Page 128 of A Devious Secret

Kitty looked pleased. “He is in the rear of the gardens, by the oak tree.”

“Pray tell, why couldn’t we have spoken in here?” Gemma asked.

“He didn’t want any prying ears around,” Kitty replied, shifting her gaze towards Lady George.

Gemma had to admit that her father wasn’t wrong. It would be much more private if they spoke in the gardens.

“Will you inform him that I will be out in a moment?” Gemma asked.

Kitty frowned. “You intend to make your father wait?”

Gemma glanced over at Stephen and noticed that he was watching her with a curious look on his face. She offered him a weak smile before she turned back to her stepmother.

“I suppose I will go now,” Gemma said.

Kitty took a step back and announced, “I shall wait for you here.”

“You aren’t joining us?”

With a shake of her head, Kitty replied, “He wanted to speak to you privately.”

Gemma thought that was rather odd, but then again, her father did a lot of things that she didn’t quite understand.

As she started walking towards the French doors that led into the gardens, she saw that Stephen was approaching her from the opposite direction.

He came to a stop in front of her. “Where are you going?”

Gemma glanced outside as she replied, “My father wanted to speak to me in the gardens.”

“Now?”

She shrugged. “He claims it is of ‘utmost importance’.”

“But you aren’t sure?”

“My father tends to exaggerate things,” Gemma replied. “I am sure he just wants to chastise me about spending time with you.”

Stephen perused the length of her. “You look lovely, Gemma.”

Gemma smiled. “As do you.”

He returned her smile. “A man generally does not like being called ‘lovely’.”

“My apologies,” she replied. “Would you have preferred it if I had said ‘handsome’?”

“That is much more preferable.” He took a step closer and asked, “Will you sit by me during the music number?”

Gemma pretended that she was being put out. “I suppose I have to sit somewhere. It might as well be by you.”

Stephen chuckled. “You are most kind.” His eyes shifted towards Lady George. “It would appear that Lady George is watching us.”

“I do believe we were both invited to be the entertainment for the evening,” Gemma said, following his gaze to see Lady George was, in fact, staring at them with a knowing smile on her lips.

“It appears that way.”

Gemma let out a sigh as she brought her gaze back to meet his. “I best go speak to my father.”

“Would you care for me to escort you?”