The Secret Attachment

VIII

"I told you. You don't love someone because of their looks or their clothes or their car. You love them because they sing a song only your heart can understand." L.J. Smith

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Katy could not believe that he had found her, but then, she supposed her masterful hiding spot was not so discreet. Oh, she should have gone home!

She could not have people seeing her hiding underneath a table. What would they say? And if the Baneses found out then there would certainly be questions.

Katy scrambled out from under the table, and Eliza quickly followed her. Once she was standing upright, she could see how clearly happy the earl was to see her. That confused her. Why would he be happy to see her when he had deceived her? Surely, he had not ever meant to see her again, no matter what he said, when he had given her a false name.

But the way he looked at her was completely sincere, as though he had nothing to be afraid of, and nothing to hide. It stirred those horrid fluttering butterflies in her stomach, and Katy needed to stop this at once.

So Katy glared at him coldly. He looked taken aback at her ire.

"Lord Wilshire, this is my friend, Miss Katy Fairchild. Katy, this is Lord Wilshire," Eliza introduced weakly, in an effort to calm the tension.

"We are acquainted," replied the earl.

He had openly admitted to knowing her. Why on earth would he do such a thing when she could publicly out him for deceiving her? Or perhaps he knew she cared far too deeply for the Baneses to ever embarrass them in such a way.

"Oh, fancy that!" cried Eliza, though she was obviously in the know.

He frowned, before saying, "Forgive me, but are you angry with me, Miss Fairchild?"

Could she laugh? It would only draw further attention to herself. And people had already started to notice this conversation. Eyes followed the earl wherever he went. She only prayed that people thought he was talking to Eliza.

Katy looked side to side, before hissing, "You told me your name was Harry!"

Again, he frowned. "Yes?" he responded slowly.

Katy huffed. Was he really going to make her accuse him? She looked to Eliza for assistance, but her tragic romantic friend was enjoying what she was seeing all too much. Katy wanted to scold her. But she was too busy scolding a man so far above her, she ought to have been committed.

"Are you teasing me?" she asked, lowering her voice.

"No," he replied, lowering his own voice as well, "though I should be quite angry with you, too."

Katy stepped back in shock. "Why would you be angry with me?" she demanded to know, her voice raising accidentally. Oh, she would be caught with him, she knew it. Where was Mrs Banes? She could not see Katy with him.

"You disappeared," he said accusingly, his brown eyes narrowing. "You left m ... without allowing me to escort you home. You were hurt."

Katy had not thought what it would be like for her rescuer to wake up and find her gone. She had been thinking too much about trying not to wake him that she had not even considered that he would even worry about her.

"We cannot speak of this," Katy stressed, "not here." She went to take Eliza's hand and to drag her away from prying eyes, but she felt his hand on her arm, holding her back. Katy's head snapped back, and she stared at him. "What are you doing?" she hissed. She shook his hand off of her, and as she did so, her heart stopped, as her eyes met with Mrs Banes' in the doorway of the refreshment room.