Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

C iara was still lost in thought, sitting in the drawing room of Uncle Brendan's London townhouse, when the sudden arrival of a carriage drew her attention from the memory of the garden party which still burned fresh in her mind.

"My dear Ciara," Adeline claimed as soon as she walked in through the door, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you quite well? You left the garden party so abruptly without even saying goodbye, so I had to come and see for myself what on earth was going on. That isn't like you at all."

Ciara rose to greet her friend, offering a small but genuine smile. "Adeline, it is good to see you. Please, sit with me. I have much to tell you."

As they settled into the plush chairs of the drawing room, Adeline leaned forward, her curiosity palpable.

"Would you like some tea?" Ciara offered. "I have just purchased some lovely brews from?—"

"Tea can wait," Adeline interrupted her with a shake of her head. "First, I need you to tell me everything. You seemed so distressed."

Taking a deep breath, Ciara began to recount the events of the afternoon in question although it still seemed impossible, even to her. "It was the most peculiar thing," she commenced her story as if it was a fairy tale and not something that actually happened to her. "I needed some respite from the gathering, and I snuck away from the crowd to go to that little pond. As I was standing there, this stranger appeared before me, pulling me into an embrace and kissing me!"

"He… kissed you?" Adeline gasped. "A stranger?"

"An utter and complete stranger, Adeline," Ciara confirmed gravely.

"And… what did you do?" Adeline asked, beginning to become slightly amused by the story, now that she had assured herself that nothing bad had happened to her friend.

"Well…" Ciara suddenly flushed in response to her friend's question. "What do you mean what did I do?"

Adeline chuckled. "I mean exactly that, you silly girl. What did you do? Did you push him away? Did you scream? Did you slap him?"

"I… did none of those things," Ciara had to admit with a pang of remorse. How come she didn't think of any of those things? There was only one thing on her mind as he pressed his lips to hers. "I… I think I kissed him back."

Adeline's eyes widened in shock, in disbelief, in utter incredulity, and then she burst into a melodious laughter which didn't seem to have an end. Ciara watched her friend chuckle and giggle until Adeline finally sighed, wiping the corner of her eye.

"Goodness me," Adeline exclaimed. "I must say, I never expected that of you. To kiss a complete stranger. I must say!"

"I didn't kiss him," Ciara frowned in her defense. "He kissed me first."

"Well, you didn't need to kiss him back, and yet, you did," Adeline grinned. "But I digress. What happened then?"

Ciara looked down at her feet, still feeling the burn in her cheeks, but if there was anyone in the entire world to whom she could tell the entire story without any fear of being judged, that person was Adeline. They had been friends for about a year now, and despite that time being relatively short, they knew everything there was to know about each other. Their meeting was the union of two same souls, recognizing each other, and they had spent much time together since then.

"It turned out that he thought I was someone else," Ciara divulged with a pang of displeasure. "He apologized but not as a normal person would apologize."

"But as a mad person would?" Adeline asked, chuckling. It was obvious that she was enjoying herself immensely.

Ciara frowned, pretending to be offended. "If you keep up with those comments, I shan't tell you another thing more."

"Oh, no! No, please," Adeline was still chuckling. "I was unable to resist. The story is just too much, especially for you. I would have expected it to happen to anyone else but you. That is why I am so utterly amused by the whole thing."

"Well, that makes you and him," Ciara pouted, remembering the man's reaction. "I was not amused. Not the least bit."

"Oh, but I beg to differ," Adeline teased, taking her friend's hand into her own. "Now, what happened after his mad person apology?"

Ciara lifted an eyebrow at her friend then she continued. The truth was, she would have continued no matter what Adeline said. She wanted her friend to know everything.

"Yes, he apologized, but he made it appear as if I were as much to blame as he was," she scoffed. "Imagine that. As if I had been just lingering there, waiting for him to come and kiss me out of the blue. Preposterous!"

"Most certainly," Adeline mused. "And scandalous as well."

"He even had the audacity to flirt with me afterward!" Ciara was blushing again, and she could not help it. "Quite shamelessly at that."

"And you have no idea who this man might be?" Adeline wondered, her head tilting slightly.

Ciara shook her head. "No, I don't. But he seemed so confident, so utterly certain of himself. It was unnerving."

"All jesting aside now," Adeline spoke tenderly albeit gravely, "did anyone see you two? You know what would happen if they did."

"I know," Ciara agreed, her own tone changing with the tone of the conversation. "I don't think anyone saw us… fortunately."

"Good," Adeline said with a sigh of relief. "Because that could have been quite an expensive kiss in terms of repercussions. A man who behaves in such a careless manner is certainly bad news. I believe you should pretend you do not know him if you see him again."

Ciara nodded though a part of her rebelled against the notion. "You are right, of course. It was an improper encounter, and I shall do my best to avoid him if I see him again." Her voice somehow trailed off, and she looked away as if there was yet another, unspoken truth left inside of her.

Adeline, who knew her friend all too well, studied Ciara's face, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But… you wish to see him again, don't you?"

Ciara's blush deepened, and she met Adeline's gaze with a mix of defiance and vulnerability. "I cannot explain it, Adeline. There was something about him, something that stirred my curiosity. I know it is foolish, but I cannot help but wonder if our paths will cross again."

"Was the kiss that good?" Adeline teased.

Ciara chuckled. "Well, yes, it was quite good."

"I hope that man never hears that," Adeline's words sounded like a premonition. "He already sounds so full of himself, and I have not even seen him or exchanged a single word with him."

Ciara had to admit that everything her friend said was true. The man was full of himself. The man was bad news. And yet, she wanted to see him again, despite all common sense.

Adeline sighed, reaching out to squeeze Ciara's hand. "Just promise me you will be careful. The world is full of charming rogues, and I would hate to see you hurt by one."

"I promise," Ciara replied softly though in her heart, she knew that the thrill of the encounter had left an indelible mark. She could only hope that fate would guide her wisely, whether or not it brought the mysterious stranger back into her life. "I really don't need any further complications in my life. I promised Uncle I would steer clear of trouble, and that is what I intend to do."

"Unless trouble finds you, " Adeline pointed out. "Which seems to be exactly what happened here."

"Goodness," Ciara sighed, shaking her head. "I just want to live my life, free from any judgment, a life on my own terms where I am in no one's way. Is that too much to ask?"

"No," Adeline assured her. "That is what everyone wishes for. But unfortunately, it is much more difficult to obtain for some than for others."

"I think I just need to forget that this kiss ever happened," Ciara said simply, but that was not as easy to do as she had originally thought. "And steer clear off Miss Danforth. If I never saw her again in my life, it would be too soon."

Adeline laughed. "I know that feeling. But if you attend balls, you will probably stumble onto her again."

"Balls," Ciara pouted. "I wish I could avoid them altogether to tell you honestly, but Uncle is insisting I attend."

"You have been away for so long, your life now is completely different, and it is a big change. Such big changes should happen gradually, one day at a time," Adeline reminded her. "You know that he means well."

"I know," Ciara sighed. "And I am very grateful for his presence in my life. Life at St. Catherine's was… well, you know. It was not easy. And my parents… Gah! What I mean to say is that, apart from you, Uncle Brendan is the only person I can rely on. It is so frightening sometimes to know one is so… alone."

"You are not alone," Adeline smiled, taking her hand into her own. "You just said it. You have us, and trust me when I say that when you need us, we will be worth a million people!"

Ciara chuckled at her friend's words. "Yes, you are right. I do not need anyone but you two."

She wrapped her arms around Adeline and embraced her. When she pulled away, she tried to change the topic of the conversation. "What about you, my dear Adeline? Has anyone caught your attention?"

"Oh, no, no," Adeline shook her head. "I wish to be swept off my feet if I am to fall in love, and it seems that such a thing is rare to come by these days."

"Don't tell me you want a stranger to kiss you by the pond?" Ciara teased, and the two girls laughed sweetly, enjoying the relief of the moment.

"No, I shall leave that to you," Adeline replied as they continued to tease each other, remembering why they were best friends.