To Catch A Duke by Bethany Sefchick

night's entertainment, whatever it happened to
be.   But they were never alone.   Either Nicholas or the gray-gowned lady was
present, even in the carriage, which was a change, and not a welcome one, at
least in her mind, from the first two nights.   Tonight, their chaperone, if one could call him that, was her brother,
and he was in a foul mood.   So much for
flowers and romance.
    Julia had not seen her brother in
such a state for many years, and despite repeated attempts, she could not coax
him into a better humor or convince him to confide in her what was amiss.   At some point during the ride, she had
simply stopped trying.   Instead, she
watched the dreary London scenery roll past.
    It had rained all day, and she had
feared that finally, there would be something that would keep the duke from her
side.   Not that she knew what to say to
him any longer.   Too much time had
passed.   That kiss had changed so much,
at least for her.   What if it hadn't for
him?   Julia had hoped to broach the
subject at some point that evening, once she was informed that their trip to
Vauxhall Gardens was still occurring.   There was a concert and fireworks scheduled for the evening's entertainment,
and since the rain had stopped, the event could go on as planned.
    Throughout the rest of the trip,
she continued to daydream about their destination.   For even if nothing transpired between her and Benjamin that
night, well the fantasies were still nice.   At the moment, it was also likely the only way she would ever touch him
again - in her mind.
    The garden's pathways, she
remembered, were noted for their darkness.   Julia herself had never seen them, but she had heard stories.   Some rather detailed, in fact.   Perhaps Benjamin would take a walk with her,
away from the prying eyes of the ton , and continue what they had only
just begun the night of the opera.   She
wanted to ask if he would be willing, but of course, she could not.   It would not be proper, and certainly not
with her brother, grump that he was, seated next to her.   Given the mood he was in, she was certain he
would probably detach someone's head from their shoulders, maybe even hers,
thus ruining the evening.
    When they finally reached their
destination, Nicholas vaulted out of the coach and stalked away, leaving
Benjamin and Julia alone.   She opened
her mouth to speak, but his finger to her lips kept her silent. Together, they
strolled through the entrance and toward one of the supper boxes.   She fought her natural inclination to stare
at the wonders around her, and instead concentrated on the people they passed
as they walked the lighted pathways, each face peering at her closely, often
with a mix of horror and pity in their gaze.
    Still, she did manage to take in
the entire spectacle before her.   The
gardens were lush, and the lamps that hung delicately from the trees reminded
her of a painting she'd seen once of a fairy's garden.   Here the wealthy mixed with the lower
classes, at least to some degree, and she was surprised to find that those
dressed in shabbier attire did not stare at her the way the upper class
did.   It was a curious thing, but she
forced her mind away from that and onto the sound of music floating on the air
around her.
    If she believed in love and
romance, this place would be the perfect setting for a declaration of marriage,
she decided as she walked beside Benjamin, conscious of her hand where it
rested lightly on his arm.   There was
nothing to compare to this in all the world, she was certain.
    As if the duke could read her mind,
she glanced up to see him smiling down at her, not an easy thing to do
considering her height.   Then again, he
was still taller than she, so that was all that mattered, she supposed.   "Do you like it?"
    "It is magnificent."   If there was a little bit of breathiness to
her voice, so be it.   She truly was
enchanted and overwhelmed.   "I
cannot imagine a lovelier place."
    "There are,