“Hello, Mr. West.” I glanced at him, hoping he read in my eyes the message I was telegraphing. “Mr. Gorman here was just telling me that he’d come along tonight with a friend who’d been invited.”
“I see.” Simon’s lips tightened almost imperceptibly. “We’ve already spoken to the Viscount’s staff about these sort of arrangements in the future. It’s been made very clear to the Viscount that if he and his wife enjoy the presence of Princess Daisy—or any member of the Royal Family—at their entertainments, they must observe the protocols in place for guests and invitations. The Royal Family does not participate in open door parties.”
The song that had been playing ended just then, and another immediately began. Simon turned to me, subtly and yet most definitely edging out Gorman, blocking me from his view. “Ma’am, I know this song is a particular favorite of yours. In the absence of Prince Nicholas to escort you, might I invite you to dance?”
He offered me his hand, palm up, and without any thought other than the escape he was presenting, I took it and allowed him to lead me onto the dance floor, leaving Scott Gorman behind us.
Simon maneuvered me until I stood facing him, a very proper four inches of space between us. One of his hands still held mine lightly, while the other circled around to rest gently on my upper back. Out of habit, I mirrored his stance, following his lead as we began to move across the floor.
The music swirled around us. As the tension began to drain from my body, I exhaled a long breath and glanced up at Simon. “Thank you for the rescue.”
He gave me a crooked smile and lifted one shoulder. “I wasn’t sure you really needed a save, but you know, it’s my job to make sure that you’re not in any danger. I was watching you very closely, of course, and you seem to be holding your own with that man. I was waiting to see if he was really a nuisance or simply wanted to meet you. But once he touched you, there was nothing else I could do but cut in and make sure that all was well.”
I nodded. “Yes. Normally, I think, I can take care of myself, but there was something about him...” I shivered. “He gave me a wiggins, as we used to say in college.”
Simon’s brows drew together. “What do you mean, something about him?”
It was my turn to shrug, resting my eyes beyond Simon at the couples dancing behind us. “He started out friendly enough. Maybe a little too friendly, actually, but then it seemed to ... escalate when he began talking about my work for changing farming techniques. Or at least I think that’s what he was bringing up. He made some not-so-veiled references to how the changes Nicky and I are proposing would affect other people.”
Now Simon’s eyes were positively razor sharp as he stared down at me. “You’re sure that that’s what he said?” he demanded. “You’re positive that he was talking about this? This wasn’t something that you could have misconstrued?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. At first, it was a little vague, but right before you came up, he was speaking much more plainly. Maybe even a little threateningly.”
Simon’s hand gripped mine until it was almost painful. “We need to quietly and quickly get off the dance floor,” he instructed me in a low voice. “Stay with me and try to keep the expression on your face ... pleasant. Not worried. Try to look natural.”
Fear rose like a tide in me, but I did my best to follow his instructions. Simon was fluid in his movements, pivoting away from me while his fingers stayed wrapped around my hand. Both of us smiling like benevolent idiots, we meandered through the other dancers as though we had no place in the world to go. Simon didn’t stop until we’d reached a shadowed part of the terrace, where he immediately spun me so that my back was pressed into the cold stone wall and his body shielded me.
“Stay still,” he muttered. “Just don’t move. I need to make a call.” Pulling out his phone, he pressed one button and waited. Apparently, whoever was on the end answered immediately, because Simon launched into a terse conversation without any preamble. I couldn’t make out much of it, though I heard my name, a mention of the Viscount and our location.
“What name did that man give you?” I didn’t realize Simon was speaking to me until he repeated the question impatiently. “And who did he say brought him to the party tonight?”
“Scott Gorman.” I searched my memory, trying to remember if he’d mentioned a name. “I don’t think he told me who his friend was. Just his mate, he said.”
Simon repeated my words into the telephone and then scowled, pulling his phone from his ear to look at the screen.
“Hold on. Carruthers is calling.” He swiped another button and returned the phone to his ear. “West.”
If I hadn’t been watching his face so closely, I would’ve missed the momentary shock in his eyes before they went completely blank. His gaze flickered to me before darting away.
“Yes, sir. Right away. Of course.”
He ended the call and grasped my arm. “We need to go now. Stay with me and don’t look one way or the other. Don’t speak to anyone.”
My heart was pounding. I had a dozen questions I wanted to ask, but I’d been well-trained to obey my security officer without delay or explanation. I cast my eyes to the floor and let Simon pull me along across the terrace and through an open door.
We followed the corridor until he stopped at yet another door. Two men in suits flanked the entryway. When Simon leaned forward and said something under his breath, one nodded, and both men stood back to allow us to pass inside.
We stepped into a room that I decided must be a library of sorts, since the walls were floor to ceiling bookshelves. The lighting was dim, and all the heavy drapes had been pulled over the huge windows.
“Have a seat, ma’am.” Simon seemed to have recovered himself somewhat; he’d returned to addressing me formally, but his face still wore the same grim, pinched expression.
“Simon, what the hell is going on?” My hands were trembling, I was embarrassed to note. I’d always prided myself on the ability to stay cool and calm under pressure. Now, calm was not exactly my mind set.
“One moment, please, ma’am. We’re still securing the premises.” He moved back to speak to one of the men guarding the doorway. I sank down onto the love seat and waited.
There was a commotion in the hallway, and then Daisy was in the room with me, her face drawn and shadowed. I jumped to my feet and met her halfway across the room.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
