“I take no special credit for that, Mrs. Hemming,” he said. “It was not so much generous as it was decent and practical. Very bad form to leave servants in the lurch—a man can hardly be congratulated over remedying such a trifle. Now, I will keep a watch on Lady Carradine’s house to be sure Mr. Shine does not return and I have set watches on my own house and this one.”
“Do you mean to say, Lord Ashworth,” Lily said, “that you believe that the danger has not wholly passed?”
Lord Ashworth momentarily looked away from her, as if considering his answer. “I do not know, and do not like to gamble on it,” he said. “My concern with Mr. Shine is that he did not act rational last evening. Even a criminal can be expected to use commonsense and not take undue risks. He threw all caution to the wind and who knows what his actual plan was, as he did not succeed in it. Now, he may be desperate, or he may consider himself lucky to have got away. I cannot guess which. It will simply be a precaution until we feel we can let down our guard.”
Mrs. Hemming was even now peering at the nearest window, as if she expected Mr. Shine to present himself there. Lily was deeply touched that the lord should have set a watch on the house.
“We thank you for your consideration,” Lily said. She nearly bit her lip in saying so—she sounded over formal and stiff when she’d meant to sound gratified.
“I presume,” Lord Ashworth said, “that you have been invited to the Bergrams’ ball this evening?”
“Yes, we have,” Mrs. Hemming said, “though we will not go. It will do Lily good to have a peaceful evening at home.”
“I very much encourage you to go, Mrs. Hemming,” Lord Ashworth said. “I believe we have waylaid any untoward gossip that might have sprung up about where Miss Farnsworth might have been while her carriage waited, but you must go on as usual. Nobody must think to examine the thing any more closely than they have, servants included. I suspect they would wonder at you skipping one of the most renowned balls of the season.”
“Pipswouldwonder at it,” Lily said to her aunt.
“Yes, I suppose she would,” Mrs. Hemming said. “I sometimes think she wonders too much.”
“You will be safe,” Lord Ashworth said. “I will follow you in my own carriage. I will be waiting on the street at eight o’clock. Now, I will be off. I will see my friends and put out the word that Lady Carradine’s club is closed and there is some idea that Mr. Shine is not who we believed him to be. That should be enough said.”
With that, Lord Ashworth rose and took his leave.
Lily watched him go, his broad shoulders very much reminding her of the arms that had carried her to safety.
After the door closed behind him, Mrs. Hemming said, “It seems Lord Ashworth has things well in hand. I am most thankful for it, I would not have the first idea of what to do next. I rather thought we might hide in the house for some days. To think, he’s set a watch on us and will follow us to the Bergram’s. I know you do not favor him, but perhaps he was never as bad as you thought.”
“Indeed,” Lily said softly, “he never was.”
*
Hayes made hisway to Dalton’s house. It was still before noon, and as he had fully expected, neither Dalton, Cabot, nor Grayson had yet left the house.
He’d found Dalton and Cabot in the library, engaged in a spirited debate over some horse or other that would run at Newmarket. He’d had to wait for Grayson to descend. As usual, that gentleman took more time with his dress than any thinking man should do.
Finally, Grayson sauntered in, his neckcloth a starched testament to an overworked valet. “What’s this?” he said. “Is Ashworth moving in now?”
“Certainly not,” Hayes said. “I wished to tell you of a circumstance I would like put about the town.”
Hayes had no intention of telling his friends therealcircumstance. There was too much risk that a slip of the tongue would set other tongues wagging about Miss Farnsworth. He would only tell them what was necessary.
“As long as it is not another rumor about a lady,” Lord Cabot said. “I am still getting it on all sides regarding Miss Knightsbridge. I mean, Lady Hampton. My own mother wrote that if I dare turn up before her temper has settled, she may well set the dogs on me. This might be amusing, as her dogs could only attack me at my ankles, but I think I will not try it.”
“It’s nothing to do with anything like that,” Hayes said hurriedly. “It is only this—Lady Carradine’s club has closed and it seems her newly-arrived cousin is the cause of it. It appears that Mr. Shine was not all he said he was. They are both gone from London.”
“Mr. Shine?” Lord Cabot said.
“Yes, I suppose you met him. An oily and ingratiating individual,” Hayes said.
“I did not, I kept thinking I would go to the club and then never got there. Though, certainly, there cannot be another!” Lord Cabot exclaimed.
“Should there be another?” Lord Grayson asked.
“Say what you mean, Cabot,” Lord Dalton said. “Are you previously acquainted with this Mr. Shine?”
“Only by a retelling,” Lord Cabot said. “Good Lord, Ashworth, I am surprised you do not know of Mr. Shine, your father was on the very scene.”
“What scene?” Hayes asked, alarmed that Mr. Shine might have a deeper history than what he’d given him credit for.
