“And the proprietor believed him to be one of our class?”
“Yes. But that is all that I know.”
“Is there a chance that he could have been injured?”
Henry frowned.
“What do you mean?”
“Whoever did this to you obviously succeeded.” Lady Emma looked up at him. “That means that this other man must have been prevented from continuing his endeavors. Perhaps he is no longer in society due to his injuries. I am aware that doesn’t give you a great deal of hope, however.”
“No, it does not. But it is a wise thought,” Henry admitted, his heart beginning to sink. “It may be that he is not present at all. Perhaps he has retreated to his estate, having been pushed away from London entirely – and if that is the case, then what am I to do?”
Lady Emma paused, pulling him to a gentle stop. Frowning, Henry looked down at her, only for her eyes to catch his, then slide towards his left. A small smile touched the edges of her mouth as she returned her gaze to him again.
“Or mayhap he is standing only a short distance away from you, watching you carefully as you walk,” she murmured softly. “It seems, Lord Thornbridge, that your luck has changed.”
Chapter Ten
Lord Thornbridge’s head made to twist around but Emma quickly caught his hand, squeezing his fingers hard.
“Do not look,” she told him firmly. “Thus far, he is acting in a most surreptitious manner. He is watching you out of the corner of his eye, as though afraid that you will see him, but at the same time, having an eagerness to be close to you. I would not have noticed him had you not just finished explaining what had taken place.” She glanced at fellow again. Their eyes caught, and he immediately turned his head fully away. “There is certainly something going on.”
Murmuring half to herself, she glanced up at Lord Thornbridge. She believed every word that he had told her and did not question it at all. She could not imagine his distress, could not imagine the horror which had filled him when he had awoken to discover how much he had lost. Even to hear of it had distressed her heart, and seeing the upset and frustration on his face had troubled her all the more. But she would not turn from him, not now, not even with the lack of his fortune. She would not set her back to him and ignore all of the feelings which surrounded her heart whenever she so much as looked at him.
There was a promise she now made to herself, whether he was aware of it or not: she was not about to ignore him, was not about to leave him behind. If he did not regain his fortune, then certainly there would be questions and concerns, but she was willing to consider them all. Her heart was so affected by Lord Thornbridge that she was unwilling to simply end their bond because of the lack of coin. Besides which, determination was one of her strengths, and she was glad to be able to use that strength to his advantage.
“What shall we do? I think that you ought to speak with him.”
Lord Thornbridge’s eyes flared.
“You think that is what we should do? Perhaps I should ask him precisely what he has doneandwhat he is doing. Tell him that I know everything he has been involved in and demand answers from him.”
Emma shook her head.
“No, I do not think that would be the best course of action.” She dared another glance towards the man. “He seems so very unsure, but still stands close.” Smiling quietly, she looked up at Lord Thornbridge. “I will not tell you what to do. What is it that you think would be best?”
Lord Thornbridge frowned and drew in a long breath.
“I confess I do not know.” He smiled a little ruefully. “What if I am wrong?”
“If you do not speak with him now, then what happens if heis, in fact, the person whom you require? You will have lost him for good.”
Nodding slowly, Lord Thornbridge smiled at her.
“You are right, Ishouldgo and speak with him, but I should return you to your cousin first.”
“You should do nothing of the sort,” she retorted, her eyes twinkling. “My dear Lord Thornbridge, we are out of doors. There are a great many people around us, we are standing in the shadows, and I am certain that none will pay the slightest bit of attention to the fact that neither my mother nor my cousin are nearby.”
Blinking, Lord Thornbridge looked down to where their hands were joined.
“I should like to assure you that I have no intention of doing anything that would either embarrass you or endanger your reputation.” A slight huskiness came into his voice. “If we were quite alone, however, that would be an entirely different situation.”
She caught the slight flash in his eyes and wondered if he, too, was thinking of yesterday, when they had stood together in the copse of trees, their lips so close to touching, and yet so far away. Aware of the heat in her chest which rose steadily up to her heart, she fixed her eyes on his, refusing to look away. There was nothing about what she felt that she needed to be ashamed of.
“Very well.”
His fingers brushed over hers, his thumb running over her wrist as his head lowered for a moment. There was the briefest touch of his lips to her hand and Emma caught her breath, his touch threatening to render her senseless.
