“And so, it is the final ball of the house party,” Kinsley murmured, looking down from the balcony into the ballroom below. “It has been a most enjoyable sennight, I must say.”

“You have done very well, Kinsley,” Phillip agreed, coming to stand by his friend. “Thank you for the invitation.” He grinned, as Kinsley chuckled, shaking his head at him. “I will confess that I did not want to attend at first, but now I am quite glad I did so.”

Kinsley’s laughter grew. “And is that because you have been able to spend a great deal of time with Miss Richardson?”

“Perhaps,” Phillip admitted, no shame in the fact that he found the lady more than a little desirable. “I was quite wrong about her, Kinsley. I should never have believed her to be a lady with questionable morals, batting her eyelashes at everyone and giving away her favors freely.”

Kinsley’s smile faded. “No, you should not have,” he agreed firmly. “But she has forgiven you, has she not?”

“Unbelievably, she has,” Phillip agreed, shaking his head as a sense of disbelief filled him. “And, even more surprising, Lady Emma came to beg my forgiveness for speaking so cruelly about her stepsister.”

Kinsley stared at him, his mouth falling open.

“I know, I was just as astonished as you are now,” Phillip said and chuckled, recalling how Lady Emma had confessed all to him, desperate for him to forgive her and hoping aloud that he did not think badly of Miss Richardson. “Of course, I already knew that Miss Richardson was not what her stepsister said she was, but it was heartening to hear it from Lady Emma herself.”

“Perhaps she is finally showing a little bit of responsibility,” Kinsley murmured, blinking in surprise. “Lady Emma has always come across as a bit of an immature, flighty young thing, but I am glad now that she has shown some common sense and maturity."

“Indeed,” Phillip replied, seeing the guests begin to arrive and finding himself eager with expectation. “We should go down, Kinsley. You cannot be absent from the ball, especially not when you are the host.”

Kinsley chuckled, slapping Phillip hard on the back. “Desperate to see her, are you? Well, well, who would have thought that I would ever see my dear friend fall so helplessly in love with a pretty little thing like Miss Richardson?”

Phillip froze to the spot, his hand tightening on the rail. In love?

“I had best go,” Kinsley continued, evidently unaware of how his words had affected Phillip. “Come down when you are ready.”

Phillip watched him go, something building in his chest. He had never once considered himself in love before, having never truly experienced such a feeling. Was Kinsley correct? Was he in love with Miss Richardson?

Looking down into the ballroom, Phillip felt his heart slam into his chest as he saw her descend the steps. She was utterly breathtaking, and within his core, Phillip felt something deep and everlasting settle within him. He had eyes for no other and could not think of dancing with anyone but her.

She made him smile, and his smile brightened each and every day he spent in her presence. The thought of her leaving to return home, whilst he went to his, brought a sharp pain to his heart. He enjoyed breaking his fast with her, dining with her, spending the days and evenings in her company. She was quickwitted, intelligent, lively, and beautiful. Phillip knew he could never feel for another what he did for her.

“Good gracious,” he whispered aloud, not knowing whether to smile or burst into raucous laughter. “I love her.” He kept his gaze fixed on her as he slowly made his way to the staircase that would bring him into the ballroom itself. “I love Miss Richardson,” he whispered to himself, suddenly desperate to tell her so.

He did not want her to doubt his affections, nor could he let her return home without being fully aware of what he felt for her. His future was filled with visions of her, making him realize that he wanted nothing more than to wed her and bring her to his home.

The realization was quite overwhelming, forcing him to pause on the stairs for a moment.

“Lord Withington?”

Looking down, he saw Lady Emma climbing the stairs towards him, a shy smile on her face.

“Lady Emma,” he murmured distractedly. “You do not wish to join the other guests?”

“In a moment, I suppose,” she replied, climbing the stairs past him and stopping so that she stood just above him. “I am going to take some time to view the guests and the dancing and consider what I have learned during my time here.”

“I see,” Phillip replied, smiling. “I do hope you will be able to join us soon.”

Lady Emma chuckled, leaning forward just a little. “I can guess who it is you wish to dance with, Lord Withington,” she murmured, glancing to her left. “Your interest has not gone unnoticed.”

Phillip felt heat race up his spine, crawling into his face, as he glanced over to see Miss Richardson watching them both. “Indeed,” he murmured, clearing his throat. “Then, I can assure you that I have nothing but good intentions for your stepsister.”

Lady Emma looked down at him, her eyes suddenly narrowed. “And yet, she is below me in status.”

He raised his eyebrows, wondering what she meant by such a statement. “Such a thing does not concern me, Lady Emma. I have no reservations in that area.”

She put one hand on his chest and, jumping in surprise, Phillip looked up at her, about to ask what it was she was doing—only for her to kiss him full on the mouth.

It took a moment for him to register what it was she was doing and another moment for him to jerk away, practically falling down the stairs as he did so.

“Whatever are you doing?” he hissed, wiping his mouth. “Lady Emma, I am astonished at you!”

“I am better than her in both status and beauty,” she snarled, her hands fisting as she glared at him. “Yet it is she who manages to capture the attention of a marquess.” She tossed her head, her fair curls flying. “I will not have it, I say! It is I who should marry first, not her.”

Flabbergasted by the venomous hatred in her eyes, Phillip stared at her for another moment, only for dread to settle in his stomach. Slowly, he turned his gaze towards Miss Richardson, only to see her hurrying from the room.

“How dare you!” he whispered, anger bursting in his veins. “How dare you try to manipulate me like this! You are nothing but a snake, Lady Emma, and I can assure you that all this will come to naught.”

She laughed harshly and turned on her heel. “We will see, Lord Withington. You may discover that it is I who am the victor after all.”

Phillip did not wait to hear more, practically running down the steps and rushing—headlong—into the ballroom.

“My lord!”

His heart beating wildly in his chest, Phillip turned to see Lady Perrin hurrying towards him, her expression horror-stricken. “Charlotte just left the ballroom without explanation,” she said, grasping his arm and pulling him into the shadows. “She claimed a headache, but tears were in her eyes.” Her sharp eyes pierced him, as though already blaming him for what had occurred. “Is there something I should know?”

Seeing that he would have no choice but to answer truthfully, Phillip let out a long sigh. “I am afraid Lady Emma chose to kiss me only a few moments ago,” he murmured, seeing Lady Perrin’s shock as she clapped one hand over her mouth. “I stepped away at once, of course, but it was in full view of the other guests, and unfortunately, of Miss Richardson.”

Lady Perrin drew in a sharp breath, her hand falling back to her side as she tried to regain her composure. “Did anyone else see you?”

“Not that I am aware of, but Miss Richardson was Lady Emma’s intended victim,” Phillip replied, hoarsely. “I confess to you now that I am in love with Miss Richardson. I will not allow this to sever the connection between us. I must find her…so long as I have your blessing.”

Lady Perrin smiled softly, putting a gentle hand on his arm. “Of course, you do, Lord Withington. It is my niece that must take the blame for this matter.” Her expression grew grim as she looked around the ballroom. “Where is she?”

“I believe she went up to the balcony,” Phillip replied. “Do you think Miss Richardson returned to her chambers?”

“Most likely she escaped outdoors,” Lady Perrin said after a moment. “She will not want the four walls around her, not when she is distressed.” She smiled sadly. “Take care of her, Lord Withington. I will come to her chambers a little later.”

Phillip nodded, and as Lady Perrin left, he shot a glance up towards the balcony. Lady Emma was standing there still, a dark smile on her face that told him she already thought she won. How easily he had been taken in, believing that she meant every word of her apology. And yet it had all been done for a particular cause, so as to try and separate him from Charlotte.

“I will find her,” he growled to himself, pushing open the door and walking quickly up the hallway, grasping the arm of a passing footman and asking him if he had seen one of the guests coming this way. The mention of a young lady who had hurried outside in the direction of the arbor by the lily ponds shot hope through Phillip’s heart. Within minutes, he was outside striding through the dark paths with ease. A few lanterns were lit, for which he was more than grateful, otherwise, he would have very little clue as to where she might be.

“Charlotte?” he called with desperation, doing away with all formalities. As he approached the arbor, he called for her once more. “Charlotte? Are you in there? Please, do not push me away. We need to talk. I beg of you, let me talk to you. Do not let your stepsister’s evil ways push us apart, not when I have so much to say to you.”

Silence met him. There was no answering call, nothing but the gentle lapping of the water against the sides of the pond. Stepping inside the arbor, he was met with nothing but blackness. Despair filled him, and he put his head in his hands for a moment, drawing in a deep breath. He had to find her. He had to tell her how he truly felt and explain that what she had seen was nothing more than her stepsister’s manipulation at work.

Raising his head, Phillip looked about him again as he stepped out of the arbor, wondering in which direction to go next. A sudden flash of color caught his gaze, coming from the maze just beyond the ponds.

“Charlotte!” he shouted, rushing towards the entrance to the maze. “Charlotte, please! Do not run from me!”