“What do you need from me?”
“I need you to make sure that Naomi is here at the castle first thing tomorrow. Things are happening which I cannot currently discuss with anyone, but rest assured everything will become clear in the morning. What I can tell you, is that a great deal of my future rests on your sister being here. Just make sure she doesn’t get cold feet and decide to take the family coach back to London at first light.”
Harry gave him a look which said that he was deeply suspicious of Monsale’s motives. “You ask a great deal of me my friend. My sister is broken-hearted over you. Her pride is all that she has left, and I can tell you that she doesn’t have much of it in abundance.”
He would dearly love to tell Harry the truth. Of how Naomi had played the game as strongly as he had, but the way ahead was not yet clear.
The problem of Lady Euphemia Marshall, his fiancée, still had to be addressed.
He met Harry’s gaze. “Would it make you feel any better to know that I too have suffered? I made a mistake with the list and have paid dearly for it. But I swear I never set out to hurt Naomi.”
Harry nodded. “I shall do what I can. But don’t be surprised if she doesn’t stay long after the wedding service. I, for one, won’t make Naomi remain at the castle a minute longer than is necessary. If she is in pieces after you marry Euphemia, I am going to bundle her, Alice, and my sweet little boy into my coach and promptly take them all home.”
Monsale nodded. If things went according to plan, Naomi would be more than happy to remain at the castle after the wedding.
A knock came at the door, and Adan poked his head inside.
“Your grace, they are making a run for it.”
A smile crept to Monsale’s lips. “Thank you. Excuse me Harry, I have some urgent business to attend to in the stables. I’ll join the rest of the supper gathering as soon as I can.”
Harry narrowed his eyes. “For your sake, I hope that means what I think it does.”
Monsale stepped toward the door, stopped on the threshold, and glanced back at his friend.
“So do I.”
Buttoning up his coat, he headed for the stairs. Every step down to the ground floor was in time with his hard-thumping heart. Everything, his entire future, would be dictated by the events of the next few minutes.
Chapter Twenty
The wind whistled through the trees. A leaf crushed under Monsale’s boot as he made his way across the dark courtyard toward the stables.
He could just imagine seeing the fabled Sir Gawain’s headless Green Knight ride out of the nearby woods. Or even a ghost if he was particularly lucky. But Monsale had experienced enough mayhem in his life to know that the stories couldn’t match reality.
Fortunately, his quarry this evening was alive and if the volume of supposed whispering was any indication, very much in possession of their heads.
I would never ask either of you to undertake a mission involving stealth. Talk about making a commotion.
Reaching the stables, he slipped in through the side entrance. The sight which met his eyes in the dim light had Monsale chuckling into the sleeve of his coat.
Viscount Walsall was attempting, and failing, to get Euphemia onto the back of a horse. Every time she managed to get her foot in the stirrups, the animal shifted, and she was forced to hop after it. Walsall was holding on to the back of Euphemia’s gown trying to pull her away. If the situation wasn’t so perilous for them all, Monsale would have laughed.
“If you are going to steal one of my horses, I would suggest you might want to pick a less frisky one. Sinbad is known for his dislike of females.”
Walsall and Euphemia both froze as Monsale sauntered out from his hiding place and into the light. The earl clearly hadn’t planned the moonlight flit all that well.
He immediately let go of Euphemia and with his fists raised, marched toward Monsale. Grim determination sat on his countenance.
Excellent. I do like a chap who is prepared to fight for what he wants.
“Euphemia is mine. She and I are leaving this evening. If you try to stop us, I swear I shall do you grave harm,” said Walsall.
Monsale punched the air. “Now that is the sort of spirit I like in a man. Knows what he wants and is determined to take it. But calm yourself Walsall, I haven’t changed my mind, nor am I about to renege on the deal Lady Euphemia and I made at the ball. You are still eloping tonight.”
He turned to Euphemia. “I don’t think going by horseback is going to work. The last thing any of us wish is for the two of you to come to grief out on the road.”
Walsall speared his fingers through his tussled hair. “I was planning on taking my coach, but I had to hide it out on the road a mile or so back. Couldn’t risk anyone seeing it.”
