Free Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness by Deb Marlowe Page B

go first.  A high pitched giggle sounded from the right, sounding eerily close.  Their gazes met and together they headed off in that direction. 
    Silence held as they made their first turning and found themselves alone again in another long corridor.  Not until they’d nearly reached the next corner did Lord Brodham speak.
    “I noticed that Peter and Miss Carmichael are not included in the large group ahead of us.  I assume they entered early?”
    There was little point in keeping things from him now.  She nodded.
    “And they will be found together?  Perhaps in a compromising position and thus forced to marry?”
    She pursed her lips and hesitated.  “We considered it,” she finally admitted.
    His brows rose in surprise.  “But . . ?” 
    She sighed.  “To be frank, I didn’t think it a worthy gambit.”
    “You were right,” he grumbled.  “I appreciate you dropping the idea.  And I also congratulate you on your arrangement of the picnic today.  You very nearly left me behind.”
    She ignored the little lurch his words dredged up.  Later.  There would be plenty of time to feel the pain of it all, later.
    They walked in silence again.  She thought she caught the nasal tone of Sir Benjamin’s voice coming from the left as they approached a crossways and led Brodham towards it. 
    “Leaving our skirmish behind for a moment, do you mind if I ask you a question?”
    She shrugged.
    “Why?  Miss Carmichael is not your family.  She was not your friend before all of this began.  Yet you’ve been relentless in your quest to help her.  I know you’ve grown fond of her, but surely there must be more to the reason why?”
    Sighing, she stopped.  “I’ll start by telling you the other reason we discarded the easier—if cheap and obvious—idea of compromise, shall I?”
    “If you wish.”
    “It was because of Felicity.  I had my doubts, but she flatly refused.  Do you know why?”
    “Because no woman wished her name besmirched, even in pursuit of marriage?”
    “That shows what you know.  Felicity had two reasons.  The most important one was that she worried for Mr. Gardiner’s name.  Not her own.  She refused any idea that would have anyone questioning his honor.”
    “And the second reason?”
    “You.”
    He frowned.  “Me?”
    “You’ve done so much, she said.  Looked out for Mr. Gardiner for so long.  She refused to do anything that might upset you.”
    He held his silence.
    “That’s why I’ve fought for her.  She’s truly lovely, in a way that doesn’t often grace this world.”  A burst of laughter sounded somewhere close by.  She looked both ways, and started off again, hoping she chose well.  “Felicity would have been happy with a life of duty and sacrifice.  Even now, after knowing such love, if pressed, I believe she might sacrifice herself, and consign herself to a life of misery.”  She glanced over her shoulder to where he followed her.  “I won’t have it.  There’s no good reason for it.  That girl deserves to reach for her happiness.  The world deserves to be touched by her special brand of life and love.”
    “I tend to agree with your sentiments.”
    She stopped.  “You do?”
    “Yes.  You’ve insisted on believing we’ve been at cross purposes, even when I told you I didn’t wish to block that pair of lovers, but only to slow them down.  Peter needed the time to be sure.”
    She thought about that answer, began to piece together small hints and ideas.  “There’s something she doesn’t know, isn’t there?”
    He nodded.  “It’s serious, but not fatal, I believe.  He’s made up his mind to tell her today.”
    Which brought her mission firmly back in mind.  “Let’s hurry and catch the rest of them up, then.”
    “Hold a moment.  I think it’s time we shared strategies.  I know you were up to something with that footman.”
    “Because you were up to something with his counterpart on the other side?”
    He