Page 83 of Pursued Beyond Treachery
He’d not risk Mr. Wallace defying his orders. He was not sure when or where Susannah had agreed to meet him, but he’d not let the man stay in the house to hurt her.
“I need to collect my sister,” Mr. Wallace muttered when he stopped at the ballroom doors. “You cannot expect me to leave her unprotected.”
Johnathan glanced into the open room, searching the crowd for Miss Wallace. Unfortunately the young woman danced in the middle of the ballroom with a gentleman he did not recognize. They would have to wait. No need causing a bigger scene than the one he’d already made in the card room.
“What time had you planned to meet Miss Wayland?” he asked.
No reply came.
He turned, but Mr. Wallace no longer stood next to him. A curse escaped his lips. He should have known he would use any excuse to his advantage. Taking a quick perusal of the hall he realized Wallace had either left or slipped into the crowd while he’d been searching for Miss Wallace.
“There you are,” Eddie said, coming up from behind. “I have been searching for you all evening. Where have you—”
“I don’t have time for pleasantries, Eddie. Tell me you’ve seen Susannah.”
Eddie’s dark eyebrows crept up at his use of Susannah’s Christian name. “Not since the last set. Why?”
“Is she in the ballroom?”
“I think she left for the retiring room.”
Johnathan shifted directions. Eddie caught up to him. “What is the matter?”
“Find Mr. Wallace and whatever you do, do not let him near Susannah. I’ll explain later.”
The cloakroom where Nate and Melior had been found last year was the first place he checked. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found it empty. Perhaps she really had only gone to the women’s retiring room. He retraced his steps and followed the hall toward the room as far as he was comfortable, waiting where the door was visible.
He shifted from foot to foot, hoping a woman would come out, any woman, so he might ask if Susannah was within. When Miss Martha Guthrie exited with a shorter woman, he cursed his bad luck. Then he remembered her goose description of her mother and all the times she’d rolled her eyes at something Miss Guthrie had said. Taking his chances, he lifted a hand to stop her.
“Miss Martha, might I have a word with you?” He glanced at the other woman wearily. No use having anyone else questioning Susannah’s reputation.
Miss Martha tipped her head to the side but complied. “Of course.”
They took a few steps away from the other woman, and dropping his voice he asked, “Was Miss Wayland in the retiring room?”
Her head jerked back. “That is not something I should be answering, Lord Newhurst. It is her private business if she is or is not.”
“Please, I have reason to believe she may be in some danger and I only need to know if she is safe in the ladies’ retiring room.”
She glanced back at the room and frowned. “Would this happen to be concerning Mr. Wallace?”
“It is.”
“The scoundrel,” she muttered. “I do not even know why my mother keeps him around, but he is not good company. Then again, my mother does a lot of questionable things.” Her attention returned to him. “To answer your question, she is not,but I am happy to help you find her.” Then her eyes widened. “Have you tried the balcony?”
His eyes narrowed. “No, but I will if you believe that is where she is.”
“I only say so because I heard Mr. Wallace commenting about the view from that very spot a few nights ago.”
He reached out and grasped her hand, relief washing over him. “Thank you, thank you very much.” He turned and sped away as quickly as he could without drawing too much attention.
Chapter 27
Susannah pulled her cloak tighter around herself. Thank goodness she’d thought to retrieve it before leaving the warmth of the stuffy ballroom. The cold March air nipped at her nose and made her wonder why she’d even come to this place.
She no longer wanted a proposal from Mr. Wallace, but she was trapped. If John loved her as she knew he did, he’d not offer for anyone else. And if he didn’t offer for her cousin, she’d find herself and her family in dire straits. No one would want her, not even John if he thought her immoral and unprincipled.
And what if her father had accrued as many debts for the Newhurst holdings? John would feel betrayed as he ought.
