Chapter Eight #2
When he’d vowed to protect her, he hadn’t known how much he would be called to wager. Now, he knew—he’d wager everything. His name. His own reputation. His future. His family. His life. She was the only choice for him.
But was he the right choice for Millie?
Why should she choose him? Because he had vowed to protect her? Because, at least in the carnal sense, he had never wanted anyone more?
Just because he cared?
She had only admitted she was attracted to him. In every other way, she might still hold him in contempt.
“We’ll find a way, Millie,” he assured her, even though he was unsure how, other than they must be wed. He was also fairly convinced she’d be devastated. But if wed she must, he had to believe she would choose him over Willard.
“I swear,” he pledged again, “we will find a way.”
“Willard is most to blame, of course…”
She did not appear to have heard either of his grave, heartfelt vows.
“But I shouldn’t have accepted his invitation, should I?”
No, she shouldn’t have.
He closed his eyes and shook his head. Even though she could not see, he had to give his frustrations vent. He’d tried to warn her just this afternoon. Had she known, even then, Willard was to be her escort tonight?
“When did Willard invite you?” he carefully excluded his exasperation from his voice.
“In the square in front of Harbury’s,” she replied. “Just after you left.”
Yet another devastating fact uttered blithely as-you-please.
“He came upon me alone in the park. You might have seen us, if you’d just looked up. But you were lost in your own thoughts.”
Guilt joined his frustration. He swallowed roughly. At that point, he’d thought his most pressing problem was John. Damn his pride.
“I cannot believe Harbury granted his permission for you to attend without consulting Asquith!”
“Asquith couldn’t be found. And I didn’t go to Harbury. I thought I had a better chance of getting permission from Adrian.”
Of course, she’d strategized to make sure her visit was not prohibited! Again, he shook his head. Adrian would be more likely to grant his permission, especially since Millie had a way of making the absurd sound reasonable.
“Besides, Willard had said he and Asquith were old friends.”
Neville sucked in sharply. “They are not old friends!”
“I’ve since come to that conclusion myself. But how could I have known then? Asquith acknowledges him with a nod.”
Neville felt sick again.
How could he explain the rules of power and influence that guided men’s lives and actions? Rules that allowed men like Willard to act without consequence, so long as he confined the harm to women Society deemed unworthy of protection.
Social niceties that had always seemed necessary—the cost of being civilized, of preserving the greater good—had, because of what had almost happened to Millie, been revealed to Neville in their ugly truths.
“Adrian and Eliza were hesitant to let me go at first,” she continued. “But Lady Eltenham agreed to chaperone. And, it turned out, Adrian had known, liked, and respected her brother, Willard’s deceased maternal uncle. Adrian assumed I liked Willard, and…”
“And?”
“This part does not make me proud…I let Adrian believe I did. I thought a light flirtation might allow me to rusticate in the country where I belong. The whole idea seems silly, now.”
She’d swung and hit with that cricket bat again. Neville nearly doubled over.
“But truly, I did not,” she insisted. “When we were dancing, it wasn’t at all like—” Briefly, she covered her mouth with her hand.
“No,” she continued more slowly. “I didn’t like Willard.
It’s just that he only tempted me with something I wanted.
There were times he truly seemed to understand… ” her voice faded.
“What did he seem to understand?” he softly prompted.
“Oh, I don’t know. How strange this all has been. London seasons, balls and rules and social courtesies. How trapped and confined I’ve felt ever since I had to leave Willowhurst.”
Another swing and crack.
“Oh, Millie…” How had he not realized she was sad? How had he not known she was suffering? She always seemed so strong. So certain.
“Neville!” She gripped him by the shirt, urgent again. “Do you think those of the ton who had seen us together tonight are likely to come to the same conclusion? That I ‘like’ Willard? That I would welcome a courtship? Perhaps even an offer from him?”
“I am afraid they might.” The ton, damn them, were likely to think far worse. She might have escaped being openly caught, but she’d been compromised just the same.
“Oh, what have I done?” she murmured.
Neville covered her hands with his own. “I won’t let anyone harm you, Millie. Not him, not anyone. Do you understand?”
“Cousin?” The question came from just beyond the door exiting to the theater’s rear.
His whole body flooded with relief. “Lady Sarah?”
“Are you still inside?” he heard Sarah ask. “Is Millie with you?”
“Yes. And thank God you’ve come.”
The door cracked open, not on the corridor side, where Millie had come in, but from the direction of the private passageway through the backstage chambers. The passageway that eventually let out onto Hart Street.
Sarah opened the door. The light from her lantern started them both. Immediately, he and Millie jumped apart.
Lady Sarah’s gaze moved back and forth between them, calculating. “Well, now I know why I couldn’t find you, Millie.”
Millie frowned. “How did you know I needed finding?”
“Well, Mr. Harris came to me in the lounge with an urgent, private message. My good friends Lord and Lady Pennington followed me backstage. But Harris took me aside privately and told me of your plight. He said I was to find you and bring you here, where Neville wished to speak with you. I tried, but you had gone missing.” She paused to send a significant glance to Neville.
“Apparently, you made your way here on your own.”
“She did,” Neville gravely confirmed.
“My friends are still backstage with Harris. He’s delayed the second act. He hadn’t much choice after Lord Willard caused such a fuss. Meanwhile, since I couldn’t find either of you anywhere else, I came to the rendezvous point, just in case Millie had found her way here on her own.”
“You’re a godsend, Sarah. A positive godsend. Take Millie home, please.”
“Neville!” Millie’s frown turned into a scowl. “I’m not baggage to be handed from one person to the next!”
“Certainly not,” agreed Lady Sarah. “But, I think, feminine company would not be amiss?”
“Yes, I suppose.” Millicent blinked a few times. “I seem to have become…separated from my chaperone.”
“So I’ve heard. Harris has been of excellent help there, as well.
Lady Eltenham was unwell. Lord Willard’s friend took her to a seat in the second level lounge, but then, perhaps because of the commotion, forgot to escort her back to her box.
So, Harris brought her round to the rear stairwell, where she is waiting with my friends.
Shall we find her and return you both to Lord Willard? ”
Neville sucked in. “I don’t think—”
Lady Sarah interrupted his sentence with a quelling look. She turned toward Millie. “Do you wish to return to Lord Willard? He appears to wish to be reunited with you.”
Millie shivered. “No, I don’t believe I do. But I have something that belongs to him I would like to give back.” She reached into her pocket and retrieved a long, thin bit of ivory. “Do you think Harris would return this to Lord Willard?”
Sarah and Neville froze in almost comical shock. If anyone had come in at just that moment, they would have thought them acting out a tableau.
Sarah recovered first.
“What a fascinating trinket. May I see?” She took the knife and worked the mechanism. A long, thin blade snapped out. “Oh… Oh my.” She closed the knife. “That looked quite sharp.”
“Oh, it is,” Millie replied. “If you look closely enough, you can see grinding marks.”
Neville placed his hand against the wall and bent partially over.
Sarah turned. “Neville, dear. Harris will never forgive you if you cast up your accounts in the royal retiring room. The stink is so hard to remove.” She swiveled back to Millicent. “This belongs to Lord Willard?”
Millie nodded. “I’m not sure I would have gotten away if I hadn’t taken it from him.”
Sarah paused for a moment, head tilted. Only a brief flush betrayed her horror. “I’m not sure he deserves to have his property returned. But, if you insist, I will enlist Mr. Harris. He is forever finding lost objects in boxes.”
“Oh, very good!” Millie brightened. “And wise, too. Willard won’t be sure if I took it or if he dropped it as I passed.”
Sarah inclined her head. “Bright girl. Now, we must set our minds to how we might best politely extract ourselves from the theater without drawing any more undue attention.”
They stood in silence for a few long moments. Neville, and presumably the ladies, tested, and then discarded, several plans. But in the end, Sarah came up with an idea.
“I believe I have a solution,” she said.
“My friends will return Lady Eltenham to her son and deliver the message that Millie and Lady Eltenham were taking a turn with me when I received an urgent message from my brother’s household saying that the duke has fallen desperately ill.
Naturally, as the message left us both distraught, they will explain to Willard that I asked and received permission from Lady Eltenham to allow you to accompany me home. ”
“Will she agree?” Millie asked.
“In her state,” Sarah answered dryly, “I’m not sure she will notice either way.”
Neville’s eyes widened. Drugged?
Sarah’s slight nod confirmed his suspicion.
“What if Harbury is out?” Neville asked.