Page 90 of The Lady Glass
She stretched her foot out, and it hit the door. Brilliant. With all her might she kicked it once. Twice. The third kick was muffled by Mr. Stewart’s leg kicking her own. His hand fell from the corner of her mouth in his attempt to lift her back to her feet. A partial scream formed before being cut off once more.
The door behind them flew open, and Rolland barged in.
Mr. Stewart pulled her into a bear hug. “Some privacy, if you please.”
Rolland didn’t hesitate to try to pull her from his arms. “When was kidnapping ever a form of romance, Mr. Stewart?”
Mr. Stewart released her. He had no weapon and was clearly no match for Rolland’s strength.
Rolland put her behind him and grabbed Mr. Stewart by the cravat. “There is a footman near the bottom of the stairs. Call for help, Theresia.”
She nodded and ran, loath to be away from him again. She was halfway down the stairs, calling to the footman leaning against the bottom rail, when Mr. Plasil burst inside the front door, two more footmen following him.
“You cannot enter without an invitation, sir,” the first footman said.
“I can if my goddaughter is inside.”
“Mr. Plasil!” Theresia cried, hurrying toward him.
“Lady Glass.” The second footman bowed and the first followed. Whether they were surprised by her suddenappearance or not, she did not give them time to react. “I need both of you in Mr. Stewart’s room. Captain Reese requires your immediate assistance.”
She watched them obey before stopping the footman stationed near the bottom of the stairs. “Send for His Grace and Lord Cadogen, but do not alarm the other guests.”
“What has happened?” Mr. Plasil asked, taking her hands. “Your cheeks are red, and the pins are falling from your hair.” Next he saw the bruise already forming on her wrist and gasped.
“I’m well enough.” She was ready to race back upstairs, but suddenly she was overcome with a voice inside telling her to run away while she still could. If she remained, she’d have to face everyone again and endure a second goodbye from Rolland.
She glanced at the door and the freedom it represented. Running was the easier way. She took the smallest step toward the door, and the glass flower of her slipper poked out from under her gown. The slipper Rolland had replaced on her foot. Shame coursed through her. Of course she couldn’t leave him. Not like this. She wouldn’t.
A thousand mortifying moments wouldn’t send her running again. She was Theresia Dvorak, a merchant’s daughter, a Roma, and the goddaughter of Mr. Plasil. And she was strong enough to face her fate.
“Come.” She pulled Mr. Plasil toward the stairs. “You’re practically a spy anyway, with your experience following me, so we might as well finish this together.”
Chapter 42
Rolland, surrounded by his friends,finished listening to the limited information Mr. Stewart had for them. Mr. Stewart had aided in the attempt on his father’s life at the ruins by leveraging a stone with a long stick, only narrowly missing both of Rolland’s parents.
When Rolland had told the others that Theresia had heard Lewis speaking French, Lewis had traced his steps back to the alcove and discovered the hidden passage. He and Stewart had used it to attack Michael.
Who knew what he would have done to Theresia had Rolland not heard the commotion against the door?
Mr. Stewart had no French background or loyalty, but he did know a little French, having studied a few languages with a tutor as a boy. He also claimed a personal grudge against Lord Castlereagh. This was not the first time the esteemed lord had gained an enemy, and Lewis had used that grudge to sway Stewart. Who knew how many others had fallen for Lewis’s promise of retribution and money from a glassblower’s nonexistent treasure?
Mr. Stewart referenced only one other partner he was certain of. It wasn’t Miss Yearsley, like Rolland would have guessed. It was someone Mr. Stewart had never even met. Lewis had referred to him asthe investor. He had temporarily backed Lewis financially and had a prominent position of authority in the House of Lords.
It was not enough to go off of, but it was something. Thank heavens Mr. Stewart had not been trained, as some were, to withhold information when caught, even if his information was limited. He’d been told just enough that he wouldn’t be a risk to anyone but himself. The good news was that Lewis had concocted the entire plan, and without a leader or a promise oftreasure, the mission fell apart. For now, Rolland’s father was safe.
Rolland ran a hand through the hair on the side of his head and stole a glance at Theresia. A maid had come in to tend to a few scratches on her arms and had replaced a few of her hairpins. Nothing could be done at the moment for the bruises, most of which were likely hidden under her beautiful gown and the long gloves she now donned.
Still, she stood like a quiet pillar of strength beside Mr. Plasil, speaking quietly to him by the door. It was hard not to overfocus on the older man, who had revealed himself as Theresia’s godfather. Rolland wasn’t happy that she’d run off to live with a stranger over staying with him, but matters with Mr. Stewart had taken priority over that discussion. Now he couldn’t bring himself to wait any longer to settle things between them. “Will you excuse me for a moment?”
Cadogen followed Rolland’s eyes toward Theresia. “We can take it from here,” he said. “Go and end your misery.”
Marcus slapped him on the back. “Tansy won’t forgive you if you mess this up. She’s quite fond of Lady—er, Miss Dvorak.”
Rolland’s father might not forgive him if hedidn’tmess it up.
“Thanks for the encouragement.” They’d all lost a friend tonight, but they were pulling for Rolland. They had no idea how grateful he was to them right now. He gave them a nod and slipped past them to Theresia. He stopped in front of her. “Can we take a walk?”
