“Shall we?” He offered his arm and a disarming smile.
Her eyes narrowed on him as she accepted his escort. “Thank you, I think.”
“Now, now, Lady Prestwick. No more flattery or I will become too arrogant by half.”
Her smile returned. “Too late, my lord.”
Fourteen
Helena smiled fondly at Eve as Sir Jonathan Hackberry led the young woman to the dance floor. Somehow Sir Jonathan had managed an invitation to Lady Bellwyn’s garden party yesterday, where Eve had spent most of the day paired with him in games, and now he’d made a surprise appearance at Lady Chattington’s ball. He obviously had connections one would not expect a mere baronet to have.
Helena suspected it wouldn’t be long until Sir Jonathan requested an audience with Sebastian. Whether Sebastian would entertain an offer from the gentleman remained to be seen. The stubborn set to his jaw when he had spoken of investigating Sir Jonathan indicated he would leave no stone unturned. Not that Helena could blame him after Eve’s disastrous engagement to Mr. Benjamin Hillary.
But if Sir Jonathan proved to be a worthy suitor for Eve, what might that mean for Helena? If Eve made a match, Helena would have fulfilled her part of the agreement with Sebastian. She had no way of holding him to his side, and she didn’t have another gentleman to take his place. Her stomach churned and she took several deep breaths to rein in her worry. Sebastian had given his word, and he’d done nothing to make her question his honor. She owed him the benefit of the doubt.
She sensed Sebastian’s approach before he spoke. Prickles raced along her skin as if every inch of her was aware of him.
“May I have this dance, Lady Prestwick?”
She glanced sideways at him, her heart sputtering a moment before recovering its steady rhythm. Giving him the benefit of the doubt did not require her to dance with him. His touch would only complicate things and muddle her thoughts.
He held out his gloved hand, and she placed hers in his. Her fingers tingled and she swayed into him.
He caught her by the elbow, smiling down at her. “Careful.”
Good Lord, she was trying to be cautious, but he had an invisible pull on her that made resisting him impossible.
He led her to the dance floor as the quartet began a waltz. She sighed softly when his hand pressed against her back. Her mind might believe it was unwise to be so close to him, but her body clearly disagreed. When his fingers wrapped around hers to guide her along the parquet floor, it was as if a lost piece of her had returned.
“You look beautiful tonight, madam.” His eyes flared like the black star sapphire ring he always wore.
She mumbled her thanks, uncertain if her dry mouth had formed the correct words.
He urged her closer as they twirled, her head spinning just as fast. She caught a glimpse of Eve laughing with Sir Jonathan.
“Eve may have an offer soon,” she said. “Did you learn anything about the gentleman?”
“He seems aboveboard. Although he has been out of the country much of the time, his estate is in good condition and yields a decent yearly income. He is not squandering his fortune with his travels.”
“It sounds as if you’ve made a decision already.”
He shrugged. “It’s not my decision to make. If Eve chooses to accept him, I would have no qualms about negotiating a contract with the gentleman.”
Her eyebrows shot up. It was hard to imagine a man who would allow his sister a choice, and yet he met her gaze directly. There was no guile behind his dark eyes. Her heart skipped.
Helena had been given no choice when Wickie had come to their door to claim her. She had been fifteen and acting as a mother to her four younger sisters. Her father woke early that morning, stumbling into the kitchen looking like Lazarus raised from the dead. In a rare show of kindness, he had smiled at her. She should have known then something was amiss. Instead, she had returned to stirring the morning porridge with Little Gracie on her hip. Her baby sister had been teething and fussy, and refused to allow anyone but Helena to hold her.
Lavinia, Cora, and Pearl’s happy chatter at the battered kitchen table had stopped when their father entered the room. Cora and Pearl had watched him with distrust in their almost identical blue eyes.
When the knock came at their front door, bile had risen in her throat. It was the same every time her father played at the tables. She had beaten her father to the door, eager to bargain with the debt collector to save their meager belongings, but it wasn’t their usual type of visitor.
The pain slicing into her heart had nearly doubled her over when she learned what her father had done. With tears blurring her vision, she had turned to Lord Prestwick before climbing into his travel coach. Please, if I cannot stay, could my sisters come too?
He’d lightly grasped her chin and smiled sadly. I only need one of you, Miss Kendrick. You will have a better life with me. You’ll have no regrets.
Wickie had lied, of course. Or perhaps he didn’t know the meaning of regret. Or family. Or heartbreaking grief that stripped one of hope. It felt like the ultimate betrayal that she had grown to care for him in the end.
Sebastian’s lips gently touched her ear. “The music has ended, love.”
“Oh!” She blinked, embarrassed to have been lost in her thoughts and feeling awkward just standing there, gripping his hand as if he were her lifeline.
***
Sebastian didn’t want to release Helena. She had the most haunted look on her face, and it took every bit of his self-discipline to refrain from pulling her into his arms. He recognized that look. His father had gotten a similar look when anyone mentioned the Irish Rebellion. Only once had Father spoken to Sebastian of his days in the cavalry. Sebastian’s grandfather had been boasting of his son being a war hero and Father pulled Sebastian aside.
I’m no hero, Son.
Sebastian still recalled the haunted vacancy in his father’s stare.
What terrible things could have happened to Helena to account for that same vacant look? His thumb brushed against the bare curve of her shoulder blade, slowly bringing her back from wherever her mind had taken her. “Let’s take refreshment.”
She nodded and dropped hands, but he retrieved hers and slipped it through the crook of his elbow. He worried she might need the support to stay on her feet. He led her toward a smaller sitting room off the great room where Lady Chattington served punch in silver cups and sweets on delicate china plates. Sebastian retrieved two drinks, handed one to Helena, then guided her to a vacant settee in the corner.
People entered and left the refreshment room in a steady stream, too caught up in their own goings-on to pay attention to them.
His knuckles grazed her leg. “Do you wish to talk about what is troubling you?”
She crossed her arms tightly across her waist as if creating a shield around herself. Something was definitely out of sorts this evening. He held his tongue while he waited for her to determine if she wanted to confide in him. Her eyes cleared and she offered a slight smile. “Forgive me for being such poor company, my lord.”
Very well. She didn’t want to discuss it, and he understood it wasn’t the most appropriate place for an intimate conversation. “Someday, if you wish to tell me what has caused you such sorrow, I pledge to keep your confidence. You may tell me anything, Helena.”
She sighed and slowly unfolded her arms. “I believe you, truly I do, but it is nothing I want to remember. Would it be acceptable to change the subject?”
“Of course.”
Her gaze darted to his and she licked her lips. “Please, don’t take this the wrong way, but I cannot help wondering what will happen once your sister has an offer of marriage, what that will mean for us.”
He grinned. “Well, we will no longer be forced to attend the assemblies, which should leave more time to look for your Lavinia.”
The worry lines on her forehead disappeared. “I wasn’t certain our partnership would continue.”
&n
bsp; “Before I’ve fulfilled my end? You hold a poor opinion of me, Lady Prestwick.”
“Not of you, Lord Thorne. Of men as a whole, with the exception of Fergus. He has proven to be a very loyal sort.”
Sebastian cocked an eyebrow. “And? Haven’t I earned my place as your loyal champion yet?”
She chuckled softly, her face losing the last signs of tension. “I suppose you have. Forgive me for doubting you.”
“I meant what I said earlier. If you ever want to tell me what those men did to turn you against all of us…”
She shrugged one shoulder. “I would rather forget about it.”
Only she hadn’t forgotten. Even if she didn’t dwell on the specific ways she had been mistreated, these men who had come before him colored her decisions. Their acts made her wary and kept her isolated and alone.
His hand found hers between them on the settee. “I will never hurt you, Helena. You have my word.”
She turned her hand palm up and twined her fingers with his. “I know.”
Did she really? He supposed he would have to have faith in her too if there was any hope for them. “We shouldn’t have left Eve alone this long. There is no telling what kind of mischief she has gotten into,” he said.
He grinned, knowing his younger sister wasn’t inclined to get into trouble. She was uncommonly astute for a girl of one and twenty. And he had taught her to stay in the ballroom under the watchful eyes of the matrons while not allowing any particular gentleman to monopolize her time unless she would welcome a match with him.
When he and Helena entered the ballroom arm in arm, he didn’t immediately see his sister, but she wouldn’t have gotten far. As he and Helena completed a turn around the room, his confidence began to falter.
“There is Sir Jonathan. Perhaps he knows where she is,” Helena said.
The man was in conversation with the Duke and Duchess of Foxhaven and the Earl and Countess of Ellis.
Splendid. Just what he needed, another encounter with his former fiancée and her husband. Well, there was no help for it. If Eve was missing from the ballroom—as it appeared she might be—Sir Jonathan could know where she had gone.
Gabrielle’s brother, the duke, greeted Sebastian with a friendly smile, which was the decent thing to do since Sebastian hadn’t sued for a breach of contract. To be fair, the duke hadn’t killed him for compromising his sister either, so Sebastian considered them to be on good terms.
Ellis took Helena’s hand and placed a respectful kiss on her knuckles. “Good evening, Lady Prestwick. Lord Thorne.”
He ignored Ellis’s greeting on principle and turned to Sir Jonathan. “Have you seen my sister, sir?”
“Uh…” Sir Jonathan glanced around the ballroom, his weathered forehead wrinkled in confusion. “She was dancing a moment ago. Some gent recently returned from Delhi asked for her dance card. A former acquaintance, I believe.”
“An acquaintance?” Eve’s social circle was small, so whoever had danced with her was likely one of Sebastian’s associates. But he couldn’t think of anyone who had been abroad recently.
Sir Jonathan nodded. “The gentleman intimated it had been a long time. I believe his name is Hillary?”
Sebastian’s gut seized. There were several Hillary men—all brothers—but only one could claim to know Eve.
Ellis met his eye; a knowing glance passed between them. The earl clapped Sir Jonathan on the shoulder. “Sir, have you spoken with Lord Hollister about your expedition to Egypt? He is quite fond of hounds. I’m certain he will be enthralled with the history of Anubis.”
The gentleman brightened. “I haven’t had the honor.”
Ellis pointed to Lord Hollister and nudged Sir Jonathan in the man’s direction.
Sebastian nodded his thanks. His old friend had deftly handled Sir Jonathan. The fewer people who knew Eve might be with Benjamin Hillary, the better.
Ellis fell in step with him as he stalked for the terrace. “They couldn’t have gone far,” he muttered. “We will find them.”
A low growl rumbled in Sebastian’s chest. “When did that coward return?”
“Two days ago. He was listed on the ship’s manifest in the newssheet.”
Damn! Sebastian would have to begin reading the paper again. “I’m going to kill him.”
Benjamin Hillary, the man who had abandoned Eve at the altar, was worse than dead. Sebastian was going to rip him limb from limb.
“Anthony, wait.” Gabrielle hurried after them with Helena close behind.
Sebastian halted midstride and turned to the women. “You will only draw attention if you follow us,” he whispered fiercely.
Gabrielle raised a haughty brow. “As if two grown men dashing off like hounds after a fox is inconspicuous.”
Sebastian’s sarcastic retort died away when Helena threaded her arm with his. “She has a point, my lord, but escorting ladies to the terrace shouldn’t raise any alarms.”
Her touch calmed the storm brewing inside him. He didn’t wait to see if Ellis took his wife in hand. Instead, he forced himself to smile pleasantly at the lady on his arm and pretended he wasn’t going mad with worry.
Once they cleared the ballroom and found the terrace abandoned, Helena dropped his arm and gave him a gentle shove. “Check the garden.”
Surely Eve wasn’t that dim-witted. Hillary had already proven he had no honor. She couldn’t expect him to do the right thing if they were discovered together.
Sebastian raced down the steps into the dark garden. A sliver moon peeked between heavy clouds, shedding little light on the garden path.
Ellis caught up to him at a fork in the path. “I’ll search the west side and you take the east.”
Sebastian nodded sharply. He veered to the east, going deeper into the garden. Fireflies were random beacons in the darkness. He could see nothing but the outlines of bushes. The spiced scent of myrtle was thick on the humid air. A rustle sounded to his left. He froze.
“Go away, Ben. I mean it.” Eve’s exasperated command from the bushes set Sebastian’s blood on fire. With red shrouding his vision and muscles tensed for a fight, he stormed toward the large shrub.
“I’m not leaving until you come back inside, Evie.”
“Just leave me be.”
A stick snapped under Sebastian’s boot.
“What was that?” Eve whispered harshly.
Hillary shushed her. What the hell was the bastard thinking, taking her into the gardens?
Sebastian barreled around the bush, sighted a taller shadow, and slammed the man to the ground. The impact shuddered through him, but he felt no pain. He scrambled to get his feet under him before Hillary could recover from surprise, grabbed the man’s cravat, and drove his fist into his face. Eve’s scream was like a mosquito buzzing in Sebastian’s ears.
He had two years of pent-up fury for the man who had broken his sister’s heart and ruined her. Hillary fought back and got a solid connection with Sebastian’s cheekbone, but the hit only fueled his rage.
“Sebastian, stop!”
He landed another facer and slammed his opponent in the ribs before someone grabbed him and jerked him off Hillary. He struggled to break free of the arms trapping his.
“Not here, Thorne,” Ellis growled in his ear. “Ladies are present. Your sister.”
Eve. Sebastian stopped fighting. His chest jerked with each breath. Hillary attempted to push up from the ground.
“Stay down,” Ellis said. “Or so help me, I will let him tear into you again.”
Hillary plopped back down.
“Release me.” Sebastian broke Ellis’s hold and stalked a few paces away, trying to gain control of his temper. He shoved a shaky hand through his hair.
A lithe body rounded the shrub and collided with him. It was Helena. Her scent eased his anger, and he pulled her close.
She reached a hand toward his cheek. “Are you hurt?”
He angled away from her, but she touched him anyway. Her fingers were g
entle and she took care to avoid his cut. His remaining anger drained from him.
“You are going to soil your gloves,” he murmured.
“I have plenty more.”
Once she had determined he would survive, she joined Eve on the grass where his sister sat hugging her knees. Helena wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Eve was uncommonly composed, considering what she had witnessed. He heard no evidence of tears and she hadn’t swooned.
“Did he hurt you?” he asked.
She waved away his concern. “No, I can only imagine what you must have thought, but this isn’t how it seems. Benjamin—”
“Not now,” Helena said with a quick hug. “You can explain later.”
“He was only trying to coax me to come back inside. I should not have left the ballroom alone. I wasn’t thinking.”
She had been trying to escape from Hillary, no doubt.
Gabrielle tentatively peeked around the bush, then hurried to Ellis’s side when he held out his arm.
Sebastian dusted off his breeches and straightened his jacket. Hillary was still seated on the grass, seemingly following Sebastian’s movements.
“Choose your second wisely,” Sebastian said.
Hillary nodded sharply.
“No!” Eve struggled to her feet. “There has been a mistake. Nothing improper occurred. Please, Bastian.” She clung to his arm, her face turned upward.
“This man left you at the altar and ruined your reputation. He will answer for his deeds.”
“But you are talking about killing.” Her voice broke and the sobs came at last.
Faith. Her tears always had a way of ripping into him.
Helena came to offer his sister comfort. Eve turned into her shoulder, her cries muffled. “Dueling is illegal, my lord,” Helena said. “Isn’t there another way to settle this?”
“Thorne is within his rights to defend his sister, Lady Prestwick,” Ellis said. “Mr. Hillary wronged Miss Thorne when he jilted her. The only way to restore her reputation is to beat him on the field.”
Sebastian felt a smile of gratitude on his lips for Ellis even if he was loath to acknowledge it. Before their dispute over Gabrielle, he and Ellis had been decent friends. Many times the earl had taken Sebastian’s side in disagreements and helped even the odds when more than one man tried to get in licks in a fight with Sebastian. He had forgotten that fact for a time.
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