Elizabeth smiled to herself as she walked leisurely towards the park, her maid trailing behind her. She had been up early, leaving her mother and father still abed, and certainly could not be confined to the house on a glorious day such as this! So, she had chosen to break her fast, dress, and hurry from the house, choosing to walk in the park that was only a short distance from her home.

It was early enough that there was barely a soul out walking the streets, although all the shopkeepers were busy setting up their stores for the day. She smiled and nodded at a few of them, thinking that she might stop by the bookshop and possibly search for a new ribbon or two on her return home. But, for the time being, she wanted nothing more than to be in the quiet and stillness of the park.

It obliged her. The moment she stepped in through the gates, the loveliness of the place overwhelmed her, the scent of the flowers rushing towards her as though greeting her in welcome. She smiled and drew in a long breath, her eyes closing for just a moment.

How beautiful it was.

Walking a little further into the park, Elizabeth took her time to admire the blooms, wishing she knew the names of them, before laughing at the ducks splashing in the pond. Aside from her maid, there was not anther soul in the place, which she found a rather pleasing fact. After the crush of yesterday’s ball, she found enjoyment in being alone.

Humming to herself, Elizabeth walked along the small, twisting path into a copse of trees, and finding a small bench, she sat down on it. The maid handed her the sketchbook and pencils she had brought with her, and under Elizabeth’s instruction, she sat down a little further away, giving Elizabeth all the space she required.

“It really is a very pretty vantage point,” Elizabeth murmured to herself, her pencil in her hand as she began to sketch the scene in front of her.

She had always enjoyed art, even though her watercolors were not as good as she wished them to be. Her drawing brought her a great deal of pleasure, even if no one ever saw her work. It was something she did that she could be proud of, particularly when a piece turned out very well. She was not quite sure whether or not she would paint this particular scene, but a sketch would do her for the time being.

As she drew, her mind filled with all that had gone on at the ball last evening. She had found it both delightful and overwhelming, as well as utterly exhausting—from all the dancing she was expected to do. That had been an experience in itself, for the gentlemen who had partnered her had varied greatly in both skill and conversation. Some had concentrated so hard on the steps that they had barely spoken a word to her, whilst others had been so free with conversation that they did not seem to even notice where they put their feet, with one gentleman standing on her toes.

She winced, wriggling her toes a little and finding them still painful. No, not all of them had been particularly good partners. Recalling what the mysterious gentleman had said to her about finding the best partner, Elizabeth smiled to herself as she continued to sketch, her heart lifting in her chest. That gentleman had been both good in conversation and handsome of face, even though she knew she ought not to let her thoughts linger on him. She was to be married soon, even if she had not seen her future husband in some years. There was very little point in continuing to think of the man on the balcony.

And yet, he had been so very handsome and clearly interested in her conversation, which she had appreciated. She had been a little silly to refuse to introduce herself without a third-party present, as was expected, but that did lend itself to a little more mystery. Elizabeth could not pretend that her heart had not quickened in her chest when he had smiled at her, nor that she had not felt heat rippling through her when he had pressed his lips to her hand. Even now, she could still feel the remnants of his actions rifling through her, making her aware of the desire coiling through her veins. She wanted to know the gentleman; she wanted to know his name and the kind of man he was.

“But that would be foolish, Elizabeth,” she said aloud, berating herself for allowing her thoughts to be caught up with him again. “You are to be betrothed. Stop being so foolish.”

“You are being foolish? In what way?”

With a small shriek that had her maid come running, Elizabeth turned her head to see none other than the mysterious gentleman from the night before coming towards her. With one hand on her heart, she waved her maid away with the other as she rose to greet him, her legs a little unsteady.

“I am terribly sorry; I did not mean to upset you,” he said at once, looking rather embarrassed. “I thought you had heard my horse approaching.”

Elizabeth’s gaze traveled past him to see a large, black stallion blowing hard through its nose, as it stood tethered to a tree branch. It did not take much notice of her, but it lowered its head to begin to eat the grass.

“I did not see you, nor hear you, but that often happens when I am drawing,” she explained, not quite sure what else to say.

He smiled at her, his eyes warming. “You draw?”

“Do not all young ladies?”

He chuckled then, his shoulders lifting in a slight shrug. “I suppose they do, but I find myself intrigued to see your work.”

Elizabeth shifted her gaze to her sketchbook sitting on the bench as she sat back down, feeling a little uncomfortable. “Well, I suppose….”

“You do not have to, of course,” he said quickly, evidently aware of her discomfort. “It is entirely at your discretion.”

Choosing to ignore her lack of confidence in herself, Elizabeth picked up her sketchbook and handed it to him. “I have just sketched the scene in front of me,” she murmured, hoping that her cheeks were not as hot as she felt they were. “I may add color later, when I return home, but I have not always enjoyed watercolors.” She kept her gaze on his face, growing desperate to know what he thought of her work. Elizabeth was surprised that such a strong urgency would rise within her, especially since this was only the second time she had met the gentleman in question. Much to her relief, he raised his eyebrows and looked over at her with a look of wonderment.

“My dear lady, you are remarkable!” he exclaimed, his eyes looking from the sketchbook to her and back again. “I am aware that it is expected for me to share a compliment over a young lady’s work, but in this case, I find that I am struggling to find the words I need to tell you just how extraordinary this work is.”

Elizabeth felt herself blush. “You are very kind, my lord.”

He shook his head to himself again, looking back at her sketch, before handing her back the sketchbook.

“And will you still not give me your name?” he asked quietly, now standing directly in front of her. “Do we still require a third party to be so proper when we have not been conducting ourselves with all the propriety we can muster?”

“Whatever do you mean?” Elizabeth asked a little breathlessly. She felt her heart quickening a little, as she looked up at him, seeing his smile broaden, his eyes lighting with good humor.

“Nothing too incorrect, of course, but more the fact that we are having all kinds of conversations without even knowing one another’s names,” he replied, with a chuckle. “Does that not mean that we are, in fact, being terribly improper?”

“I suppose so,” Elizabeth replied, feeling both relieved and amused. “Then, given that it is so improper, I think we should end this conversation at once.”

The smile faded from his face and an earnest expression replaced it. “And yet I find that the very thought of doing such a thing wounds me grievously,” he murmured, coming to sit by her. Elizabeth felt her heart leap into her throat, aware of just how closely he sat by her. Her maid was doing her best not to look over at them, but even with her presence, Elizabeth was more than aware that this situation was not a wise one. To have a gentleman sitting so close to her, when they were practically the only two souls in the park, was extremely unwise.

But then again, they were the only two in the park, except for her maid. Surely, they would be able to see or hear anyone who approached, would they not? Was her reputation really as safe as she hoped?

“I have discomfited you, I think.”

His voice was warm, and as she looked over at him, she saw that his eyes were filled with anxiety.

“I should go.”

“Please,” she found herself saying, catching his sleeve with her hand. “Do not do so on my account, I beg you. I was just being foolish.”

The anxious look did not leave his expression. “No, you are quite right, of course. I should not be putting your reputation in jeopardy by sitting here, but for whatever reason, I find myself rather drawn to you.”

Elizabeth blinked up at him, her entire body burning with a sudden heat. She wanted to tell him that she felt the same, but she found her mouth simply would not move, her words refusing to come from her throat. She could not say anything of the like to him, not when she knew that there could never be anything between them.

“You must forgive my thoughtlessness,” he murmured, getting to his feet at once. “I did not mean to bring you any kind of discomfort.”

“You did not,” Elizabeth replied earnestly, feeling the loss of his presence immediately and suddenly finding the game they were playing a little frustrating. She ought to tell him at once that she was betrothed; she ought to tell him that there could never be any kind of association between them. No matter how hard she convinced herself to do so, Elizabeth found that she simply could not bring herself to say such a thing.

“Come the next ball, I shall insist on being introduced to you properly,” he said with a quick smile. “Then we shall not have any more concerns as regards our interactions. What say you to that?”

“I think that would be a most excellent idea,” Elizabeth replied with a smile. “Thank you, my lord. I appreciate your consideration in this matter.”

He looked at her for a long moment, and Elizabeth found herself fixed to her seat, not quite sure what to say or do. Something in his eyes brought warmth to her very soul, something that she was not quite sure what to do with.

Without another word, he bowed in front of her, catching her hand and pressing his lips to it, just as he had done the previous night. Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and left. Elizabeth kept her eyes on him for as long as she could, her heart both unsettled and yet filled with happiness over what had turned out to be a very pleasant morning.