Page 33 of The Earl's Secret
Devon reached out and placed his hands over top of hers. “I know. I feel the same.”
They stayed like that for a moment, until Devon remembered that they were not alone in the room – which was just as well, for he was sure that if they had been, he would have taken this a step further than he should, especially considering what had just occurred.
She cleared her throat. “I think we should find Hope and Faith now. They will have wondered as to where I have gone, to say nothing of my mother.”
“Although she doesn’t seem to have any suspicions when it comes to me, now does she?” he asked with a wry chuckle. “I suppose there will be a surprise in store, then.”
He saw her head snap up at that, realized that perhaps he had given away a hint of his plan too early, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Instead, he rose, held his elbow out toward her, and escorted her back to the ballroom.
“Are you sure you would like to return?” he asked. “If you would prefer to excuse yourself, I’m sure we can locate your maid.”
“That does sound like an attractive option, but I should tell Hope and Faith that I am retiring for the night first, at least,” she said.
Devon nodded, although his attention was not completely on her as he kept his eyes open and searching for any sign of Lord Amberdash. Fortunately, the viscount was nowhere to be found, and Devon could only hope that he had done them all a favor and left the party entirely.
“How did you know where I was?” she asked as they approached the entrance of the ballroom.
“I noticed that you had left the ballroom and hadn’t returned, which made me nervous,” he said. “So I went searching for you.”
“Good thing you did,” she said fervently.
“I should have come quicker.”
“It was quick enough,” she said, patting his arm where her hand was already resting. “There are Hope and Faith,” she said, jutting her chin toward them on the other side of the ballroom. “I shall return to them and explain some of what happened, although I will not share all of the sordid details.”
“Perhaps you should,” he said. “People should know what kind of man Lord Amberdash is.”
She looked up quickly toward him in supplication. “Please don’t tell anyone of what happened.”
“Why not?” he asked, furrowing his brows. “The more that people know of what men like him can be capable of, the more it can be prevented.”
“Because… what if it is as he says and people truly think this of me? I will be the one to be blamed, not him. That is the way of it, unfortunately.”
He knew she was right, as much as he hated it. At the end of the day, it was her choice, and who was he to comment upon her decision?
“Very well,” he relented with a dip of his head toward her. “Return to your friends, and when it is time to go to your bedchamber for the night, make sure you walk with someone you can trust.”
“Like you?” she asked with a sly smile, but he took the answer very seriously.
“Exactly like me,” he said, even though he hardly trusted himself in such close quarters with her. “Now, if your friends dance again, then I will be there to join you, understand?”
“Completely,” she said, releasing his arm and turning to look at him. “Thank you, Devon. For everything.”
“Of course,” he said. “Anything for you.”
* * *
“Cassandra,we were becoming worried about you,” Hope said as she rejoined them. Cassandra didn’t miss Faith’s stare behind her toward Devon as he walked away, especially as Cassandra could still feel his eyes on her back.
“All is fine,” she said. “At least it is now.”
“Your sojourn away from the ballroom didn’t have anything to do with a certain Lord Covington, now did it?” Faith asked, to which Cassandra shook her head.
“Not at all,” she said, drawing a breath. “In fact, it is because of him that all is fine.”
“What do you mean?” Hope asked with some consternation.
Cassandra hesitated. She hadn’t wanted anyone to know of what had happened, but Devon’s words resonated with her. She knew her friends would believe her, and she could prevent the same from ever happening to them.
