Courting Magic (Kat, Incorrigible #4)(20)
“Oh, well.” As my shoulders relaxed, I managed a generous smile. “I wouldn’t say unforgivable.”
“I would,” the Marquess said glumly. “And when Mr. Gregson finds I was responsible for the public humiliation of an innocent young lady…”
“You were?” I asked. Then I understood. “Oh, wait. You mean me?”
He blinked. “Who else could I mean?”
“But you were worried about telling Mr. Gregson?” I laughed, the last of my tension releasing from my chest. “Trust me, my lord.” I patted his hand reassuringly. “As Mr. Gregson would be the first to tell you, I’m not likely to be withered by a little public embarrassment. Truly, it was nothing.”
“It is kind of you to say so, Miss Stephenson,” said the Marquess, “and I shall not forget your generosity. But no matter what brave pretense you may assume, I can see from your face that you have been suffering, and at my hand. I only hope I can find a way to make it up to you somehow.”
“Oh, you certainly can,” I told him. I picked up my knife again and re-speared my slice of ham with far more enthusiasm this time as I grinned at the no-longer-quite-so-statue-like Marquess. “All you need to do is tell me which fabulously amusing anecdote you decided to share with all those ladies near the Prince.”
He winced, but for the first time since we’d met, there was a hint of rueful humor in his expression. “Must I?” he said. “It was one of the most horrifying moments of my life.”
“Then I would say that we’re even.” Feeling much better—and suddenly starving—I shoveled a massive bite of game pie into my mouth…
…And nearly choked on it as Alexander’s voice suddenly filled my head, resonating with the force of a magical power so strong, it made every inch of me spark in answer. “Kat,” he murmured in my mind. “Will you come and find me? I need to talk to you, in private.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Well, I’m not a complete ninnyhammer. Once I’d finally managed to stop coughing and I’d washed down the remainders of my mouthful with a quick swig of lemonade, I knew exactly what Alexander must be thinking of to summon me that way…and it had nothing to do with romance.
Of course, if he had been in the room with me, the sight of me sputtering over my meal likely would have cured him of any romantic thoughts anyway. But at least, for once, making a fool of myself in public had a useful consequence. No one looked at me twice as I rose from the table at the end of my coughing fit and slipped away with a napkin pressed firmly to my lips.
I found him waiting for me in the corridor outside, leaning against the striped blue-and-gold wallpaper. He straightened when he saw me, his lips curving. Candles lined the walls in elegant sconces, casting a warm glow of light that seemed to burnish Alexander’s brown, curling hair. As our gazes met, I had to fight the sudden, irrational urge to run to him as if I were coming home—but the sound of the supper crowd in the room that I’d just left was a dull roar behind my back, while the jingle of dishes in the distance signaled the next course on its way.
Besides, we were only here together for the Order’s sake.
“This isn’t a safe place to meet,” I said, as briskly as if I’d never heard of an irrational impulse in my life. “If anyone sees us whispering alone together…”
“Of course.” He stepped back, his expression closing off. “Forgive me. I only—”
“I know exactly where we should go,” I said, and beckoned him to follow me.
Mr. Packenham was good for something after all. Without him, I never would have thought of the perfect private meeting spot.
We weren’t the only couple to have thought of it, though. As we stepped through the open French doors into the cool darkness of the back gardens, I glimpsed other shadowy figures moving in the distance. Fortunately, none of them were eager to be seen, either, and none of them had stayed close enough to the house to catch our words if we spoke in low tones. I hurried down the wide steps, pulling Alexander with me, and tugged him across the grass into the shade of a tall sweet chestnut tree. Alexander had to duck his head to follow me under the spreading branches.
“Tell me,” I said as I let go of his arm. “What have you discovered?”
In the darkness, I couldn’t make out his features. I heard the small huff of a half-laugh that he let out, though, before he said, “Actually, you should ask me what I smelled.”
“The rogue illusionist?” I grabbed his arm again without thinking. “I can scarcely believe it. He’s really here tonight, after all?”
“Well…” Alexander shifted, his broad shoulders blocking most of the light from the house. “It’s a bit of a mystery, actually. The scent I caught was so close to his, it was almost identical…but not quite. It didn’t feel like him.”
“Really?” I blinked, suddenly realizing that I had my fingers tightly wrapped around his forearm, through the thick, soft fabric of his coat sleeve. I stepped back quickly, glad that he couldn’t see my face as I released him. “I’ve never known two witches to carry the same scent.”
“Nor have I,” he said, “and here’s an added mystery: the new scent came from just outside the ladies’ retiring room. I caught it there just after you left. Could there have been any men hiding inside during your visit?”