“And what of you?” Lord Christopher asked, turning to face him.
The grim set of the Marquess’ face was enough to make butterflies flutter in Alice’s stomach. Gone was the playful gentleman she’d wanted to keep at a distance. This was a side of him, so serious, was something she’d never expected, one brought out simply because Emma had been attacked. When he looked at Emma, his gaze softened, even though there was still tension in his shoulders.
“I shall remain out here to see if I can find him,” he responded.
Alice found her voice, an impressive feat at a time like this. “How will you find him when you do not know what he looks like?” she couldn’t help but challenge.
Lord Erlington didn’t look at her. His gaze had drifted in the direction of where the hooded man had run off to. “I cannot simply leave it be, though. Perhaps he has not gone far.” Then he turned his attention back to her, serious as a judge. “Return to the ballroom where it is safe.”
There was no hesitation in her body. Coupled with the fear steadily rising in her, and the awe with which Lord Erlington took control of the situation, she didn’t care to argue. She only turned along with Lord Christopher and Emma, her eyes lingering on Lord Erlington for a moment longer.
Their eyes met in that moment and she could have sworn he’d given her a promise—a promise that he would make sure she was safe.
Trusting him, Alice made her way back to the ballroom.
Chapter 8
He couldn’t find the man. Even though he’d known from the beginning that it would be a fruitless quest, William still felt a surge of irritation when he scoured as much of the gardens as he could and came upon no one who seemed suspicious. If that hooded man was smart enough, he would have already returned to the ballroom, blending in with the others so as to decrease any wariness toward him. Or perhaps he was not one of the guests and had somehow snuck onto the premises to carry out his plan. William didn’t know which one was worse.
The moment William re-entered the ballroom, he spotted Lady Alice making her way to him. She’d been standing by the refreshments table near the doors, next to Lady Emma, her father, and his brother. Lady Emma still seemed distressed and the worry written across Christopher’s face was enough to break anyone’s heart.
But Lady Alice’s face was set with determination and, without thinking, William moved toward her as well, intending to meet her halfway.
They met at the other end of the refreshments table. Lady Alice took a few steps toward the wall, hiding herself near a large potted plant with her fan raised toward her face. William stood next to her, turned slightly toward the table so as to appear much more casual than he really felt.
In reality, it felt as if something was twisting inside his chest, pumping fear throughout his body. He’d acted on instinct when he’d seen that man go after Lady Emma, but when he’d heard that that the man believed Lady Emma to be her sister, William didn’t know what came over him. It was all he could do to keep from tearing through the entire gardens in search of the culprit.
Unable to help himself, he slid his gaze toward Lady Alice. Though her fan shielded most of her features, he saw that her eyes no longer held that shine of fright. She was composed again, cool, as if nothing had even happened. He had to admire that, even though he knew that she was certainly more shaken than she was letting on.
“I take it you did not have much luck?” Lady Alice asked softly.
“Unfortunately not.” William, to help calm his nerves, picked up a glass of wine and sipped gingerly. “I’m afraid his identity will remain a mystery.”
Lady Alice’s gentle flutter of her fan began moving a little faster, proving that she was not as all right as she looked. “Lady Susan told me that I should stay away from you,” she said after a moment. William looked at her in surprise, but Lady Alice had resumed her controlled fan motions, appearing unbothered. “She says that you two will soon be married and that I would do well to listen to her.”
For a moment, William didn’t know what to say. It was quite a bother having to deal with a lady who did not know how to accept rejection. Lady Susan was, by far, the boldest lady he’d ever met, stating to his face that she wished for them to be married. William had never courted her, had only ever shared a single dance with her and that was only because he felt obligated to considering how close her father was to his. That dance, he feared, had brought on this near obsession she had with him. He’d been able to ignore it for the most part.
Not wanting her to think any worse of him than she already did, so he refrained from telling her the truth. He scoffed instead, genuine annoyance filling him. “Surely, you do not believe her words to be the truth.”
“It was not my intention to,” Lady Alice said simply. “She’d appeared to be another one of your romantic conquests who has not learned how to give up yet. In fact, I felt a bit sorry for her. But now I wonder if I should have taken her more seriously, considering what happened right after.”
William was already shaking his head. “Lady Susan may be many things—annoying certainly one of them—but she is not crafty or vindictive enough to do such a thing.”
Finally, Lady Alice peered up at him, raising a single brow. “How well do you know her, My Lord?”
“Well enough,” William responded. “Our families are close, though we did not meet until after her debut.”
Lady Alice made a noncommittal sound in the back of her throat as she faced the ballroom again. With a sudden thwap, she closed her fan and held it behind her. Her face did not move an inch as she said, “The timing is a little too…convenient, My Lord. Right after Lady Susan’s threat, as lackluster as it might have been, my dear Sister was given a fright because the attacker believed her to be me. I am the target here, and that is the only reason I can think of as to why.”
William couldn’t deny that logic, but still, he shook his head again. “Even so, I doubt Lady Susan is the one to blame for what has happened.”
“I hope this faith you have in Lady Susan is well-placed,” Lady Alice stated. Even though her tone remained the same, William felt a rush of cold air go over him as she reached for a glass of lemonade herself.
William watched as she sipped her lemonade, her eyes resting on the dancing ladies and gentlemen in the center of the ballroom. The composure she exerted was commendable, awe inspiring almost, but he wouldn’t be fooled by it. Not taking his eyes off her, he murmured, “I’ll remain by your side for the rest of the night, Lady Alice. I will make sure that both you and Lady Emma are safe.”
Her eye darted up to him, her lips parting in surprise for a moment. A part of him was satisfied that he’d managed to catch her off guard, but the satisfaction didn’t last very long—not when he saw the relief rush into her green eyes. No matter how poised she was, there was no mistaking the fear that lingered beneath the surface. His heart clenched at the sight.
“Thank you, My Lord,” she whispered, the words barely audible.
