the world to see—and knew fear.
Jacob looked down at her beside him, not taking note of the approaching group. “Is anything amiss?”
Move. Speak.
Prim’s gaze never left the group of young bucks heading their way. One of Redding’s friends elbowed him and nodded in their direction, evidently spotting them. Or rather, Jacob.
The group of young men slowed, but continued in their advance. They exchanged knowing glances as they inched closer up the path.
Closer to Primrose and Jacob.
“Primrose—”
She turned and clasped Jacob’s arm, digging her fingers into him in a hope to silence him from saying her name again. His bicep felt surprisingly strong and wiry under her fingers. For a man leading an allegedly leisurely life, there was nothing soft about him. Pull yourself together, Prim. Now is not the time to be thinking of his strong arms and how they might feel wrapped around you.
Fortunately, her sudden movement silenced him from uttering her name aloud again. He looked down at her questioningly, arching a single eyebrow.
She was not entirely certain Redding even knew her given name. He’d never spoken it within her hearing, but they had been in each other’s company on occasion. She’d always felt terribly uneasy under his regard—however infrequent it was. There was something in the way he looked at her, his gaze skimming over her from the top of her unfashionable red hair down to her slippered feet.
Or perhaps it was the way he failed to look at her—as though she were not even really present. As though she were as inconsequential as a gnat.
The gentlemen were still talking and exchanging glances as they moved forward, and it was indisputable. They knew Jacob—or at least one of them did—and they were approaching to speak to him.
Prim’s gaze darted around as though an escape route would reveal itself.
Blood rushed in her ears, mixing with the pounding of her heart. She had to do something—preferably something that drew less attention to herself and not more.
They were coming, closing in like the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
However much an overstatement, the dark thought felt fitting. Once Redding took his eyes off Jacob long enough to get a good look at her, the jig would be up. He would recognize her—she was Violet’s sister, after all—and she’d be finished. He would mention spotting Prim at Vauxhall to her mother and the consequences would be catastrophic. She could well imagine Mama’s voice. In all likelihood, Prim would suffer permanent hearing loss from the volume of her scolding.
“Primrose?”
“Shhh!” She waved a hand desperately over her lips, her heart giving a pained little squeeze at the sound of her name.
Jacob followed her panicked gaze to the group of men. “Do you know one of—”
“I must go.” She shook her head. “I cannot be seen. He cannot see me.” Without another word, she fled with a gulp of breath in a graceless dash.
Thankfully, he did not call out to her again.
Without a doubt she was attracting notice running away as she was, but it was just the back of her. She must get herself out of sight. She dared not look over her shoulder, lest Redding glimpse her face. Her heart pounded hard with the fear of discovery.
If Mama found out . . .
Prim could not imagine what her mother would do precisely, but she could well imagine her display of temper. Mama could be loud and fierce. Prim had witnessed her scream at Papa until her face turned nine shades of red. Prim dove onto a narrower path, determined to avoid that scenario at all costs. There would be no red-mottled-faced tantrums from her mother. Not if Prim could help it.
The narrow path was deserted. Trees and hedges encroached, pressing in on the row from all sides like watchful sentries. The sudden and absolute isolation felt unnatural. To find such a dark and lonely place, separated from the rest of the lively Gardens was abnormal . . . and deliberate. This place clearly existed for its very seclusion.
She was glad for the lack of people, but where had everyone gone?
Then it dawned on her.
She was on an infamous dark walk. Where couples took sanctuary for clandestine activities. The very place she had been warned to avoid by that lady she shared a boat with earlier in the evening. And by Lady Kettering.
Prim stalled for a moment and glanced over her shoulders before squaring them and continuing on cautiously.
There was no help for it.
If she turned back around and was discovered . . .
She