“Where was he?” Lady Ann asked, with Lady Serena standing beside them, looking from one to the other with anxious eyes. “Where did you find him?”
Lady Paxton shook her head. “He has been injured again,” she said, and Catherine caught her breath, the images in her mind shattering at once. “Someone struck him on the back of the head and pulled him from the ballroom—although what their intention was, I could not say.” A small shudder ran through her. “Lord Rutherford managed to fight back, despite his injury, and the gentleman soon left him, out of fear of being discovered, I should think.” She took a breath. “I thought it best that he return to your townhouse, Lady Catherine, even though we did agree that he—”
“But of course,” Catherine interrupted hastily, her throat tight and her hands clenching and unclenching. Had it been Lord Chesterton who had struck Lord Rutherford? But why? She spoke again. “Is he very unwell?”
Just as she spoke, she looked across to see the gentleman in question walking toward the door that would lead him from the ballroom. Lord Paxton was beside him and as they walked, something in her called out to Lord Rutherford. It was as if he heard her silent plea, for he turned around at once and looked at her, no smile on his face but rather a steadiness in his gaze that quietened the noise in her heart. All that she had thought, all that she had feared, was now shattering around her, leaving her feeling a little weak with relief. He had not been caught with some young lady, had not gone back to that way of life as she had feared he might. But now that left them with an altogether more difficult situation, where a gentleman present this evening had been the one to attack Lord Rutherford in an attempt to remove him from the ballroom. She did not want to think about what could have occurred had Lord Rutherford not managed to fight the gentleman off.
“Lord Paxton shall take him back to your father’s townhouse,” Lady Paxton said gently. “But we must remain here and continue to enjoy the ball.”
Catherine let out her breath slowly, looking at Lady Paxton and feeling everything within her rebel at such an idea. “I will return home at once.”
“No, you cannot,” Lady Ann interrupted, clearly seeing something that Catherine herself could not. “If you do so, then we might alert the perpetrator as to where Lord Rutherford has gone.”
Catherine hesitated, feeling the gentle encouragement of her sister’s words and knowing that she had to do what was best for Lord Rutherford, even if she did not wish to. They would have to continue on as they were at present, so that no suspicion could fall upon them. Lord Rutherford had to be kept as safe as possible, especially now that they knew what had happened.
“Just another hour or so,” Lady Ann said encouragingly. “And then mayhap we should have some refreshments. We need not stay for too long. I know you will want to ensure that Lord Rutherford is not overly hurt.”
Finding herself nodding, Catherine drew in a long, shaky breath, relieved that Lord Rutherford was now on the way to her father’s townhouse, where the staff would be well able to care for him.
“I am sure Lady Serena will accompany us also,” Lady Ann said gently, taking Catherine’s hand and tugging her around. “Come now, Catherine, we cannot permit anyone to see anything akin to shock on our faces.”
Lady Serena pressed Catherine’s hand for a moment and then let both Catherine and Lady Ann move a little ahead of her. Catherine nodded slowly again and took her first few steps forward, feeling almost giddy with a mixture of shock and relief. As she walked through the crowd of guests, her sister by her side, she did not think to glance back at Lady Serena, and thus did not notice the way that she trailed after them, her brow knotted, and her eyes filled with confusion and alarm. Nor did she notice how Lord Nottingham stepped from the crowd and pulled his sister to one side, leaving them to walk on without her.
“He will be all right,” Lady Ann murmured reassuringly as they made their way together. “You need not worry, Catherine. Lord Paxton will take care of him in our absence.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Catherine muttered, rubbing one hand over her eyes as they approached the card room. “And I must not forget our current endeavors.” Taking in a deep breath, she gave her sister a quick smile, as though to reassure her that she was herself again. “Now, I should look at my dance card and see who is going to be dancing with me next.”
“Wonderful,” Lady Ann smiled, just as a gentleman drew near to them, bowing at the waist. Catherine recognized him at once, greeting him warmly and, after lifting her dance card, accepting his dances without hesitation. She could play the part of a delighted young lady who was doing nothing other than throwing herself into what was a wonderful evening, whilst inwardly, she could think of nothing other than Lord Chesterton, wondering if his name would pave the way for them to discover the truth behind Lord Rutherford’s attacks.
“Lord Rutherford?”
Catherine pressed one hand to her stomach as she rapped lightly on the door to Lord Rutherford’s rooms. She had not expected to have to do so again, thinking that he would be gone to his own townhouse by now, but to have him here again sent something like a quiver of joy all through her. Lady Ann had chosen to retire, but Catherine had been unable to do so, not when they had discovered the name of the gentleman who had paid off Lord Huntley’s debts. She did not truly understand why, did not know the reasons behind his attacks upon Lord Rutherford, but the name was there, at least.
There came a few creaks from behind the door, followed by a low murmur which might very well have been a groan. Catherine pressed her lips together, wondering if she had made a mistake in coming to his door when he might have been abed, resting.
He had been.
The moment the door opened, Catherine realized that she had made a rather foolish mistake. Lord Rutherford had clearly pulled on some breeches hastily, his shirt was untucked, and he had no cravat or jacket. His hair, normally so neat, was rather rumpled, sticking up in several places. Her heart sank, her cheeks warm as she glanced away.
“Forgive me, Lord Rutherford,” she stammered, feeling very awkward indeed. “I ought not to have… I mean, I should not have—”
“I am very glad to see you.”
His words interrupted her but brought a joy-filled surprise to her heart. When she looked up into his face, she saw his eyes fixed to hers, a look of gladness there that she knew could not be feigned.
“I was not asleep,” he continued hastily, as though he wanted her to know that he was not at all irritated to have been interrupted so. “Have your father and sister returned also?”
Catherine shook her head. “Lady Ann has retired but we left our father in the card room,” she explained. “But we have discovered something.” She did not step inside the room but kept the thoroughfare between them, not wanting him to cross it and yet weak at the thought of it. “My father was owed money from Lord Huntley, given that he is so very poor at cards. However, my father was repaid by someone else—another gentleman entirely.”
“Oh?” Lord Rutherford’s brows rose questioningly. “Someone paid for Lord Huntley’s debts?” he repeated, sounding thoroughly confused. “Why?”