“And this somehow gives you the right to demand that I change my ways,” he answered, his hands curled into fists as he looked at her. “As though you are some sort of saint, sent to guide the rest of us from our wrongs.”
Catherine did not shrink away from his mocking words. Instead, she held herself tall and stayed exactly where she was. “You may think of me as a shadow, Lord Rutherford,” she said calmly, although she knew all too well that the word meant more to her than to him. “I am in the background, watching and lingering where I can, fully aware of all that you have done and the sort of gentleman you are.” She took a step closer to him, ignoring the slight tremor of fear that ran through her at the sheer fury in his eyes. “And if someone seeks my help, then there is nothing I will not do to aid them in whatever way I can.”
They looked at each other for a long moment, with Catherine fully aware that he despised her but finding that such an awareness did not bring her any sort of pain or frustration. Lord Rutherford’s anger began to fade away, his brows lifting and the tightness around his mouth disappearing.
“What is your name?” he asked, his voice no longer edged with anger. “Just who are you?”
She allowed herself a quiet laugh, bobbing a curtsy as though they were greeting each other formally.
“Lady Catherine,” she told him, seeing something change in his eyes. “My father is the Earl of Enfield.”
“I see,” Lord Rutherford murmured, moving a fraction closer to her and sending a flurry of warning up Catherine’s spine. “And might I ask, Lady Catherine, why you are so eager to demand that I behave a certain way, that I remain within the bounds of propriety, when you yourself do not?” Reaching out, he ran one finger down her arm, trying to intimidate her again by his overwhelming presence. “You are alone here, are you not?”
Catherine ignored the shiver that passed through her, a glint in her eye as she looked into Lord Rutherford’s face. “You are quite mistaken there, I think,” she answered, looking behind him and clearing her throat, knowing that the others would step out in a moment, should she ask them to do so. “Might you reveal yourselves? Lord Rutherford believes me to be on my own and I should like to prove him otherwise.”
Lord Rutherford frowned and then turned his head, looking behind him to where Catherine had indicated. She crossed her arms across her chest as she watched the other Shadows step out from the dark places in the hallway. They had all followed Lord Rutherford and Miss Cordner that evening, with Lady Ann, Catherine’s sister, overhearing Lord Rutherford begging Lady Cordner to come with him to a quieter part of the house. It had not taken too much surmising on their part before they had known where he would take the lady.
“I do hope this convinces you that I am not as alone as you might have thought me, Lord Rutherford,” Catherine said happily as one or two gentlemen stepped out also. “And that your threat will not stand, given that I have so many others eager to protect me.” She looked back at her friends and felt her heart fill with warmth. “Now, if you will excuse me, I think we shall all return to the ball.”
Walking along the hallway, she smiled at her sister as she fell into step beside her, her arm linking with Lady Ann’s as they walked together. The others came to walk alongside or behind her and together, The Shadows made their way back toward the ballroom, a sense of satisfaction filling each and every heart as they left Lord Rutherford staring after them, his bravado gone and his intentions for Miss Cordner now lying, smashed and broken, on the floor at his feet.
1
One Month Later
“It is wonderful to see you again.”
Catherine flew across the room as Lady Bentham, accompanied by her husband, came in through the door to join the rest of the guests. She laughed and hugged Catherine tightly, and they were soon joined by the other young ladies who were all members of The Shadows.
“It has been a year, has it not?” Lady Ann asked as they all smiled at each other. “A year since you were last in society?”
“Indeed,” Lady Bentham replied, glancing up at Lord Bentham, who looked down at her fondly. “We have spent a good few months traveling and simply enjoying each other’s company. And, of course, we made sure to return for the Season, so that we might see you all again.”
Catherine grinned. “You do not stop being a Shadow once you are wed,” she reminded Lady Bentham, who threw her husband a knowing look. “Although it seems that thus far, there has been very little given to us.”
“Oh?” Lady Bentham asked as Lady Paxton sighed and exchanged a look with Lady Haddington. “You have not had anything of interest?”
Lady Ann sighed and shook her head. The Shadows had come about as a way for the ladies to work together to help solve any mysteries or work through any puzzles that were given to them by those requiring a little help—and thus far, they had done very well with some very difficult situations indeed. However, even though they were almost a month into the Season now, there had only been one thing of note.
“We have only had to help Lady Greaves with the matter of her daughter and her daughter’s companion,” she explained as Catherine frowned, struck with the memory of Lord Rutherford and just how much she had disliked him. “The companion was being given a little extra coin in order to allow her charge to steal away with a rake, who was doing all he could to encourage her affections.”
Lady Bentham’s eyes darkened for a moment, her smile gone. “I see,” she said with a frown. “You were able to prevent the cad from doing what he intended, I hope?”
Catherine nodded and Lady Bentham’s expression cleared at once. “I was,” she said quickly. “Although Lord Rutherford has done nothing other than continue on as he did before, albeit with someone entirely new.”
“That is to be expected,” Lord Bentham said gruffly. “A gentleman who cares only for himself and his own interests is not likely to change his ways, no matter how much we might wish him to do so.” He tipped his head, his eyes drifting toward the ceiling for a moment, contemplating something. “Lord Rutherford, did you say?”
“I did,” Catherine clarified, and Lord Bentham nodded. “I presume he will be here this evening, given that he is sought out for social occasions despite his rakish ways.”
“Yes, I well remember him,” Lord Bentham said with a roll of his eyes. “A rake and rather proud of his reputation. You will not be able to change him, Lady Catherine, although it is admirable that you wish to do so.” He shrugged. “And as for society, whilst they may consider his behavior entirely unacceptable, they know that he is an earl and as such, seek to keep his attention in the hope that he might settle on one of their daughters and leave such behaviors behind him.”
“I have no respect for any such gentleman,” Catherine informed them all, knowing that they each felt the same. “Miss Cordner was foolish to allow herself to be so caught up in his attentions, but she is young and easily impressionable.”
“And soon to be wed, I hear,” Lady Paxton added, catching all of their attention. “Her mother wrote to me this morning to inform us all that an engagement is soon to be announced between Miss Cordner and a very respectable baron, who will do very well for her.”