A junior footman emerged from the hedges. He wore black livery with gold buttons, had a mop of brown hair, a fierce expression, and highly polished boots.
“Trevor?” Cassandra’s brows rose. “Why are you—?”
Rushing forward, Trevor grabbed her hand and started tugging her to the hedges, his voice a hissed whisper. “You have to come with me, Mrs. Reeves!”
“Trevor, what are you doing here? Stop!” She yanked her hand fromhis.
His eyes were wide, pleading. “It’s that man from Hyde Park. He’s here, he’s been following you all night. You aren’t safe, Mrs. Reeves, we need to leave. Follow me, I’ll get you to safety—”
“Mrs. Reeves won’t be going anywhere.” A man spoke from the dark—malicious andfamiliar. Every hair on her body rose at once, her mind screamed ‘run’, but her feet froze to the spot. With the calculated moves of a predator, Sir Reginald Thomas stepped forward with a crazed gleam in his eyes, a sickly pallor to his skin—
And a pistol in his right hand.
Trevor snarled and stood his ground—fists clenched in a defensive stance, knees bent with perfect form. His face was calm, deadly focused, with the same expression Seth made before he shot a gun.
Trevor wasn’t a kitchen boy at all.
He was aHollingsworth.
But there was no time to stop and consider it, as Sir Reginald took a step forward and Trevor moved to block him.
“I’ll die before I let you hurt her,” Trevor growled.
“You will, if you don’t stand aside,” Sir Reginald spat.
“Trevor. Go find Seth,” Cassandra whispered, keeping eye contact with Sir Reginald.
“I won’t leave you.”
“Trevor… do what I asked.”
Trevor shook his head.
Sir Reginald kept his pistol pointed at Trevor and stepped closer. “I saidstand aside,boy!”
“No! I was ordered to protect her with mylife—” His voice cracked, and he wavered. Beneath a brave face, he was only aboy.A young boy given an impossible task, like so many others before him. If she didn’t act, he was going to die for it.
But he didn’t have to.
If Sir Reginald wanted to kill her, he would have done so already. He would have shot Trevor, and then her, but he stayed his hand.Why? She was certain he would kill Trevor if he got in the way, but doing so would alert the ball to his presence. Something hedidn’twant.
Not yet.
This wasn’t a simple vengeance, but drawn out. He patiently bided his time, over and over, waiting for the right moment to strike. But not justanymoment. During the hunt, at the harvest festival, and in Hyde Park, Seth had been right next to her. Sir Reginald wanted him towatch.
She was sure to die as soon as Seth arrived, but his quick arm was her only chance of surviving the night. He always carried a pistol; tonight was no exception.And I’m armed, too. A hairpin was a paltry defense against a gun, but it was better than nothing. It might even buy hertime.
First, she had to save Trevor.
“I’m giving you a new order, Trevor. Go find Seth.”
Trevor stiffened and met her eyes, conflicted. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it came out as a wince. She whispered, “Please.”
“Run along, boy. Go get your master,” Sir Reginald said. “Mrs. Reeves is going to sit right here with me until you return.”
With one last pained look at Cassandra, Trevor nodded and took careful steps around Sir Reginald—not showing the man his back—before sprinting away. His footsteps landed fast and then disappeared, leaving her alone with Sir Reginald. Nausea rose and twisted through her stomach with a certainty that she had signed her own death warrant by sending him away.
Sir Reginald gestured to the bench with his pistol. Heart hammering, Cassandra obeyed. He sat next to her, lips curled, eyes black and hard as steel.
