“I wasn’t trying to be quiet,” Deborah said with a sniff. “Everyone must know there is a fraud in our midst.”
“I’m afraid I can’t allow you to malign Lady Rockbourne.” The duke turned toward where Beatrix was standing with her husband and Selina. “Beatrix, would you come here, please?”
After exchanging looks with her husband and Selina, Beatrix started toward them. Thomas and Selina followed. Though Beatrix was small in stature, she carried herself with an enviable confidence.
“Good evening,” Beatrix said cheerily when she arrived. She gave Ramsgate a pleasant smile, which she also bestowed upon Anne and Ludlow. When her focus turned to Deborah, however, her smile faded and her blue eyes frosted.
Ramsgate gestured to Beatrix and spoke loudly and clearly, his gaze pinned to Deborah. “Allow me to present my daughter, Lady Rockbourne.”
Deborah’s milky-blue eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She sputtered but said nothing.
“Didn’t I tell you my father was a duke?” Beatrix said quietly so that only those in their small circle, which included Thomas and Selina, could hear.
Ludlow exhaled loudly and took his daughter by the arm. “Excuse us.” He gave Anne an apologetic look before steering Deborah toward the house.
Dammit! Anne’s shoulders bunched as she watched them go. She was supposed to be in Deborah’s place!
“Just like Deborah to ruin everything,” Beatrix said with a quiet heat.
Selina murmured in agreement before smiling broadly. “But that was brilliant.” She turned to Ramsgate. “I don’t know what provoked you, but thank you.”
“Yes, thank you.” Beatrix stared at her father. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything.” The duke’s voice was gruff. “I should have claimed you long ago, at least when you came out this Season. Although, you didn’t need my help to marry well.” He nodded toward Thomas, who inclined his head in return. “You have my thanks. I am glad to be on good terms with my next-door neighbor again. Perhaps you’d like to come to dinner next week?”
“I would, actually,” Thomas said. “And I think Beatrix’s half brother would probably like to join us.”
“Lovely.” Beatrix looked so happy that Anne nearly forgot about her own consternation.
Shaking her head, Anne was about to excuse herself so she could follow Ludlow and Deborah, but she couldn’t really do that by herself. Well, she could, but she shouldn’t. Blast, it was annoying to be unwed!
“Selina, would you mind accompanying me inside to the retiring room?” Anne asked.
“Not at all.” Selina gave Beatrix’s hand a squeeze and sent her a wide grin before joining Anne and going toward the house. “Deborah does her best to be awful, but we’ll find a way to turn this to our advantage.”
Anne hoped she was right. “Let’s hurry.”
They picked up their pace, and as they neared the house, Anne made eye contact with Harry, who nodded in response.
When they reached the door, Selina stopped. “I’ll leave you here. Good luck.”
“Thank you.” Anne went inside to the saloon, a large room with several seating areas. One, in a far corner, was occupied, and Deborah was lying on a chaise in another corner.
Eyes closed, with her hand draped across her forehead as if she’d fainted, Deborah looked pale. Anne had no sympathy for her.
Poking her none too gently, Anne leaned down. “Deborah.”
“What?” Deborah’s eyes fluttered open, but only barely. “Oh, Anne, it’s just you.” She closed her eyes once more.
Normally, Anne would ask after her welfare, but she had one objective, and it was imperative she complete her task. She also didn’t particularly care to make nice with Deborah and probably never would again. “Where did your father go?”
“That way.” Deborah waved her hand in no particular direction.
“Deborah, open your eyes,” Anne said sharply. “Where did he go? Show me.”
Deborah’s lids slowly lifted. She pointed to a doorway to her left. “That way.”
Towards the ballroom. Good. Anne exhaled as she went in the direction Deborah indicated. She didn’t give Deborah a second thought.
The next chamber was a sitting room with two doorways. The first led to the ballroom. Anne could see couples dancing and hear the music. It was possible he’d gone there, but Anne decided to try the other door.
As she approached, she heard voices.
“Tall, imposing bloke with the nasty scar on ’is chin. Blond, ye said?”
Anne stopped and listened, surprised at the coarse speech here of all places. They had to be talking about Rafe. Tensing, she edged closer to the door, which was open just the tiniest sliver.
“Yes. Why isn’t he dead yet?” Ludlow’s voice was easy to discern.
Fear sliced through her. She hoped Harry and North would arrive soon.
“We want the money first.”
“That was not our arrangement,” Ludlow said testily.
“What ’ave we ’ere?”
The door opened suddenly. A hand grabbed Anne by the forearm and yanked her inside. The door snapped shut behind her.
Anne gasped as all heads in the room turned toward her. Besides her godfather, there were six men, all dressed as if they belonged here at a Society ball, but judging from their speech, they clearly did not.
“I was just looking for you,” Anne said to her godfather, her heart beating wildly.
“She were listenin’,” the man holding her arm said. “I saw ’er through the crack in the door.”
Ludlow took a few steps toward her, his gaze wary. “Anne, what did you hear?”
“Nothing.” She hoped they couldn’t see the fear in her eyes or the throb of her pulse in her throat.
“She’s lyin’.” The man gripped her arm more tightly. “I can feel her shakin’.”
Exhaling, Ludlow wiped his brow. “Anne, dear. You shouldn’t have come here.”
“We can take care of ’er when we take care of yer nephew.”
Anne’s breath snagged, and she struggled not to make a sound despite the fear curling around her chest.
Ludlow tossed a glare at the man who’d mentioned Rafe. “Do be quiet.” He sighed as he contemplated Anne. “I don’t know what you’ve heard, but it can’t be nothing. You do look rather frightened.”
Her mind scrambling, she fought to come up with something to say. “Only because you’re meeting with men who sound like…ruffians.”
“You heard them mention my nephew.”
“Yes.” Anne tried to remain calm even as her arm began to ache from the brigand’s grip and panic clawed at her insides. “But why should I care? I want nothing to do with him. I despise him.”
Ludlow smiled. “Of course you do. After tonight, he will never bother you again.”
This was not anything they’d planned for. And it suddenly seemed an obvious oversight. The man had killed before to gain the title. Why wouldn’t he do it again to keep it?
Because it had seemed he had another plan to get what he wanted, to simply ruin Rafe’s chances to be named the earl.