“What does this mean?” she asked softly. “Who would want to—” she broke off, unable to finish the thought.
Lord Erlington’s arm moved, as if he was about to raise his hand to her face, but he stopped himself. “I don’t know,” he said after a while. “But you’re safe now. No one will get to you here.”
Alice wasn’t completely sure about that. First Lord Brownley’s ball, then her own Manor grounds. Who was to say this person did not have the ability to sneak into the Manor itself?
“It appears I was not able to take your mind off the things that bother you,” Lord Erlington murmured, breaking into her thoughts. “I am a man of my word. I shall leave you be for the remainder of my stay here.” He took a step back. “Good night, Lady Alice. I pray you sleep well tonight.”
Alice’s hand shot out to grab his. She didn’t think twice about pulling him back toward her. “William,” she whispered. In such a moment as this, it felt improper to speak any louder. “You don’t have to leave me be from now on.”
William’s eyes darkened at the call of his name. She knew it was a bold move, but after tonight, she did not have any qualms about making another one. He’d shared an intimate piece of himself, had made her believe she could do the same—that he would certainly understand the fear she had—so referring to him by his first name felt natural.
“As you wish, Alice,” he whispered back after the long moment had passed. Even though she’d started it first, she hadn’t expected it to affect her so. Butterflies fluttered incessantly in the pit of her stomach and she curled her hands into fists at her sides, trying to quell the urge she had to embrace him.
Too many things passed between them in the moments of silence that followed. Alice felt tethered to him now, a bond she’d never expected to form blooming right before her eyes. And as William searched her face, she was certain he could feel it as well.
Without a word, Alice finally gathered the strength to turn away from him. She reached for the doorknob, giving him one last look over her shoulder. William watched her solemnly.
She wished she could say more to him, wished she could seize what little courage she had right now, not knowing how long it would last. But before she closed the door, William bowed slightly and said, “Good night, Alice.”
“Yes,” Alice breathed. “Good night, William.”
Losing her chance, she slipped into her room and rested her back against the cool wood, letting out a silent breath. Sleep would not come easy tonight, but she wasn’t sure if it would be because of tonight’s incidents or the man standing on the other side of the door.
* * *
The next day found William dreadfully tired and desperately hoping the coffee sitting next to him on the side table would remedy that. To the left of him, Alice was busying herself by perusing the books on the shelves, which did not make his plight any easier to handle. After all, she, and what happened last night, were the reasons he had not been able to sleep at all last night.
They were in the library, along with Lady Emma and Christopher, who sat in their own armchairs opposite William. They’d just finished with breakfast and had decided to relax in the library, on Alice’s suggestion. The moment they entered, while everyone else chose to take a seat, Alice had made her way to the closest bookshelf to the rest of them to indulge herself.
William simply could not understand her.
He reached for his coffee and took a sip, stealing another glance at her. Ever since he saw her this morning at the table, she’d been the epitome of calm, as if nothing at all had occurred the night before. She’d even joked with her sister and father, while William sat across from her dazzled by her ability to pretend she was fine. He knew she wasn’t, yet there she stood, flipping through a leather-bound book as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.
“You appear to be a bit tired, My Lord,” Lady Emma said, breaking into his thoughts. William looked at her, not at all embarrassed at being caught staring at Alice. “Did you not sleep well last night?”
William shook his head, taking another sip of his coffee before he set it aside. “My night, after we returned from the ball, was far too eventful, My Lady. I’m afraid sleep was not my friend last night.”
Both Lady Emma and Cristopher looked at each other in surprise. His brother leaned forward, frowning at William as he asked, “Are you talking about what happened at Lord Brownley’s ball?”
“Something else occurred after that,” William told them.
Lady Emma gasped. She looked up at Alice, eyes filling with fear even though her sister was still paying keen attention to the book in her hand. “It does not have anything to do with Alice, does it?”
At that, Alice finally closed the book and returned it to the shelf with a sigh. She turned to face her sister’s worried look and nodded, heading toward the armchair to the right of William. William watched her every move. “Unfortunately, Emma, it does. Had it not been for Lord Erlington, I don’t know what would have happened.”
“Well, if it had not been for me, Lady Alice,” William said. “You would not have been out in the gardens in the first place.”
Alice looked over at him, her eyes filling with something he couldn’t decipher. He couldn’t tell if she wanted to smile or grimace. “I suppose you are right about that,” she murmured.
“Hold on one moment,” Lady Emma cut in, raising her hand. “You two seem to have forgotten we are here.”
“Yes, it would be proper,” Christopher agreed, “to explain to us what exactly happened.”
William took in their equally curious and confused expressions, then met Alice’s look. He decided to begin. “Late last night, Lady Alice and I decided to go for a stroll through the gardens.” At that, Lady Emma and Christopher exchanged looks but didn’t comment on that fact. William continued, “While we were there, I spotted an intruder in the nearby shrubbery and he shot at us with a pistol. I am unsurprised no one heard it, considering it was on the westernmost part of the garden and the bedchambers are to the east. Fortunately, neither one of us were injured.”
“A pistol,” Lady Emma breathed. She sat back in her arm chair, slumped over by the news. Christopher looked just as worried. “Oh, Heavens, what is going on? Surely that was not meant for you, Alice?”
“I believe it was,” Alice responded, unflappable. “But I am just as clueless as you are as to who wishes me harm. Though I do have a few ideas.”
