“What?” she asked in confusion. But then she realized what he meant. She turned her head to look toward the gazebo, and then jerked her head back around to look goggle-eyed at Bailey. “She thinks we’re…that we’re…and she’s—oh!”
“Yes. Oh. I don’t know about you, sweetheart, but it seems to me, her aforementioned good intentions notwithstanding, we might not wish to have to spend the rest of our lives with Kate thinking she’d tricked us into seducing each other out here this afternoon.”
“Oh, God.” Alana nearly groaned the words. “I don’t want her to spend so much as the rest of the afternoon thinking she’d tricked us into…you know, what you said. How could we possibly face her at dinner?”
“She’d probably wink at us,” Bailey said, beginning to smile.
“She would, wouldn’t she,” Alana said, feeling her stomach sink to her toes at the thought. “And Max, Bailey. Max knows as well, doesn’t he? And if Max knows—”
“Valentine knows. None of them will tell Gideon, they’re not fools enough to do that, but the dowager countess will have it out of one of them by tomorrow night. I can see her now, Alana, giving me a hearty slap on the back and saying Good on you or some such thing. Or worse. Maybe something more along the lines of It took you long enough, or Needed a push in the right direction, did you?”
Alana bit her lip as she nodded her agreement. “That last one, I think. The dowager is very…forthright. We can’t let this happen, Bailey. But what are we going to do?”
“I think I know. Are you willing to follow where I lead, sweetheart?”
“Anywhere you go, yes.” She held out her hand to him, and he took it, raised it to his lips. “But, um, where are we going?”
“To the drawing room. To ruin Kate’s afternoon.”
Alana thought about that for the space of five seconds; two of them spent remembering that Kate’s intentions had all been of the best, and three contemplating the knowing smile on her friend’s face if they’d shown up just before dinner, looking flushed and guilty. “Good. I think that’s an excellent idea.”
Bailey pressed a short, hard kiss on her mouth, and then they were off, holding hands until they reached the terrace.
“I love you,” he told her.
“And I love you,” she responded, knowing she had never meant the words more.
And then they stepped inside the drawing room to see Lady Katherine sitting there as if waiting for some sort of report, for goodness sake. Kate glanced at the mantel clock and then at Bailey and Alana. “Back so soon? I thought you were…that is, is it coming on to rain?”
“No,” Bailey answered evenly, “the weather remains fine. Alana and I just wanted to thank you, Kate.”
She smiled rather proudly, and waved away his words. “Oh, there’s no need to do that. I was just—”
“Because,” Bailey went on before she could finish, “thanks to you, and a few uncomfortable moments in the gardens upon which I’m sure you would not wish me to dwell, Alana and I have realized we would not suit. I have granted Miss Wallingford’s wish to terminate our engagement.”
“Ter-terminate?” Kate’s eyes went wide as she looked from Bailey to Alana. “You… But that’s not what was supposed to— Alana?”
Alana loved the Redgraves. Truly she did. But Bailey by her side or not, she knew she was still the Lilliputian in the land of the giants. Or a loved and cosseted pet to these wonderful, wild, teasing, sometimes reckless and even scandalous Redgraves. They were never mean, no, never, but they were a bit much sometimes for a person born with a quieter nature. In the three years she had been Gideon’s ward, she had never once managed to give as good as she got, or surprise them in any way.
Until now. With Bailey beside her, she could dare anything. And dare she would!
“It’s true, Kate,” she said, looking her friend fully in the eye. “I find I’m not…enamored of…of certain aspects of the married life. The, um, more intimate aspects. This is no fault of Bailey’s, but something I have worried about for some months. I’m really very much relieved. In fact, I have all but decided to enter a nunnery.”
“A…a— What!”
“I’m sure you can appreciate that I’d like to be alone now with…with my prayers. If you could please arrange a dinner tray to be brought up to me later, Kate? Just something simple. I’m fairly certain there are no fine sauces at the convent.” Alana turned to curtsy to Bailey. “And thank you again for your kindness and consideration, my lord,” she said. “I am so happy!”
“God speed, Miss Wallingford,” he said with all seriousness, bowing to her in his turn, and then rather slyly winked at her as he offered his arm. “I’ll walk you to the stairs. If I might say a final farewell
later, before I ride off to inform my mother?”
“You are too kind.”
And so they went their separate ways, Alana to her chambers (locking the door behind her to assure her privacy) and Bailey to the stables so that he might avoid the Redgraves, planning to take his dinner at a nearby tavern…leaving Lady Katherine in the drawing room to mutter under her breath, “But…but…they thanked me? Wait until the others find out what a disaster I’ve made of things. Oh, Lord, I’ll never hear the end of this… .”
CHAPTER FIVE
THE CLOCKS IN THE LARGE, rambling Redgrave Manor were all in various stages of chiming out the hour of midnight when Bailey eased open the unlocked door to Alana’s chambers and slipped inside.