‘I’ll be here when you get back. There’s no rush.’
‘I’d better pack. Give my regards to Lady Elizabeth.’
‘I will.’
An hour later he rapped on Lady Elizabeth’s front door, listening to the maid’s footsteps as she approached and fumbled with the door before opening it.
‘Mr Ashburton for Lady Elizabeth.’
‘Come in, sir, Lady Hummingford is in the drawing room.’
Josh followed the maid upstairs to the narrow room he’d been shown into the day before when he’d visited with Leo.
‘Mr Ashburton, how wonderful to see you again. Elizabeth has been looking forward to this evening all day. She’s talked of little else.’
‘My brother...’ he began, meaning to give Leo’s apologies, but at that moment Lady Hummingford continued speaking and Lady Elizabeth also entered the room. Josh’s words trailed off as he took in the sight of Lady Elizabeth dressed for an evening out. She was wearing a midnight-blue dress with silver flowers embroidered across the bodice and along the hem. It had long sleeves, it was only April after all, but the neckline dipped tantalisingly to show the smooth skin of her chest. She was carrying a pale grey shawl, silky in look, again with silver flowers embroidered along the edge.
Josh saw her eyes narrow slightly in confusion as she looked at him. Her mother might have no idea that it was the wrong Mr Ashburton standing in their drawing room, but Lady Elizabeth did.
‘I’m terribly sorry, Mr Ashburton, I know I was meant to accompany you and Elizabeth this evening, but I have come down with the most awful headache,’ Lady Hummingford said, a pained expression on her face. ‘I have arranged for our good friends Mr and Mrs Wilson to meet you at the gardens and act as chaperon, if that is acceptable?’
Now would be the perfect moment for him to reveal he wasn’t Leo, he wasn’t the man meant to be in their drawing room, but just as he opened his mouth to speak again Lady Elizabeth gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head. Josh clamped his lips together.
‘Of course, Lady Hummingford. You must rest,’ he said, doing his best impression of Leo.
‘We should leave, Mr Ashburton.’ Lady Elizabeth took a step towards the door and Josh followed, offering her his arm once they were downstairs.
‘Have a lovely evening,’ Lady Hummingford called after them.
Neither spoke until they were in the carriage and Josh had given the instruction for the driver to move away.
‘Mr Ashburton,’ Lady Elizabeth said slowly, looking at him carefully as if to be completely sure as to his identity.
‘Indeed.’
‘It is you?’
‘Yes. It’s me.’ He smiled at her and felt a flood of satisfaction as the colour rose to her cheeks. He hadn’t been mistaken; she was glad it was him. ‘My brother sends his apologies, he’s been called away. Lord Abbingdon has been taken unwell.’
‘Nothing serious, I hope?’
‘Leo won’t know until he is there. Let’s hope not.’ He paused, leaning back and looking at Lady Elizabeth for a few seconds before continuing. ‘You knew it was me straight away?’
She hesitated and then lifted her eyes to meet his. ‘Yes. You look quite similar to your brother in many ways, but there are plenty of differences too. And there’s something about your demeanour, how you come across. I think I’d know the difference between you and your brother even if you were completely identical.’
Her answer pleased him more than it should.
‘Yet you stopped me from telling your mother the truth.’
Lady Elizabeth’s eyes widened. ‘I did,’ she said slowly.
‘Why?’
‘She would only have made a fuss.’
‘Cancelled the evening in favour of rearranging when Leo was available?’
‘Exactly.’
‘And you didn’t want that?’ He watched the colour deepen in her cheeks as she shook her head.
‘I didn’t want that,’ she admitted, her voice little more than a whisper.
Josh leaned in, closing the gap between them in the small carriage. ‘I’m glad. I didn’t want that either.’
‘You were keen to see the pleasure gardens?’
He smiled. ‘That, amongst other things.’ He shook his head, knowing he could not go any further down this route, reminding himself of why he was here: purely for Leo’s benefit. ‘How are you, Lady Elizabeth? Have you recovered from the incident earlier?’
‘Yes, thank you. I’m indebted to you.’
‘Not at all.’
‘I won’t be taking any more walks alone in Hyde Park that early in the morning.’
‘Nor elsewhere, I hope.’
‘No.’ She sighed. ‘Part of me wishes I could just be back in Sussex where things are more simple and I can walk out alone without fear for my safety.’
‘You’ll be going home after this season?’ He realised his error as soon as he’d uttered the words. If things went to plan for Lady Elizabeth she would never be going home again. She would marry Leo and uproot her life to live wherever he chose. ‘Sorry, I didn’t think.’
‘I’ll miss my home, of course I will.’ She looked away for a moment. ‘It will be my sister I miss the most though. This trip is the longest we’ve been apart.’
‘You have a sister? I didn’t realise.’
‘Yes, Annabelle. She’s a year younger than me.’
Josh frowned; if he wasn’t mistaken, Lady Elizabeth was in her early twenties. He couldn’t see why her sister wasn’t accompanying Lady Elizabeth and their mother for the season in London.
‘She didn’t want a season in London?’
Lady Elizabeth shifted uncomfortably. ‘Mother thought it best she stayed at home.’
Josh nodded, wondering if the finances were so tight they couldn’t stretch to bringing both sisters to London for a few months. If that was the case Lady Elizabeth’s family badly needed this marriage to Leo and the money and connections it would bring them.
‘I’m sure she’ll visit you once you’re married.’
Lady Elizabeth nodded but it didn’t seem as if she agreed with his statement.
‘We’re nearly at the pleasure gardens,’ she said, swiftly changing the subject.
‘Have you been before?’
‘No, but I can tell by the queue of carriages. It’s quite
