Court of Flowers (Sutherland Book 1)

XXII | Stealing Kisses

On the fourth day, Sasha was certain that Gabrielle was no longer in Humbrick. She had not seen the woman, nor had Ruby and Jade.

Sasha constantly found herself staring blankly at nowhere, deep in her thoughts.

Why did Gabrielle follow her here?

And why did she disappear almost the same day as Willoghby?

It could merely be a coincidence, but Sasha did not know what to think anymore.

Gabrielle said she was sent here for Sasha. Well, Sasha was still here, and the woman was not.

The boredom she felt as the days went by was of no help as well. The events that Lady Renee arranged for the guests over the week seemed to become more of a task. It was tedious enough to frequently change and dress in the right set of clothing for certain activities, much more so see the actual activities through.

The only thing that kept her from leaving was her mission—which was West. But he, too, was making things a little challenging. Yes, they may have kissed—and enjoyed it—but it did not mean that he was always around her. Since their trip to the island, he had not approached her.

Sasha chanced upon him in one of the breakfast rooms that morning, but he was surrounded by men within his station as he constantly was.

Ruby and Jade pointed out that West was not being the typical flower, but Aaron and Trent reasoned that the duke simply needed more time to adjust.

That afternoon, Sasha and her friends joined a game of Bowls.

Sasha was standing under a tree, taking refuge from the heat of the sun, when she felt his presence behind her. Even before she heard his voice, she knew it was him. "Your team seems to be losing," he whispered in her ear.

She inclined her head to the left, her cheek brushing against his stubbled chin. "I agree."

"You must realize then that you are no use to your team anymore," he nonchalantly murmured, stepping beside her, back straight, eyes on Aaron who was cursing the 'jack', their target white ball, quietly in wait yards away. "That is probably the fifth time Emsworth missed."

"Sixth."

His forefinger furtively hooked around her little finger, tugging her hand in the folds of her dress, before the rest of his hand closed around hers.

Their head held straight ahead, West took a step back. Sasha followed, hands clasped together, hidden in her skirts.

"Where are we going?"

He took another step back, nearly stepping on a woman's foot. "Pardon," he murmured before taking a turn, pulling Sasha further away from the game.

Sasha could feel the rush. The beating inside her chest was now a familiar episode, a sign that she was about to be ravished by a duke.

A part of her was telling her she should not be doing this, but her mission was a lingering presence at the back of her mind, a constant reminder of why she was here. The man who sent her the invitation to Humbrick was expecting this very result. The people in Belcourt were waiting for what she might uncover. Gabrielle made certain she was at Humbrick before disappearing. She was supposed to be here—be with him.

And Sasha felt she was seeing progress. She had finally managed to peel one layer of the man who, from the start, seemed to be too formidable, too tough.

Yet why did she feel like she was not walking briskly back into the manor to do a task? Why was her heart racing? Why was she anticipating the moment?