“Of course he would flee,” she said, her voice slightly louder than normal, her tone fierce. “He is just a coward, after all. Did you get a good look at his face, Freddie? Can you identify him?”
While Freddie did and could, he said, “No, it all happened too fast. I was looking at the sword, not at him.”
“A pity, that,” said Lord Bradford, his lips smiling even as his voice deepened into concern. “I fear you will never catch him now.”
“At least I am rid of him,” Freddie said brightly. “I can live my life again without worry he will creep into my room at night and cut my throat.”
“Freddie!” Thea’s shocked voice resounded throughout the room. “Lady Bradford is present.”
Freddie glanced at Lady Bradford, only to find her on the brink of laughter, her hand covering her mouth and her blue eyes bright with amusement. She coughed, fluttering her hand. “Please, do not mind me. After all, someone just tried to kill you.”
“You are too kind, My Lady,” Freddie remarked, inclining his head graciously.
“Why it is not every day that one intrudes upon a happening murder,” she went on, her eyes wide and innocent.
Oddly, that statement made Freddie break out into wild brays of laughter. Perhaps it was the reaction to nearly getting killed.Again. Lord Bradford chuckled, glancing at his wife. “Why, this party has been more entertaining by far than any I have attended this year.”
Freddie stood and bowed. “Then I am very happy you are enjoying yourselves. More brandy?”
“No, not for me, Lord Willowdale,” Lord Bradford said, rising. “I think my lady and I will head for our rooms and retire for the evening.”
“Mr. Carter there, will escort you.”
As Thea rose to curtsey, the footman bowed low and opened the door. Lord Bradford paused in the doorway as his wife exited, turned halfway back. He grinned. “I do believe my father would like you. Very much.”
“Thank you, My Lord.”
The two left Freddie’s private chambers, leaving him to stare ruefully at his sister. Thea shook her head, unpinned her fancy coif, and shook her hair to fall loose about her shoulders. “I am not going to remind you that you should have had the footmen with you,” she said, then halted as Freddie covered his lips with his finger. But she ignored him and continued. “They could have helped you, you know, might even have captured this rat. I suppose now you will send them back to their usual work.”
Grinning, Freddie sipped his brandy.Damn, but she is clever.“I suppose I will,” he said with a sigh, sitting back in his chair. “No need to have them underfoot any longer.”
“All this was so useless,” she complained. “Using footmen as bodyguards. Ha. They are as hopeless as I always said they were. You should have hired soldiers, Freddie. Soldiers would have caught this miscreant by now.”
“Too late, I suppose,” Freddie said, trying not to yawn. “Our villain is long gone and I can finally have some peace. This day is catching up with me. I am tired.
“Meaning I should leave?” Thea stood, her beautiful face smiling even though her voice sounded annoyed. “Then I expect I will turn in as well. Good night, Freddie.”
“Good night, Thea.”
Though he truly was tired after the long, past few days leading up to the party and its climactic aftermath, and the cut on his cheek burned relentlessly, Freddie sat in his chair for a while longer. “What are you about, you snake?” he muttered, thinking of his attacker in the walls.
“My Lord?”
Freddie glanced up at Michael, framed in the doorway. “Nothing. You are dismissed for the evening, Michael. You may go to bed now.”
“My Lord.”
Remembering every aspect of the man’s face, the stench of his breath sinking into his nostrils, the cold, reckless gleam in his dark eyes, Freddie’s determination soared.If you are still there, you bastard, I will lure you out. So help me God.
* * *
Without truly knowing if their scoundrel still lurked in the house, Freddie, accompanied by Thea, attended on their guests over the next few days. He had little time for planning on how to lure the killer out into the open and made sure his bodyguards returned to their normal duties. Yet, Mr. Carter still kept his pistol hidden and watched over Thea. Freddie decided not to change that situation, as his sister’s protection mattered most above all.
Little by little, their guests packed, got into carriages and departed the Willowdale estates. Freddie did not like seeing the beautiful blond Countess of Sweetwater order her carriage drawn up, as he discovered he liked her company more than he had expected, and thoroughly enjoyed the time he had spent with her at the party. Until he saw her huge blue eyes linger on Robert and witnessed his best friend, who claimed to worship the ground Thea walked on, bend to kiss her hand with an impudent grin.
“Leave it,” Thea said under her breath when Freddie would have stalked over and given Robert a piece of his mind. “Let it go.”
“What do you mean, ‘let it go’?” he snapped in an undertone. “He chases you all over, begging for your hand, then steals after the woman I am interested in. Let it go? I will be damned if I do that.”
