Suzette would have agreed to almost anything at that point and nodded silently as she tugged at his neck, trying to pull him back for more kissing. Much to her disappointment, Daniel resisted her pull and gently reached around to remove her hands, saying, “We’d best go in.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but paused as a tinkle of laughter drifted to her on the night air. They were just on the edge of the trees, but still in their shadow, and she could see a couple talking as they crossed the terrace toward the steps into the garden proper. Sighing, Suzette nodded and allowed him to lead her toward the terrace. She remained silent as he escorted her inside, but her thoughts were anything but. Her mind was a riot of excitement, anticipation and worry. She had found the perfect man for her needs. She merely had to wait until the next day and pray he agreed to her proposal. Suzette sincerely hoped he would. She couldn’t imagine marrying anyone else after enjoying his kisses. She simply couldn’t imagine Lord Willthrop or any of the others she’d met so far coaxing the heat and passion from her that Daniel had in those few short moments in the garden.

“It’s good to see both you and Richard out and about. It’s been too long.”

Daniel mumbled a polite, but somewhat distracted response to Lord Jamieson’s words. Nathaniel, Baron Jamieson had been a comrade in school, one of the group of young men who had kept company with him and Richard in those days. Daniel had been glad to spot the man among the crowd as he’d escorted Suzette back indoors, and once he’d seen her safely to Lisa’s side, he’d approached him in the hopes of gaining some gossip on what had been occurring this last year while he and Richard had been absent. It had seemed a good idea to find out all he could. The more they knew, the better prepared Richard would be to make decisions on how to move forward.

Unfortunately, Daniel had barely joined and greeted Jamieson when he’d noted Lord Garrison approaching Suzette to claim her for a dance. The sight hadn’t pleased him. Garrison was a bachelor who Daniel happened to know was in dire need of coin if he wished to avoid debtor’s prison. He was also handsome, charming and had deflowered more naïve young girls their first year out than most of the other bounders put together. A pure hedonist, the man was known to overindulge in wine, women and gambling in copious amounts. It was what had seen him in the position he was now in.