Aubrey cocked her head to the side. The idea had merit. She’d love to see the pole up close, touch the ribbons, and dance about if only for a minute or two. “What if we get caught?”
Camilla raised her finger. “In the most technical sense, we’re not breaking any rules. We’re together, we’re in sight of the school, and we’re exercising out of doors before the sun can freckle our skin.”
Aubrey blinked. How convenient. Out the window, the pole was securely in place, several of the men, who’d discarded their jackets, were wiping their brows.
Aubrey looked down at them, noting one, larger than the rest, scrubbed his neck with his pocket square. Not only was he large but there was a masculine roughness about his appearance that captured her attention, and she leaned a bit closer. His gaze lifted, his dark eyes penetrating hers with a piercing stare.
She gave a gasp and jerked back into the shadows. Her skin prickled as though he’d actually touched her. Who was he and why did he look at her so?
“Well, I’m for the idea,” Camilla said, oblivious to Aubrey’s discomfort.
“Me too,” Sarah clapped again. “Rose?”
Rose nodded. “Indeed, the pole is so romantic, surely we should get close enough to it to make a wish.”
“A wish?” Aubrey asked. “Do people make wishes on May Day poles?”
Rose shook her head back and forth. “I’m not certain, but I’m going to. Something about it is too fanciful to resist.”
Camilla wrinkled her nose. “Are you going to wish for a husband?”
“No,” Rose laughed as she answered. “Don’t be silly. Nothing so life-changing as that. I’m going to wish for a special edition of Wordsworth’s poetry.”
Aubrey reached back and squeezed Rose’s hand. Her family had sent her here so that she might marry well and save their financial futures. It meant Rose rarely had extra money for things other than school and her wardrobe for the season.
“I’d wish for a chemistry set of my very own,” Camilla sighed. “Though we all know that Madame Bellafonte would take the set away if she ever discovered it.”
“What would you wish for, Sarah?” Rose asked.
Sarah sighed. “A knight in shining armor.”
Aubrey managed not to laugh, just. It was so like Sarah to be so romantically fanciful. She glanced at her friends. “Do you know what I’d wish for?”
“What?” Camilla asked.
“A puppy,” she answered, looking back out onto the square.
“A puppy?” Sarah asked, wrinkling her nose. “Why?”
“I’ve always wanted one, but my family would never allow me to have any pets. They make my brother sneeze. But I don’t think a puppy would care that I get tongue-tied, or that my marriage prospects are dismal, or that I shall be one of Madame Bellafonte’s greatest failures.”
Camilla gave her arm a squeeze. “You’re not a failure. Don’t say that.”
Aubrey gave them a falsely bright smile. She didn’t want their pity. Fun, that’s what they needed. “Tomorrow morning we’ll make our wishes around the May Day pole for real.”
Want to read more? A Wish Upon a Duke will be arriving on May Day! What’s more, All the books will be released in May. It’s a delightful dose of springtime fun!
A Wish Upon a Duke
A Wish Upon a Marquess
A Wish Upon an Earl
A Wish Upon a Viscount
About the Author
Maggie Dallen writes adult and young adult romantic comedies in a range of genres. An unapologetic addict of all things romance, she loves to connect with fellow avid readers on Facebook, Instagram or at www.maggiedallen.com. For an exclusive free novella, sign up for her monthly newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/dgUNif
Katherine Ann Madison is the sweet side of USA Today Bestselling Author, Tammy Andresen. Mother of three beautiful daughter’s, Katherine’s line of sweet romance strives to write romance for the reader of any age. Katherine’s stories infuse humor, romance, and wholesome love that are as joyful as they are uplifting. If you’d like to learn more about her books, new releases and sales alerts, you can subscribe to her newsletter at: http://www.tammyandresen.com/writing-as-katherine-ann-madison/
