moment's nervousness when she veered to the right, into the dimly lit walkways. If worse came to worst, she could run faster than any of these mincing creatures in their jeweled heels. Not that Adrian had been wearing heels—he was tall enough as it was. Not that he'd be chasing after her.
The catch in her throat had now spread to a burning in her eyes. She was too hot in the domino and mask, but she wasn't about to relinquish them until she was away from this suddenly awful place. No one would know, she reminded herself, pulling the cloak more tightly around her.
The intricate paths looked deserted. Most people preferred to do their courting by the canal that ran through the east side of the park, and the rest were either dancing or eating dinner. There would be no one around to bother her. She headed down one dimly lit path, trying to hold in the tears until she could finally find some privacy.
She'd forgotten the entrance to the maze was disguised. It was part of the game—people out for a casual walk would suddenly find themselves lost. Charlotte had heard about it, but she'd seldom ventured into the pleasure gardens, and she had no idea that she had walked where she shouldn't have until suddenly she was at a dead end, the thick branches blocking her.
Simple enough. She turned around and headed back the way she came. She had an excellent memory, and she'd only made a couple of turns. One more, and she'd be back out on the pathway.
One more, and she came to another dead end. She took a deep, steadying breath. She held still, trying to orient herself, when she heard the breathing.
Someone was there. It shouldn't unnerve her— she was in a public place. Of course people would be around. Perhaps whoever it was could help her get out of the maze.
“Hello?" she said in a hopeful voice.
There was no answer. And yet she could still hear the breathing—whoever it was made no attempt at covering it up. There was a faint wheeze to the breathing, as if whoever was there had raced lo catch up with her. Someone older, playing a game with her.
"Sir Percy?" she called out, wondering if this was his mistaken notion of flirtation. There was still no answer, and she realized with sudden discomfort that someone was watching her. Presumably the same someone who was breathing so heavily. The interior of the maze was shadowed and dark, with only the light outside on the path to illuminate it. The walls of the maze weren't as thick as boxwood, and someone could doubtless see through them. She tried to peer through them herself, but there were four sides to try to look through, and she could see no one.
She felt the skin prickle at the back of her neck. She had the sudden, eerie feeling that whoever, whatever, was watching her was malevolence personified.
"I'm not in the mood for games," she said bravely. "Either show yourself or go away."
Her watcher did neither. He did something far, far worse. He laughed, a low, rasping, ugly laugh that caused her heart to shim into a full-blown panic.
"Be damned to you, then," she cried, trying to ound fearless and failing. Whoever was in the maze with her was far from harmless. He was evil.
Wasn't there a trick about mazes, that if you kept a hand on one wall the entire time you'd soon find your way out? Whoever was watching her was somewhere near the center of (he maze, and if she kept going that way, she'd run into him. The very last thing she wanted to do. She had two choices, either the right way or the wrong way. She could only pray that she chose the right way.
Putting her hand out, she started moving, quickly, her feet stumbling a little bit over the ground as she moved.
And then she heard him behind her, the noise growing louder as he moved with her. Which meant she was heading in the right direction, she thought, almost sobbing with relief. If she'd been heading toward him he simply would have waited for her, like a spider.
She sped up, ignoring scratches from the greenery, ignoring the lingering pain in her ankle from her recent fall.
Faster, faster, her own breath catching in her throat, the stays digging into her, the branches catching on her flying domino. She was going to be murdered, someone would toss her