urge him from this isolation he’s forced on himself.” He met Pierce’s gaze. “Do you think you could…?”
Pierce nodded. “I shall try.”
Pembroke cast him a relieved smile. “Perhaps if he would mingle, meet new people…” He shrugged, then paused and his eyes lit up. “I heard it whispered that there’s a masquerade the week after next. Perhaps it would do him good to pretend to be another, to take on a role even if only for one night.”
Pierce frowned. “That masquerade is generally quite a scandalous affair. Are you certain it would be the right place for your brother?” With doubt in his heart, Pierce glanced at the proper, young man standing alone on the western side of the terrace, looking out at the extensive gardens.
“I know what you mean,” Pembroke agreed. “But perhaps a bit of a shock would do him good. I don’t think his mood can sink any lower.”
“Very well,” Pierce agreed. “I will do what I can.”
“Thank you,” Pembroke mumbled before catching sight of his darling wife and hurrying off at a subtle nod of her head.
A little distance away, Pierce caught a glimpse of Caroline as she walked down a small slope with her parents, leading them deeper into the gardens. He sighed, frustrated with her determination to keep him away. Well, if she wanted to or not, he would talk to her again.
But not here.
Not today.
He needed to speak to her alone. After all, she’d always been more responsive when they’d been alone. With deep longing, Pierce remembered the intimacies they’d shared and knew that it would shatter him if she were ever lost to him for good. No, he would not allow that to happen. He wanted her with every fiber of his body, his heart and soul, and he could only hope that she wanted him as well.
The thought that she might not was devastating.
His gaze moved back to settle on Nathanial Caswell, and he found himself utterly surprised to see that the man no longer stood alone.
Beside him, leaning against the stone balustrade of the terrace, stood Charlaine. Had she found toes to step on? Or…?
The look on her face did not speak of anger or frustration, not even of annoyance. Neither did he detect that slight curve of her lips that whispered of her playing a game, teasing and pushing until she got her way. No, the smile on her face looked genuine, her brown eyes open and watchful as she spoke.
Mr. Caswell, however, appeared rather displeased with her presence. His shoulders were taut, and Pierce could see that he offered no more than short, most likely monosyllabic answers to her questions.
Charlaine, though, looked undeterred.
Pierce smiled, knowing that once she’d set her mind to something there was no dissuading her. In all likelihood, she’d sensed Mr. Caswell’s distress and had now made it her life’s mission to cheer him up, and there wasn’t a damn thing the man could do about it.
It was a hard lesson to learn, but even Albert had relented in the end.
Never in his life had Pierce met another soul so determined to make others smile. Perhaps it would be wise of him to ensure that Mr. Caswell and Charlaine were repeatedly thrown together in the weeks to come.
Perhaps she would be the solution.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Open Words Between Cousins
“Are you all right?” Rebecca asked as the two cousins strolled through the gardens of Pembroke Hall the following day. “You look sad.”
Caroline tried to cast her cousin a joyous smile, but knew it would be to no avail even before she lifted her head. “I’m fine,” she said nonetheless, unable to banish a certain Black Baron from her mind. All night, thoughts of him and that dark-haired beauty had tormented her. Again and again, she’d relived the moment the young woman had reached for his hand on the terrace, the moment their eyes had lingered on one another, the moment Pierce had reached out to brush a gentle hand over her cheek.
Sleep had been mostly absent that night, and when Caroline had woken in the morning, exhausted and weary, her heart had felt heavier than she’d ever thought possible.
She felt ill as though something inside of her was withering away and there was simply no cure.
“You’re not fine,” Rebecca pointed out, then stopped and took Caroline’s hand. Her green eyes lingered on her cousin’s face before she huffed out a breath. “Is it Lord Markham?”
The sound of his name had Caroline’s jaw dropping. “What?”
Rebecca smiled knowingly. “We saw