The Lady and the Earl (6 page)

Carmon looked rather worried, and Lucas could only guess why.  Edmund had proposed for certain.
  So there would still be some challenge.

“Yes, of course.  Thank you
so much for this night, Lucas,” Carmon said with sincerity.

“It has been a pleasure, Carmon
.
”
H
e bowed to her, receiving a curtsy in reply.

“Wait for
me outside in twenty minutes?”
Allana asked him.

Lucas nodded.  Things were finally moving in the direction
he
desired.
 

*
           *          *

Carmon took a deep breath and followed Allana out of the room.  Her heart
w
as
frantic
.  Was her hope ended at last?  Was Edmund officially out of her reach?  Lucas had said not to give up. 
He’d
said to be patient
,
and soon Edmund would come to her.  Did he know something she did not?  She could stand it no longer.

“Allana, what is this about
?
”
Carmon
asked.

“I
can
no
t explain. 
You must
trust me
,
”
h
er friend
replied.  She looked back at Carmon pleadingly.

Carmon sighed.  She followed for a moment longer and stopped.  “I cannot go further without knowing.  Did he propose?”  Her heart pounded hard
as
she
waited for the answer.

Allana smiled.  “No, but he confessed something to me that was quite pleasing.”

“Oh,” was all Carmon could say in reply.  She began following Allana again, but her mind paid no heed to where they were going.  He confessed something?  Did he tell her he loved her?  Her heart tore at the thought.  What would she do if Allana married the man she loved?

Suddenly, Allana stopped.
  “I told her nothing,” she said
to
the shadows
.

“Allana?
  Who are you speaking to?”
Carmon asked.

“Trust me,” Allana whispered
in return
.  She
stepped behind
Carmon and shoved her forward.

“Allana, what is the meaning of,” Carmon’s eyes found Edmund coming forth from th
ose
shadows, “this,” she finished in a whisper.  She panicked
and whirled
around to hide behind her friend.  Allana was gone.  Carmon blinked several times.  She left her?  She left her here
, alone
with him?  Why? 

“Carmon?”
Edmund’s voice said quietly.

He said her name with such care
it
brought pleasure to her soul.  How could she not turn toward him? 
Instinctively, s
he did and glanced up at him briefly before looking away.
  She
couldn’t
meet his eyes.  Already she was being far bolder than
ever before
.
 
 

A small sigh escaped his lips. 
“Carmon, please look at me
,
”
h
e whispered.

Her cheeks were red, she knew.  Her stomach fluttered violently, and her eyes darted everywhere at once.  But finally, she did as he asked.  She looked
up
at him, and he smiled.  He was closer than she realized, very close actually.  He touched her cheek, and she inhaled sharply.
  What was he doing?

“Carmon, I must confess something to you.”

She nodded numbly
, eyes as wide as saucers
.

“I courted Allana unfairly. 
Will
you forgive me?”

She
didn’t
understand. 
What did he mean?  “I…,” his thumb moved over her cheek, and she lost her thought.  She realized she was breathing quite raggedly.

He cocked his head to the side and smiled as if seeing something
for the first time
.

Her cheeks
burned wickedly
.  She was embarrassing herself.  Her eyes darted away and she took a step backward.  “I do not understand,” she whispered, unable to look at him.

He stepped with her
,
and she found his hand beneath her chin
.  He
gently rais
ed
her face upward.
 
Her body shivered in pleasure from his touch.
 

“You do not understand because I have not explained.  I courted Allana unjustly because my feelings were elsewhere. 
Will
you forgive me?” h
e asked.

Will
she
forgive him?  Why did he need her forgiveness?  It was Allana he should be begging forgiveness from, not
her
.  “Yes,” she squeaked.

He smiled in relief.

“But…,” Carmon began in a whisper.  She swallowed, trying to wet her very dry mouth.  “Yes?”
h
e asked.

“
Should you not
…be asking…
Allana this instead…ins
tead of me?” s
he stammered. 

“I did. 
I confessed this to her this night, and she has encouraged me to seek the one I truly
desire
,” he explained.  “She even agreed to help me.”  He was staring at Carmon meaningfully.

“Oh,” was all she could say.  He was telling her something, and she
couldn’t
quite grasp what that something was.  Perhaps if he was
n’t
so close
and his hand wasn’t resting under her chin
, she would be able to think properly.

Edmund laughed quietly.  He cupped her face gently in both hands.  “Carmon, have you not guessed who that someone is?”

“Who who is?”
Carmon asked breathlessly.  Her heart was beating wildly, too wildly.  It was so quiet in this
hallway;
surely he could hear it thumping.

“Whom it is I desire,” he answered.

“Oh.” 
He desired someone aside from Allana? 
 

“
It’s
you, Carmon.”

“Me?” s
he
gasped
in astonishment.  “But Allana is
—
”

“Not you,” he supplied.  “My heart
is yours
, Carmon. 
It always has been. 
But it lost hope, and I settled
for another
. 
When you graced me with your smile earlier, my heart soared.  Hope returned.
”  His eyes seemed to memorize her face.
 
“
I
…I
’
m in love with you
,” he whispered
. 
“
Please, allow me to court you
properly
.  Tell me
my
hope was not in vain
.
”

Was she gaping?  She closed her mouth then opened it to say something, but simply stared.
  He was in love with
her?

He graced her with his
beautiful
smile, the one
he’d
given Allana
earlier.
 
Carmon
felt like she just might melt right there.  She was certain she swooned slightly.

“
No,” she finally said.

His smile
fell
.
  “No?”

“Your hope was not in vain
,
”
she managed
.

A look of pure relief flooded his features.  “So I may
try to win your heart?
”

“
Edmund, y
ou already have it
.
” 
She inhaled sharply as h
is lips met hers. 
She’d
never been kissed before, and it was the most blissful thing she had ever experienced.
 
 

He pulled away, looking dow
n at her.  He looked as if he’
d just won
a most coveted prize.
  He grinned,
picked her up and twirled her around.  A laugh escaped
her
lips, and her heart soared with joy. 
Edmund was in love with her!

“May I occupy the r
est of your evening, my
L
ady?”
Edmund asked, setting her down gently and offering her his hand.

Ca
rmon smil
ed in delight.  “Yes, please do.”
  She took his hand and allowed him to scoop it up into the crook of his elbow.

“Then come with me, for there is still half a night of
dancing and amusement to be had and a room full of
gossipy
people
waiting for something new to talk about
.
”

Carmon laughed.  “What will they say about this?”

“I’
m not certain, but I have what I want.  Rumors cannot touch me now.”  He eyed her purposefully, brushing her lips once more with his before
guid
ing
her from the hall and toward the ballroom.

Lucas found
Allana
wandering about outside.
 
“You wi
ll catch a cold out here if you’re not careful,” he said
as he watched her
.
  She whirled around in surprise and smiled once she saw him.
 

“
It would be your fault. 
It has been far longer than twenty minutes, Lucas.  Must you keep a lady waiting?
” s
he
teased.

“
Lady?
  I see no lady.  I see a goddess in place of the little girl I once knew,
” he said
as he came toward her. 

She laughed out loud, shaking her head. 
“Flatterer.”

“I am simply stat
ing
the truth,” he said.  “And I believe several of the young men inside would agree with me.  You have grown into a very lovely young woman.”

Her cheeks reddened
, and she bowed her head humbly.  “Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”  He was
quite close to her now
. 
“Here,” he said, reaching
around
her and
pulling
the sides of her
cloak
over
her shoulders.
  Her breath came quicker with his touch.
 

“
Again, t
hank you,” she whispered. 

She
stared
up at him. 
She was mesmerized already. 
He could easily kiss her. 
It would be too easy.

“Shall we?”  He offered her his arm.  

“
Yes
,
”
she said, taking
it
.

They walked in silence for a moment.  “So, what drives you t
o leave such a festive ball?” h
e asked casually.
 

Allana smiled to herself.  “I needed to be out of the way.”

“Out of the way?
  Care to elaborate?” 
Rumors were already spreading within, but
Lucas
wished to hear Allana’s side of the story.

“Edmund needed it,
” she answered
with a pleasant sigh.
 

“
He needed it? 
In what
manner
?
 
Did he disrespect you?  Do I need to go bac
k in there and call him out?” h
e asked. 
He knew he did not.  The newest rumors were saying
Edmund and Carmon had been secretly courting this entire time. 
Allana had simply been
at
Carmon’s
side
when
he
c
ame
calling
.  Everyone knew Allana was Carmon’s closest friend, and most knew Carmon was a timid soul.  It had appeared Edmund was courting Allana when in actuality his intentions had been for Carmon all along.  Allana had simply insisted on testing
those
intentions first, and once she approved of
Edmund
, she’
d acted as chaperone and mediator
for
her dear friends.