Nathaniel glanced over and saw Sterling Benton making a beeline for the main doors. Hudson stepped directly into his path, and the two men collided shoulder to chest. Hudson was broader than elegant Sterling Benton, and the impact stunned the slender man momentarily.
He snarled, “I say, have a care.”
Margaret rushed from the room, Cendrillon fleeing the ball, the clock striking midnight and her ruse nearly up. Shivering in icy anticipation, she expected any moment for Sterling to grip her shoulder from behind. But, miraculously, she entered the hall alone.
She looked right and left and, seeing no one about, rushed across the hall and down the far corridor to the back stairs. She prayed she would not be turned away by one of the servants. As she reached the stairs, she nearly collided with Craig coming down, but he leapt aside, murmuring, “Pardon me, madam.”
Hurrying up the steps, she hoped Sterling would not ask Craig if he’d seen a lady matching her description.
In the upstairs corridor, she looked ahead and saw Betty—Betty!—scurrying along carrying an extra blanket. Betty would recognize her if anyone would. Margaret ducked her head, feigning an interest in her sleeve, but when she risked a glance, she saw Betty with her nose pressed to the wall.
How strange to see Betty become “invisible” in her presence. Years of practice and exhortations had made the action second nature, like a turtle retreating into its shell at the first sign of danger. Margaret felt amusement mixed with chagrin that Betty should face the wall for her. How she would chafe if she knew. But there was no time to waste now. She needed to slip into Miss Helen’s bedchamber and change back into her customary attire.
Margaret decided that enough people had seen and recognized her to quash the rumors of her death. Dancing around the room in full view of everyone had been brazen but effective. She wouldn’t have risked it had Nathaniel not all but pulled her onto the floor. Now she was glad he had. She was glad, too, to have that chance, though brief, to speak to Nathaniel as herself. She had very much wished to say something to melt the icy wall between them—her fault. But with Sterling Benton breathing down her neck, she had fumbled to find the words.
She hoped he’d understood.
“A thousand pardons, sir,” Hudson said to Sterling Benton, all meekness as he made a show of straightening the man’s coat. “I am terribly sorry. Please excuse me.”
Nathaniel stepped out into the hall, in time to hear retreating footfalls hurry not to the outside doors, nor up the main stairs, but rather down an interior passage—one that led to the servants’ stairs. He walked casually toward the front doors.
She had been right not to take the formal stairway that rose from the hall, for she never would have ascended from sight in time.
Sterling Benton rushed into the hall, looking this way and that. Seeing him, Sterling said, “Upchurch. The lady you were dancing with, is she . . . ?”
“Gone. You just missed her. Her carriage was ready and waiting.”
“What? Where was she going? Do you know?”
“I don’t.” He glanced at his steward behind Sterling. “Do you, Hudson?”
“I am afraid not, sir.”
Sterling fidgeted. “Did you . . . recognize her?”
“Yes. Did you?”
“I . . . did not have the opportunity to speak with her. Caroline said it was Margaret. I wanted to believe her, but I thought perhaps she was mistaken—wishful thinking, you know.”
Nathaniel placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, ostensibly in comfort, but in reality, to make sure he did not rush upstairs and begin searching the house. “What a relief it must be to know Miss Macy is alive and well. Those rumors put to bed.”
“Yes,” Sterling murmured. “Yes, of course.”
“She did seem determined to avoid you tonight. Any idea why?”
The man’s blue eyes glinted, ice cold. “No. None at all.”
The Bentons took their leave soon after, perhaps to ride off in search of the fleeing Margaret, or possibly to avoid the resulting questions and rumors her appearance had caused. They were a grim-faced lot, each for his or her own reason, no doubt. Nathaniel was not sorry to see them go.
He returned to the ball. He had been so distracted by the unexpected appearance of Margaret Macy that he had nearly forgotten the reason for the ball in the first place—to reintroduce Helen to society and society to Helen. He was glad the near-confrontation between Margaret and the Bentons had not marred the occasion for her. He hoped his sister was enjoying herself. He knew she was realistic enough about her age and moderate beauty not to expect to cause a stir among the single gentlemen or anything as fancifully romantic as that. But he did hope she was becoming reacquainted with her female friends and their husbands.
He had seen Helen dance with Lewis earlier—an act which had raised Nathaniel’s esteem and affection for his sometimes thoughtless brother. Now Nathaniel planned to claim Helen for a second dance. There was no reason she should sit along the sidelines of her very own ball.
He looked for her among the chattering clutch of matrons seated together beyond the punch table, fanning themselves, but did not find her. He looked through to the adjoining drawing room, where gentlemen congregated around card tables, but saw no sign of her there either. Was she off in the dining room, overseeing final preparations for the midnight supper? She ought to leave that to Mrs. Budgeon.
Couples dancing a reel gave a vigorous “Hey!” as they spun and stepped lively to the jaunty tune. Surveying the dancers, he saw several couples he knew well and a few less familiar or masked.
He stopped midstride. There she was. Good gracious. He had almost not recognized his own sister. What a ninny he was. But with her fashionable gown, flushed, smiling face, energetic steps, and youthful partner, he had mistaken her for a much younger woman. A younger, beautiful woman. What sort of magic had Margaret worked on his sister?
He glanced around, and there against the wall stood Robert Hudson. Apparently, the magic had worked on him as well. For the man’s face held a sorrowful longing Nathaniel easily recognized as unrequited love. It was a look—and a feeling—he remembered far too well.
Our party went off extremely well. There were
many solicitudes, alarms & vexations beforehand,
of course, but at last everything was quite right. The rooms
were dressed up with flowers & looked very pretty.
—Jane Austen, in a letter to her sister, 1811
Chapter 25
The ball had continued until well after two in the morning and Nathaniel did not have opportunity to speak to Helen alone. He hoped she’d enjoyed herself.
At breakfast the next morning, she came in late, looking tired. Lewis’s friend Piers Saxby had stayed the night in one of the guest rooms but had not made an appearance. Nor had Lewis.
Nathaniel smiled. “Why, if it isn’t the belle of the ball. Good morning, Helen.”
She flashed a quick self-conscious grin. “I was rather, wasn’t I?”
She poured herself a coffee from the spigot urn on the sideboard. “No sign of Mr. Saxby yet this morning?”
“Not yet. He played cards until nearly two, and lost badly by the looks of it.”
“And Lewis?”
“I have not seen him since early last night. He disappeared shortly after he danced with you.”
“Did he? I suppose I was too busy dancing to notice much of anything.”
He winked. “So I saw.”
Arnold came in, carrying the morning post on a silver salver. Nathaniel took the single letter—soiled parchment, addressed to him in a flamboyant hand. He pried open the seal and unfolded the letter. It contained only four lines.
Such shy profits the chest contained
Where is the rest, I wonder?
Must I visit Fairbourne Hall
And rent the place asunder?
Stunned anger flushed through him. A chill followed when he recalled Abel Preston’s threat. “Your place. When you least expect it.”
“Anything interesting?” Helen asked.
He considered not telling her but reminded himself that she was a grown woman. “A threat from the man who robbed my ship. In rhyme no less. Apparently he’s figured out he didn’t steal all our profits after all. Here, read it for—”
Suddenly, from somewhere in the house, came a great tumult of slamming doors and a keening wail. Running feet and shouts. Nathaniel and Helen swung their heads around to stare at each other, then both lunged for the door.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
“I will not.”
Nathaniel ran out into the hall, looking this way and that for the source of the mayhem. Nothing. Dear God in heaven . . . tell me that scapegrace has not come here already.
Nathaniel ran toward the back stairs. One of the footmen ran from the basement through the servery and nearly bowled him over.
“Thank God, sir. I was come to find you.” In his obvious distress, the young man didn’t even apologize for knocking into him.
“What’s happened?”
“It’s Mr. Lewis, sir. He’s been shot.”
“Shot?” Nathaniel’s nerves went into full alarm mode. God, no. Please.
Behind him, Helen gasped, both hands pressed to her mouth.
“Is he alive?” Nathaniel asked. “Where is he?”
“Yes, sir, he breathes. They’ve got him laid out in the stillroom. Mr. Hudson’s sent Clive for the surgeon.”