Page 91 of Sacrificing the Untamed Lady Henrietta
Slowly, Henrietta shook her head.I cannot,she wanted to say, but Lord Averson was staring at her. Indeed, she reasoned she must have looked quite mad, gaping into the distance after cutting her sentences short.
“Let us be merry,” Henrietta said, covering the stilted pause with a cough. “My apologies, Lord Averson, my throat is so very dry. I thought I had quite lost it for a moment there.” When she looked back at the corner where Isobel had been, the wide-eyed woman had gone. She had vanished, just like her husband.
Lord Averson laughed heartily. “Then we must have more champagne to remedy the aridness of your throat, My Lady.”
Isobel had urged her to run, but where could she run to? She could not turn from danger now, not without further inviting it into her future life. No, this needed to be done with courage and conviction. She could not back down, no matter how scared she might be. Seth would be stopped tonight, one way or another.
* * *
A few hours later, with the ball in full force, Henrietta had begun to relax. Ewan had returned from his discussion with her father, and had not left her side for the rest of the evening. Yes, she had thought she had seen Seth, but she was starting to wonder if it might have been a figment of her fevered imagination. He had not shown his face again, and nor had Isobel.
Perhaps he has decided not to strike this evening,she hoped, for she was starting to enjoy herself. The champagne’s bubbles had helped somewhat in easing her fractious spirit, and Lord Averson had ensured that she always had a goblet in hand.Either that, or he is biding his time.She did not like to dwell on the latter, for it spiked her nerves.
“My Lady, I must go and speak with your father,” Ewan said, leaning close to her ear. “We must discover if anyone has been apprehended by his men.”
Henrietta nodded. “I will remain with Lord Averson. Hurry back to me.”
“Always.” He placed a soft kiss upon her hand and blended into the crowd. Henrietta scoured the gathered revelers for any sign of Seth or Isobel, but neither of them were to be found. Then again, she did not know who else might be working for him. She continued to glance about her, trying to spy anyone who might be watching her, but all seemed to be quiet. She felt no threat, her heartbeat slowing to a normal pace.
Some five minutes later, as she was about to take a sip from her refreshed goblet, a shadow emerged from the doorway on the other side of the room. A figure stepped forward. Seth stood on the threshold, dressed in the same attire as the servers who were passing out beverages. He noticed her immediately, a grim expression passing across his face. She stared at him in fear, as he began to stalk towards her.
“My Lady, you must excuse my intrusion,” a voice called, distracting Henrietta’s attention. She whirled around to find Gerome at her side, his manner flustered.
“Gerome? Is something the matter?” she asked, puzzled.
“I was waiting with your father’s man, Clutterbuck, when His Lordship came running to us. An accomplice of Mr. Booth’s has been spotted on the perimeter and has been apprehended. His Lordship has instructed that you come at once, for he no longer believes it to be safe for you here,” he said earnestly, his eyes brimming with worry. “I am to take you to a carriage that is waiting.”
She nodded. “But Mr. Booth is here. He is right there, as you see.” She turned around to point at the wretch, but he had disappeared again. No matter how hard she looked, she could not pick him out of the crowd.
“Precisely why you must come at once, My Lady. He intends harm, and we must take you to safety before he is able to.”
“Of course.” Henrietta looked to Lord Averson. “My husband requires my attention. Please, excuse me.”
Lord Averson was too many sheets to the wind to pay her much heed. He lifted his glass and downed it in one, striving for another before Henrietta had even departed the ballroom.
She followed Gerome closely, who hurried on ahead. They stepped out of the vivaciousness of the ballroom and into the ethereal world of the lamplit gardens. She took in her surroundings, though her heart was racing. Every looming tree looked like an enemy, out to get her, and the shadows that stretched across the path no longer seemed welcoming. Instead, they held danger in their every contour.
“This way, My Lady,” Gerome urged, heading down another lit path towards the Eastern exit of the gardens. She knew Clutterbuck had been stationed there and assumed they were going to where the accomplice had been apprehended.
“Who is the accomplice, Gerome?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“A young lady named Molly. I believe she used to work for your father’s household?”
“She still does, I believe.”
He tutted. “Then this is a betrayal indeed.”
“Are we going to my husband?”
“Yes, he is waiting in the carriage to take you back to the Old Bell. Fear not, for we are almost in the arms of safety. The sooner you are gone from here, the better.” He pressed on, with Henrietta following as quickly as she could.
“I knew he would not be able to resist coming here,” Henrietta said, as they walked along briskly.
“Indeed, the villain has been waiting for this moment for a long time. His Lordship told me everything. I am sorry that you have been implicated in this unseemly chaos, My Lady. It is not befitting for a lady to find herself in peril.” He cast her a reassuring smile. “You did not collect your cloak, My Lady. Might you take my coat instead, to keep out the chill?”
Henrietta nodded, her body shivering. She did not know if it was from the cold or the fear in her veins. “That would be most kind, Gerome. I thank you.”
“Nonsense, it is my pleasure.” He removed his coat and placed it about her shoulders, before they raced on toward safety.
