“I don’t know you,” she hissed, glancing toward the driver. “We have only met. And I cannot be in your company without Mrs. Craven as my chaperone.”

He nodded. “I understand.”

Guilt swallowed her up. First, she acted a fool, and now she was no better than a pretentious shrew. He was much too polite to make light of her excuse.

“I will go skating,” she repeated, this time softer. “And though I should not say it, I am glad to see you once again.”

For a moment, he was quiet. Seriousness settled over his features. “Are you warm enough to go skating? Should I send for more blankets?”

“I don’t believe I need blankets to go skating. I will be fine.”

“Fine,” he said. It settled over his lips like he had swallowed a fly. He signaled for the driver to move forward, and the sleigh took off, leaving Tilly there in the courtyard.

Alone.

And she only had herself to blame.

Miss Matilda Brennan.

While at dinner last evening, dining on the most delicious roast he’d ever had the pleasure to eat, Mrs. Craven had referred to her as Tilly after one too many clarets.

Henry would have preferred to have enjoyed dinner with Miss Brennan, but she had taken dinner in her room. Leaving him alone with her crusty chaperone and giving him the distinct impression that she was avoiding him.

She could tell him otherwise, but she could hardly look him in the eye. She acted as if she were afraid of him, which was odd considering they had kissed in a dark forest when they first met.

He didn’t understand.

The sleigh rounded the corner, perched above the pond down below. Miss Brennan stood observing the pond, her arms akimbo on her hips. She was dressed in a beautiful burgundy cloak that only offset her fair coloring and bright fire-red hair. Her shoulders dropped with a deep sigh before she pushed off across the ice. With her arms wide out to catch her balance, she glided carefully across the ice before she waved her arms in giant circles and crashed onto her bottom.

He chuckled to himself the moment she tossed her head back and groaned.

Slowly, she struggled to stand back up as each limb went in the opposite direction she intended.

Henry climbed out of the sleigh and made his way to the freshly shoveled path down to the pond. He stood by, afraid to distract her.

She whirled around, her arms flailing and her eyes wide. “What are you…”

He rushed out onto the ice in his boots, instantly slipping and landing sprawled out on his stomach across the ice. The ice burned his cheek, and he was certain he would have a bruise on his jaw from the way he landed.

“I came to assist you,” he mumbled, reluctantly pushing up to his knees.

“It appears as if you are the one who needs assisting, my lord.”

Just as suddenly, she was on her back staring up at the sky and mumbling under her breath. “Oh, drat.”

“Perhaps we both need help.”

“It’s unnatural for humans to be on ice. That is what the matter is.”

“I believe you are wearing skates, are you not?”

“Pfft, would you care to try them?”

Henry inched across the ice and stood above her with a small grin tugging at his lips. “Mrs. Craven is well asleep for the afternoon. Can you trust me enough to skate with me for a few minutes?”

“How are you certain?”

“Because I watched her insist on a second claret jug be produced at luncheon, then finish it while spewing the most ridiculous diatribe regarding the current wallflowers of London. She had many opinions. We have become meal companions, it seems.”

A beautiful smile teased at her lips. He had foolishly thought she was beautiful with her mask the first night they met, but now?

Well, he wasn’t certain how he had been knocked over by the most beautiful woman he had ever seen but sure enough, that was just his luck. And he had never considered himself lucky. Hard-working, yes? Confident, well he more often toed the line of arrogant. He didn’t care much for semantics right now.

Not when she reached up and grasped his gloved hand with hers, and he helped her to stand.

“My lord, I mean this in the most respectful way possible. Please leave me alone.”

He blinked hard. She was a puzzle.

“Have I offended you?”

“No, you have been kind and earnest. And I will admit, I am still recovering from the shock of discovering you here after searching for you in London. I knew it was you instantly, and I appreciate you not letting on.”

Something within his chest shifted. As if his heart was preparing to make room. Which was a problem. If only he could care at the moment, but he couldn’t look away.

“You searched for me?”

“I…” she glanced toward the sky and puffed out her cheeks in frustration. It was a cute quirk of hers that made her long graceful nose bunch. “I wished to inquire after your head. It was a nasty fall.”

“My head is fine, thank you.”

She clasped her hands in front of her and swung her skirts from left and right. She had done the same that night. “I am glad to hear it.”

“Will you tell me what you are so afraid of?”

“I am not afraid, my lord.”

“I wish you would stop calling me that.”

“I will not. I cannot afford to lend any appearance of familiarity with you when we never had a proper introduction. I will not invite a scandal into my life. I cannot be around you for fear…”

Henry shifted his feet, instantly regretting it as his boots slipped. He pulled what he feared was an unattractive face as he struggled to regain his center of balance. At least he didn’t fall again.

“I can assure you that my life is free of scandal. I only recently inherited an earldom and a crumbling estate. When we met that evening, I was simply Henry Davies.”

He liked that name best anyhow.