“I’m not playing with real money,” his father assured him with a grin. “You think I’d risk her bankrupting me?”
They were both laughing when he went downstairs.
“Listen,” Hal said to his accountant the moment he strode in. “What is going on? I know you – you’re a fine accountant. How could this have happened?”
Mr. Weston, his solicitor, bowed his head. “I don’t know, sir,” he said. “I was a fool. I should have contacted you, but…”
“What happened?” Hal asked gently.
“A gentleman came to speak to me,” he said. “He told me that he was a creditor, and that I owed him three thousand pounds. I argued, but he had notes, and it looked official, and well, in the end I believed him…” He covered his face with his hands.
“Who, Mr. Weston? Can you describe him for me?”
“Well…I’m afraid it’s difficult to say,” he said, shaking his head. “He was about as tall as you, and dark-haired, and…well, I can’t say I noticed much more about him. All I really noticed were his clothes.”
“His clothes.”
“He was quite extravagantly dressed. Wearing an embroidered waistcoat.”
Hal stared at him. He could barely believe it. It was him again.
Chapter Thirty
Readying for a Ball
Hestony sat before her mirror, her head tilted to one side. Her hair was ringleted loosely, and she wore round pearl earrings. She frowned, wondering if they were the best choice.
“Hestony, it doesn’t matter which earrings you wear,” she said to herself, sadly. “It isn’t going to change anything.”
She twisted in her seat, uncomfortably. If Hal was annoyed about something, her wearing pearl earrings or ruby ones wouldn’t make any difference.
“Madam?” her maid asked gently, emerging from the wardrobe-room. “Can I add more curls?”
Hestony turned to face her. “No,” she replied gently. “I think my hair is styled enough.”
A sweet young girl, the maid was not Judy, whom she missed immensely. She wished she’d been able to ask her to come with her. She hadn’t been near her own home though, and no reply had arrived to her letter. Hestony was starting to wonder if maybe her mother truly cared nothing. It seemed strange that nothing had arrived since then.
“Very good, Madam.” The maid withdrew, leaving her in the bedroom alone.
Hestony stood, regarding her reflection carefully. She wore a white dress– with a subtle pattern of gold thread worked through the fabric. It was a fine dress and she thought it brought out the color of her eyes. Her expression was distraught and she couldn’t help it.
“Where is Hal?”
She felt herself start to pace, and made herself stop it. She glanced at the clock. It was quarter to eight! There was no reason to be distressed – not yet. Hal had only been gone for four hours.
“But it’s so unlike him!”
Not only was it odd for him to spend so long in Town without warning – it was also odd that he would choose to do it on the same night of the ball.
“Madam?” There was a knock on the door. Hestony drew in a breath, recognizing the low-pitched voice.
“Lord Carisbrooke?”
“Yes, it’s me,” Hal’s father said from the threshold. “Might I come in?”
“You may,” Hestony called through the door, hurriedly checking that she looked alright. The door opened and Lord Carisbrooke looked at her sadly.
“He’ll be back soon,” he said gently. “He can’t have gone far. We’ll find him.”
“I know,” Hestony whispered. “I hope so.”
“I’ll go down,” Lord Carisbrooke said with a weary smile. “I reckon I can hold the hordes away.”
“I’m coming in a moment,” Hestony told him.
She glanced at herself in the mirror. Her face was pale and drawn. She wished she had some rouge to heighten the color of her cheeks. Putting a stray hair behind one ear, she drew in a breath and went downstairs.
“The guests are starting to arrive, Madam,” Mr. Lanford said gravely. Hestony curtseyed and walked smoothly to the hall. The chandeliers were lit, soaring over the marble-floored space. Five dark-clad men were setting up music-stands in the back of the hall. The room was sparkling and beautiful. Hestony swallowed hard.
“Please, let him be safe.”
It was so unlike Hal to miss something like this!
“Lord Alperton and his wife, Lady Alperton.” Mr. Langdon announced, making her head whip around to the main doors of the ballroom.
Hestony drew in a breath and walked swiftly up to the door, curtseying low to the guests. Lord Alperton bowed low, his wife dropping a curtsey.
“Good evening, Madam.”
“Good evening, My Lord, My Lady.” She nodded. “Welcome. I am sure Lord Henry will join us shortly.”
“We’re enchanted to attend,” Lord Alperton said, smiling politely.
“Thank you for coming,” Hestony replied.
Hestony curtseyed again as they went past, going down onto the dance-floor. The chamber-quintet was busy playing light music. It should have been so beautiful, with the candlelight shining on marble and silk, but all she could feel was frantic worry. Her corsets pressed on her chest and ribs, and she wished that she could retire into her room and give way to the pain in her heart.
“Lord Alperton and his daughter, Lady Emily.”
Hestony went back up the stairs, resigning herself to staying up there until all the guests had arrived. She kept on looking around, waiting for Hal to arrive. Where was he?
Mr. Langdon glanced compassionately in her direction once or twice, but he didn’t have any information for her and they both stayed locked in their misery.
“He’ll get here,” Lord Carisbrooke said gently, coming up the steps to join her after the fifth party of guests had arrived. “I’m sure he will.”
“Yes, certainly,” Hestony forced herself to say. She was starting to feel faint, the bright ballroom pulsing out of focus around her. Where was he?
The last guests were arriving now – the hall was full, the musicians playing sweet melodious refrains. Hestony curtseyed to the lord and lady whose names she wouldn’t remember for certain, and then turned to the assembled guests, her heart aching.
“Madam…we’re going to close the door,” Langdon whispered.