“There are others.” Lord Marchmont glanced at Lady Yardley, then to Deborah. “I know of some who have concerns over Lord Anderton, and remain far from him. I have always thought him a dangerous fellow.”
“And are some here this evening?” As Lord Marchmont nodded ‘yes’, Lady Yardley took a deep breath and let it out in a sudden huff. “Very well. There is one thing we can do. I have been thinking about, but I considered it a little too risky.”
“But we must try, I think.” Deborah saw the flash in Lady Yardley’s eyes and, after a moment, caught her small smile. “I admire your strength. Might you be willing to find Lord Brookmire? I warned him to stay away from you for the moment but, if we are to remove Lord Anderton’s power, then he must see you together. It will show Lord Anderton that his plan to break you both has not succeeded, which will, of course, bring him a great deal of frustration – and frustration can be used to our advantage.”
Deborah nodded, her eyes a little wider as she clasped her hands tightly together.
“You think that we can bring Lord Anderton to the end of his power?”
It took a few moments but, eventually, Lady Yardley nodded.
“Yes. It will require strength, courage, and certainly a good deal of boldness but, if Lord Brookmire is willing, then I hope that we will find ourselves holding the victory.”
Having very little idea of what it was that Lady Yardley intended, Deborah smiled, grateful that her mother had always encouraged her to be bold and courageous, rather than shrinking back.
“I will find him at once.” She looked to Lady Elizabeth “Might you accompany me?”
Her friend joined her at once, and the two fell into step together. Deborah’s heart began to beat furiously as they walked in silence, surrounded by the hubbub of the ball. Her eyes searched every corner and peered into every shadow, her free hand pulling into a tight fist and then releasing slowly as anticipation and worry wound themselves tightly together and shot sparks through her veins. Her whole body was trembling lightly and, as they began the slow return to Lady Yardley, Deborah began to fear that he had already left the ball… only to set eyes upon the very gentleman she had been seeking.
“Lord Brookmire.”
Breathing his name, she stopped suddenly, taking him in as relief washed through her. To her eyes, he appeared utterly wretched, his head bowed forward, his hair in disarray as he scraped his fingers through it once more. He was shaking his head and muttering to himself and, as she approached, his head lifted. Rounded eyes looked back at her, and there was a heaviness about his white face, his shoulders drooping low, then, as she came closer, he closed his eyes.
“Deborah.” The soft voice which reached her came from a broken man “Please do not turn from me now. I swear to you, I had no willingness nor desire for Lady Shawbost. I may have appeared a scoundrel but I-”
“Brookmire.” Heedless to those around her and forgetting even about Lady Elizabeth, Deborah put one hand out and caught his. Immediately Lord Brookmire’s gaze flew to hers, and he blinked furiously as she smiled at him. “Pray, do not fear for even a moment. I realize now that Lord Anderton was doing what he could to break both your heart and mine – no doubt, simply to be spiteful.” She took a breath. “However, if we do not do something of significance then he will continue along this path, injuring as many people as he wishes. Therefore, we must find a way to bring an end to his power.”
For some moments, Lord Brookmire did not speak. His fingers curled tightly around hers and he gazed back into her face as though not really seeing her. It was only when she smiled and squeezed his hand that he dropped his head, letting out a heavy breath with it.
“Can this be true?” His voice wavered slightly. “Is it truly you, Miss Madeley? Are you truly present, standing here, telling me that I have nothing to fear?”
“You have not lost me.” Still smiling, she moved a little closer, wishing it was only she and Lord Brookmire standing together. “But we must be courageous, Lord Brookmire. We must find a way to end Lord Anderton’s tight grip upon you, and upon the others he reigns over. If you have courage, Lady Yardley has an idea. Thereafter, perhaps we might speak together about… some more personal things.” Her face warmed as he closed his eyes briefly again, only for a smile to cross his face. “Will you come with me, Brookmire?”
His eyes opened, and Lord Brookmire then gazed deeply into her eyes. After a moment he reached out with one hand and brushed his fingers lightly down her cheek.
“I would follow you to the very end of the earth if it was asked of me,” he murmured softly, sending her heart into a burst of overwhelming joy. “Take me to Lady Yardley. I shall do whatever is required if it means that I can be free to live without fear. I hope that my future will be a little brighter because of it.”
“I shall stand with you, regardless of what takes place,” she promised him, softly. “You mean too much to my heart for me to ever step back from you.”
Lord Brookmire lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it, the softness of his lips sending such a wave of heat through her, she lost all strength for just a moment and his grip upon her hand was the only thing to steady her.
“It has taken almost losing you to make me realize how much I feel.” His gentle whisper was like the roar of the wind, her hand clinging to his as she saw the truth in his eyes. “We shall speak later, Deborah, so I might confess all.”
She swallowed, her whole body burning with anticipation.
“I shall confess to you also, Brookmire. But for the moment, let us go.”
* * *
“Lord Brookmire.”Lady Yardley’s shoulders lowered in evident relief. “I am glad to see that you have not left the ball.”
Phillip offered a small smile, inclining his head.
“I had thought to do that very thing, Lady Yardley, but I was prevented by my melancholy.” Looking towards Miss Madeley, he considered for a moment how his heart had broken when he had been forced to embrace Lady Shawbost. It had been in that moment that his heart had revealed itself fully, showing him that there was love for Miss Madeley present within it and thus, he had been torn asunder at her cry of horror. How he wished he’d had the opportunity to both understand this situation and to tell her of it before this moment! “I am also grateful to Miss Madeley for allowing me to explain myself.”
Her hand still rested on his arm, although they were not walking together. Her gentle smile healed the lingering wounds within him, knowing now that he had nothing to fear. She trusted him., she believed his words, and he was nothing but grateful.
“I have no doubt that Lord Anderton will be most displeased to see you together in such a fashion.” A small smile crossed Lady Yardley’s face, her eyes twinkling. “But we shall use that to our advantage.”
