They’d planned this, he and Upton. Upton would dance with her and bring her to the far half of the room on the other side of a trellis that had been set up just for the occasion. Owen would be waiting there, and Upton would hand her off to him. She couldn’t possibly object in the midst of a dance in the middle of a crowded ballroom, could she? He would soon find out.
As Owen waited, he realized he was holding his breath. His foot was tapping, too. He was—by God, he was nervous. He’d never been nervous a day in his life. Upton came around the trellis just then and twirled Alex in his direction. When Upton stopped and spun her out of his arms, Owen caught her. The look on her face when she glanced up and realized he was there was a mixture of both surprise and anger. But dare he hope—was it only wishful thinking?—that for a split second between those two other emotions was a flash of … happiness? Relief?
Alex didn’t take up dancing with him, however. Instead, she stopped, gasped, and stepped back. “What are you doing here?” She glared at Upton for his betrayal.
Upton cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind his back. “I’ll just leave you two to talk.” He rushed off before Alex had a chance to object.
Alex lifted her skirts and turned away from Owen. “I’m going back to the—”
“Wait,” he called, his nerves making his voice harsher than he’d meant it to be.
She stopped, her face in profile. “Why?”
“Alex, I—”
She turned and advanced on him. “What are you doing here?”
“I have a confession to make. I asked Upton to get you here.”
“Pardon?”
“I wanted to see you, away from London.”
“Garrett planned this?”
“With help from his wife and her friends.”
Anger blurred Alex’s vision. “Those awful sneaks!”
“Please don’t blame them. Upton owed me a favor. I called it in.”
She stalked away from him, under the trellis, and crossed her arms over her chest. “Very well. You’ve got me here. What do you want to say to me?”
“I want to ask you to give me another chance. I want to apologize for my behavior that night—with Mrs. Clare. I want to—”
“Give you another chance for what? We didn’t have a first chance. There’s nothing to try again.”
“I don’t think you believe that any more than I do.”
Alex flourished a hand in the air. “I was fifteen when I fancied myself in love with you. I’d been shut up in my bedchamber most of my life, listening to strains of waltzes and dreaming about my life when I turned eighteen. I was a fool. Things don’t work out the way they do in fairy tales, and the first handsome gentleman to arrive under your windowsill is not meant to be your future husband.”
“But he could be.”
Alex stopped. Swallowed. Clenched her teeth. “I gave you my heart, Owen. But I no longer believe I can trust you. Please do as I say when I ask you to leave me be.”
CHAPTER FORTY
Alex spent the next two hours deftly trying to ignore Owen’s presence. What had her new friends been thinking, inviting him here? Cass might be his sister, but they all knew how Alex felt about him at the moment. They liked to be up to mischief, but she’d had no idea they would trick her this way. She needed to be alone. She considered the library but thought better of it. Despite being the lady of the house, Jane Upton would no doubt be perched on the sofa in there. Instead, Alex made her way outside onto the terrace and into the gardens. She hadn’t made it two steps down the garden path before the door opened behind her.
“Wait,” a man’s voice called.
For an excruciating moment, she thought it was Owen. But it wasn’t. She’d apparently made it clear that she wanted nothing more to do with him tonight, perhaps ever. No. The man holding open the door to follow her was Lord Berkeley. The viscount released the door and strolled toward her.
Alex stopped and smiled at him. “My lord?”
“I wanted to say … good-bye.” Lord Berkeley bowed to her. “I came to see my cousin who lives here in Bath and thought I’d stop by Upton’s party tonight as well.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“I’m glad, too. Glad for the opportunity to say good-bye to you. I’m leaving for my property in the North tonight.”
Alex tugged at the string to her reticule. “I do hope to see you again sometime soon.”
“I’m afraid not. I don’t plan to return to London for the better part of a year.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “Thank you so much, for everything, my lord.”