Free Love Is Blind by Lynsay Sands

"Scandal or no scandal, you are perfect for my cousin. You shall be very happy together."
    Clarissa felt herself blushing, and shook her head slightly with amusement at his claim. "You are presuming much, my lord. I have met your cousin only twice. We are but acquaintances."
    "Perhaps, but you will not be for long," Greville announced with a certainty that made Clarissa shiver slightly. "My cousin is no fool, and you are perfect for him."
    "Now you do sound like an idiot," Clarissa murmured, as frightened by his words as she was enchanted by them. 'You hardly know me. How can you make such a claim?"
    "Because since meeting you he has begun to laugh again," Greville replied seriously. "That is something I have not heard him do for some time. Aye. You are good for him."
    Clarissa was wondering over his words when he added, "Treat him gently. He has many scars, and not all of them are readily visible."
    Clarissa was about to question those cryptic words when she became aware that the carriage had stopped moving. Glancing around distractedly, she opened her mouth to speak, then paused as a second carriage came to a halt beside them, this one closed. She watched curiously as the door opened and a dark figure leaped out.
    "All went well, I see."
    Clarissa recognized Lord Mowbray's voice at once, and resigned herself to waiting until later to question Greville   further.   She   smiled at Adrian as he ap -
    proached , then gasped with surprise as she was suddenly swung from the phaeton to stand on the ground.
    "You owe me, cousin," Greville said solemnly.
    "That I do," Mowbray agreed, and Clarissa could hear the man's smile. "We shall stay in this area so you find us easily when it comes time for you to return her."
    "As you wish," Greville said; then she heard the snap of the reins and the phaeton moved off.
    Once it had disappeared into the green blur of the park, Clarissa smiled in the general direction of Lord Mowbray . She thought he might be smiling back. At least, she believed she heard a smile in his voice as he said, "I thought you might enjoy walking for a bit, rather than getting into my carriage."                         
    When Clarissa's eyes widened in surprise, he added, "I did not think you would be interested in parading about, looking at the other gentry. Besides, even if you did, I fear I got rid of my phaeton some time back and had only this closed carriage to hand."
    "Oh." Clarissa hesitated a moment, then said, 'You are right in assuming that I am not interested in looking at the other gentry, as seems to be the rage. Not that I could see them anyway," she added with a wry smile. "Still, it does seem less likely that we should be noticed and recognized in the carriage, and should my stepmother hear that—"
    "But we wear our masks," Adrian interrupted quickly. "No one shall know who we are."
    Clarissa's hand rose self-consciously to the mask her stepmother had insisted she don ere allowing her to leave with Lord Greville . It was all the rage to ride
    about in a mask this season, and whatever was the rage, her stepmother insisted she do. 'You do not think my clumsiness will give us away?"
    Adrian drew her hand over his arm, his voice filled with gentle amusement. "You shall not be clumsy, Lady Clarissa. I shall see to that."
    She found herself relaxing at his assurance, and smiled cheerfully as he led her along what she presumed to be a path, but was to her a brown blur. They moved along in companionable silence, but after a time, Clarissa suddenly cocked her ear. "Is that water I hear, my lord?"
    Adrian peered around.
    "I do not think.. ." he began, then paused briefly before saying, "It has been a long while since I have been here, but I do seem to recall that these gardens have many cascades and fountains. You must be hearing one of those."
    Clarissa felt his gaze shift to her, and sensed his smile as he said approvingly, 'You have excellent hearing, my lady. I cannot hear it