Henry’s gaze flicked to Charlotte, who stood there shaking, hands half raised as if to ward Leonard off. She couldn’t speak, her heart thudding too furiously for words to form.
“From what I can see,” Henry said stonily, “this conversation is over. I believe this is my dance, Leonard. The band is about to begin again.”
Sir Roger opened his mouth, but Henry stepped forward and seized Charlotte’s hand, guiding her away before he could utter a protest. Her legs were weak, and she clung to his arm like a lifeline.
They merged into the dancers just as the new set started. Charlotte’s pulse still hammered, the swirl of color and music seeming a long way away. Henry positioned himself across from her, one hand steady at her waist once they began the required steps.
He leaned in, speaking softly. “Are you well, Charlotte? What happened back there?”
She tried to focus on the dance moves, stumbling until he discreetly guided her. “He… forced me into that alcove,” she managed, her voice quavering. “He tried to.... He said he wanted to kiss me. I pushed him away.”
Henry’s jaw tightened. “I see.” His next words were thick with anger. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there sooner.”
She shook her head, still struggling for calm. “Thank you for arriving when you did.”
They stepped in time to the music, though he kept a protective hold on her as though he feared she might collapse. Charlotte breathed in shallow bursts, the unpleasant memory replaying in her mind. Henry’s expression was stormy, but he didn’t speak again.
When the dance ended, he refused to let her step away into the crowd, instead keeping her arm hooked in his.
“Come,” he murmured. “I’ll take you to William. You need to go home.”
She grimaced. If she asked to return home, her mother wouldn’t be pleased. “I’m fine. I don’t want to ruin everyone’s evening.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re shaking like a leaf. I insist on escorting you safely out of here.”
She relented, exhaustion setting in. Henry guided her through the throng until they found William near the refreshment table, chatting with some acquaintances. Themoment William spotted Charlotte’s pale face, he excused himself and strode forward.
“What’s wrong?” William demanded. “Charlotte? Are you ill?”
Henry’s tone was clipped. “She isn’t ill. She’s frightened. Leonard cornered her and tried to… take liberties. She’s shaken. You’d better see her home, William.”
William’s gaze flashed. “Hewhat?”
He looked at Charlotte, but she could only nod, tears stinging her eyes.
Outrage twisted William’s features. “I see. Thank you for intervening, Henry.”
Henry released Charlotte into William’s care.
She looked at him, wanting to say more, but all she managed was a faint “Thank you.”
He nodded once, then melted into the crowd, tension still radiating from his posture.
William held Charlotte’s elbow gently. “Come on. We’ll get Mother and leave. This ball can manage without us.”
Her mother was positively baffled to be dragged away so early. She fussed under her breath about missing a possible introduction to Lady Something-or-other, but William’s warning look halted further protest.
After William summarized the situation, the carriage ride home passed in silence, her mother and brother both flattening their lips into matching grim lines.
Back at the house, Charlotte murmured a few vague words to her mother—she couldn’t stand to rehash the details once again—before slipping away to her bedroom. She removed her cloak herself, dismissing a startled Mary when she offered to help. She needed to be alone, the memory of Leonard’s attempted grab at her still making her skin crawl.
Not long after, William knocked and then, in a low voice, asked, “Charlotte? May I come in?”
She considered sending him away. Instead, she turned from the mirror where she’d been staring at her pale reflection. “Yes, do come.”
He entered, shut the door quietly, and approached with a look of guilt. “I’m sorry,” he said at once, his shoulders slumping. “I should’ve listened to you before when you said he made you uncomfortable. I brushed it off, thinking Leonard was just a bore, not a threat.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears. “It’s all right, William. You weren’t to know this would happen.”
