The Viscount’s Darling Adventure by Maggie Dallen

2

Lady Clarissa Rutland clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from giggling.

Was he aiding her in her quest to hide from Clarence Claremont? How delightful. How wonderfully kind and fun and…she tried to slow her racing thoughts.

Saving her from one tedious interaction did not make her mystery man Prince Charming.

But she did greatly appreciate his efforts to deflect her annoyingly enthusiastic suitor.

The Claremonts were likely a lovely family. But with a lesser title and an appetite for a marriage that furthered their social status, they’d decided that a match between her family and theirs was the best way to attain their goal.

Clarissa had absolutely no intention of aiding them in their plans. The Claremont brothers, of which there were two, blended together in her mind as boring bordering on insufferable.

If she were to be trapped into a marriage at all, it would not be with such a man. The man she chose, if she chose, would be exciting, adventurous, full of spirit. He would not be full of himself. A distinction the Claremonts did not seem to understand.

And besides, Clarissa did not feel bound by all the same rules as the other women who populated the ballrooms of London. The ladies of society were obsessed with the match they made, the connections they brought to their families. All well and good, but six months ago she’d been a distant relation to the earldom, and her priorities had been so different, she felt as though she were from another world.

The address of lady had only very recently replaced the miss she’d been assigned her first nineteen years of life.

She’d expected to lead a quiet life in the country and to follow her heart wherever it led her. Which admittedly hadn’t been far.

But she’d had the possibility of doing whatever she wished. With the small inheritance she’d been left after their mother’s death, she’d dreamt of touring Europe, or sailing to America, or perhaps even further. When she returned, she’d wed or not, depending on her appetite for the institution, but she needn’t be concerned with the social climbing that seemed to consume the elite.

Much had changed when her brother had taken on the title.

Along with her brother’s new position as earl, the entire family had been uprooted from their very comfortable life in Essex and thrown into the new world of London.

Which should have pleased Clarissa exponentially. She’d loudly and often complained about how boring life was in a small village with the same one hundred people. And she’d so been looking forward to this.

She’d been waiting her entire life for an adventure, and here she finally had one.

And it had been thrilling...and terrifying, and annoying, and wonderful. She loved the city and the culture, but honestly, the people left much to be desired. Rigid and full of themselves, they had largely closed themselves off to the possibilities of life. Still, coming to London had only whetted her appetite for more exploration. What would she find in other corners of the world?

Which was exactly why she’d never allow a man like the Honourable Clarence Claremont to catch her. Because, much like one did not want to go on safari and be eaten by one of the lions, a newly appointed lady did not wish to take a grand trip to London and end up shackled to one of the Claremonts.

“Are you certain you haven’t seen her? I could have sworn I saw her step out. Her mask is quite distinctive.”

Her new friend cleared his throat. Could she call him a friend when she didn’t know his name? “White you said? No. Haven’t seen her. It’s just me out here. All alone. Looking at the...stars.”

She nearly let another fit of laughter escape her lips.

Because he’d been so affronted when she’d suggested as much. And yet here he was using it as an excuse to protect her. And because—well—this felt like a bit of an adventure too. A small one, but still.

She pressed closer, worried her skirts might show, as she crouched down further. He’d been standing next to a bench and she was relatively certain the thick stone structure further hid her person, but she held his coat all the same, laying her cheek to his back. His scent wrapped about her, warm and yet fresh. He smelled of sandalwood with a hint of new grass and the faintest trace of horse. Clarissa nearly gasped when she realized he smelled like the country. Like home.

The muscles of his back flexed under hands, making the tips of her fingers tingle.

“Huh,” Claremont said. “Stars?”

“Stars,” her mystery man repeated, shifting closer to the bench to better hide her position.

“Well, that’s a pity. I thought I’d finally cornered the little fox, and I prize myself on being an exceptional hunter.”

“I beg your pardon,” her rescuer growled out. “Is that anyway to refer to a lady?”

Claremont sputtered for a moment before he finally answered. “I meant no offense. It’s just that she manages to avoid me at every gathering and—”

“Has it occurred to you, sir,” mystery man answered, his voice taking on a hard edge that rang with authority. “That you should take that as a sign the lady is not interested?”

Clarissa could have crowed with approval. Finally, someone was talking reason and sense.

Claremont stepped closer, she watched his feet shuffle as he moved. “But truly, how could I allow such a fine specimen to slip away?” he asked, his voice dropping. “She is so…uniquely vexing.”

“The thrill of the chase, eh?” Heat radiated off his back, warming her as her own pulse quickened. “I see the appeal. But have you considered…” Her new friend paused, his back expanding. “How will you feel when the chase is over? Will you be as interested?”

Claremont was silent for so long that Clarissa found herself holding her breath. Rarely had she heard a man speak with such reason, and her mystery man’s levelheaded questions were setting Claremont back far more than any of Clarissa’s own barbs or escape attempts. She would have clapped in appreciation, but the act would give her position away so she remained crouched instead.

“Interesting,” Claremont finally murmured. “I do see your point, and I’ll have to consider. But truly, I may continue the chase despite your words. She’s a fine catch, socially speaking, and the lady my family would prefer I married.”

“A lady,” her mystery man murmured, giving the slightest look back over his shoulder.

“Precisely. Well, forgive me, but I must continue my quest to find her. The chase is on! Good luck—er—looking at the stars.”

“Happy hunting,” her rescuer called back. A moment passed, and then two, before he looked over his shoulder again. “You may come out now.”

She straightened, smoothing her skirts. “Thank you. And thank you for not revealing my position. It might have been most awkward. While I know we are in plain view of the party...”

“Understood,” he replied. “I too would prefer not to become engaged to a woman who’s name I do not know and whom I’ve never actually seen.”

She started to giggle then, because, well, it was true. Odd, in some ways, she’d shared a great deal with him. More than she had anyone in quite some time. “You’re right. I too would prefer not to fall accidentally into a marriage. Still. What a story that engagement would be.”

He shook his head. “A good story, yes. But I wonder about the ending. Does one like that end happily?”

She cocked her head, assessing the strong line of his jaw and wishing that she could see the rest of his face behind his mask. What would it be like to reach up and untie the ribbon holding the covering over his features? “I don’t know.” She tapped her chin, trying to shake off her strange feelings. “But you’re very sensible to consider all the angles in such a way.”

He smiled at her then. “Thank you. I can confess that I admire your sense of adventure. It’s most...refreshing.”

That made her smile, then, joy bubbling up from her very toes. She’d been wondering if she might marry. In this moment, she could see the merit in the possibility. Not these stuffed shirts who constantly yammered about propriety, but perhaps a man who enjoyed her need for adventure. Who appreciated her different perspective. That might be lovely. “I thank you, kindly.”

He bent down low. “I know that we aren’t sharing our identities, which makes this next bit complicated. But I wonder…. Do you have any dances available?”

She didn’t need to look at her dance card to know that it was empty. Her sister Tabetha had recently become engaged to the Duke of Walton. Prior to that, her card would likely have been empty because no man had asked. But tonight, her card was devoid of names because she’d deftly avoided any attempts men had made to claim one.

But her mystery man was different.

“I do believe the very next dance is available, and I would be honored to dance it with you.” He held out his elbow and she slipped her hand into the crook. The brilliance of this plan was that they need not separate. To do so would mean that he’d need to seek her out or ask for her family name. This way, they could continue their mystery meeting.

Which had been an absolute delight thus far.

Strong and lean, he guided her back into the crush and toward the dance floor as the last notes of the previous waltz died away.

He took her into his arms as the music began again, spinning her about the floor. It was fast, dizzyingly so, as they moved together.

When they’d spoken, there had been an understanding that seemed to pass between them. He understood her…and she’d liked to think she did him as well.

Their dance was much the same.

Clarissa was not particularly enamored with dancing as a general rule. She much preferred traipsing through the woods or down country lanes, but here, in his arms, she suddenly understood other women’s infatuation with the art. They were in sync in a way she’d never experienced with any other man in her life.

She could have danced like this forever.

All too soon, the notes began to die away, and they were forced to stop.

But neither moved.

They both stood, their eyes meeting through their masks. He broke the silence first. “What happens next?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“I could walk you to your chaperone?”

She nodded absently. “But that…”

He smiled. “Would ruin the mystery.”

“I suppose we have to let it go at some point.” Then she looked away, her eyes focusing on the far wall. She wasn’t ready for their little escapade to come to an end. “Or not.”

“Not?” he asked, moving just a touch closer. Her heart, already beating out of her chest, sped even faster.

“We walk away, each of us to our own corner so to speak. And we trust…” She swallowed, choosing her words more carefully. She was about to say something completely silly about fate and chance and her heart. “We allow the mystery of the masquerade to continue to play out.”

“What if we never see one another again?” he asked, cocking his head to the side.

It was a possibility. “Then we weren’t meant to. In which case, I must confess, I enjoyed your company a great deal.”

“And I yours.”

She curtsied then. “Thank you for the dance. And for your aid. And for our conversation.”

“Thank you for laughing at my jokes,” he said with a bow.

Her brows drew together. Why would he thank her for that? “Until the next time?”

The faintest smile touched his lips. “Until the next time.”

“Goodbye.” She was stalling and she knew it. Part of her questioned this plan. Ask his name. Be sure there is a next time, her head was chanting.

But her heart... It had gotten swept up in the first romantic moment in her entire life and it won the argument.

And so, slowly, she turned and walked away.

Clarissa was proud of herself. She only looked over her shoulder once. And she found him exactly where she left him, staring back.

Her heart dropped to the floor and she nearly raced back to his side. But she took a deep breath. This was her second adventure. She’d make the most of it.