perhaps a little too eagerly. " To always be chasing the next adventure. To see things most others would never dream of seeing."

There was so much she admired in him. His confidence was like nothing she ' d ever seen before. She wanted to tell him that. Isabella wanted to confess to him that she loved the way his hair seemed to never be out of place, that his bright smile made her feel weak at the knees.

She wanted to beg him to take her with him on his next adventure. To carry her away from her life on the back of a horse. Perhaps somewhere warm where the sun could kiss her skin the way it had kissed his.

Instead, she took another bite of food to stop the words from spilling out.

" It all sounds rather stressful if you ask me," the duke added. " I took a trip out to France once. The planning alone took months! When I got there, I didn't speak the language or recognize any of the food. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever done."

" Not at all," Mr. Alton answered. " I never really plan anything. I simply set sail and figure it out when I get there. It's far simpler."

" Are you mad?" the duke teased. " What if you get there and there ' s nowhere to stay? Or you hate it?"

" I suppose I don ' t let that worry me," Mr. Alton said. " I've seen unimaginable things done to humans by humans. War has a way of changing a man ' s perspective."

Isabella hung on his every word. She wanted to know everything that he had to say. As if it were a story in a book she was reading.

" I can ' t imagine," the duke said softly with a shake of his head.

Mr. Alton was a complicated man, Isabella was learning. He had seen horrible things, and on the other hand he had seen incredible things. She wondered if that balanced it out. Was there something out there that could possibly dampen the horrors of war?

She doubted it.

It wasn't the kind of conversation that polite women would be a part of, either. So, she wasn't sure she would ever find out. Isabella couldn't even be certain that Mr. Alton was interested in her. He glanced at her often, yes, but that could have been for other reasons.

Perhaps he found her annoying or strange. Those kinds of concerns were new to Isabella. She didn't often care what people thought of her. She wasn't entirely certain she liked the way that felt.

" This lamb is exquisite," her mother said, quickly changing the subject to something more palatable. " The entire dinner is delicious."

" Yes, Mrs. Brenton has never let me down," the duke said with a smile. " I'll be sure to pass your compliments along to the kitchen. She'll be pleased to hear it."

Lady Owen nodded. " That would be kind of you."

The rest of the conversation was tedious until dessert was served. Isabella knew her mother was trying hard not to let the conversation become something that Isabella might enjoy. It was the only way to be sure that Isabella would not say something too bold or opinionated.

Isabella ignored it all, keeping her mind on thoughts of Mr. Alton. She pictured him in her mind as he traveled, the sun on his skin and a smile on his face. She imagined herself there along with him as the breeze washed over her, their ship coming into port, ready for the experience.