*
Valor was havingthe time of her life. Lord Tramondeley had thrown over all of society’s rules and danced every dance with her. Her father had not minded, Lord Ledderbey had not minded. Lady Letitia had minded very much, but Lord Tramondeley had claimed it was Valor’s birthday and it was a Cornwall tradition to never allow a birthday lady to sit out a dance.
Valor had almost snorted over it. Lord Tramondeley seemed to blame an awful lot on Cornwall traditions. Lady Letitia had sniffed but there was not much she could say. Valor suspected the lady was silently cursing Cornwall, though.
Now the orchestra had stopped and the fireworks would soon go off. Valor supposed they would be lovely but then afterward she would be forced to go inside to the prince’s table. She did not wish to be separated from Lord Tramondeley.
She almost took herself by surprise with that thought. Gentlemen had seemed so off-putting until now. She had warned all her sisters about the inconvenience of having a gentleman sleeping in the same room, particularly because they might stare at a person while they slept. Now it did not seem quite so terrible.
Crowds of people had emerged from the house to see thefireworks. Lord Tramondeley helped her to an open space for viewing while her father remained behind at a table with Lord Ledderbey. Valor had lost track of where Lady Letitia was, but she seemed to have given up on Lord Tramondeley. Valor could not say she was sorry over it.
And then it began. Valor had only seen fireworks once, when her father had hired a man to set them off for Christmas. That particular display had been far smaller and had ended burning down a barn so not a wonderful memory, but for all the horses being saved. She seemed to recall it had cost her father a deal of money to rebuild it and house all the homeless horses that had been the result of it.
This was something different. Fountains of color shot up in the sky, golden suns spun in the air, it was simply stupendous.
“Lady Valor,” Lord Tramondeley said, “you cannot mistake my attentions.”
Valor took in a breath. Was this it? Was he going to ask?
“I will admit, when I first arrived in London, I was set to be very against the duke. That, however, is over. Upon meeting you, I knew, almost instantly—”
“Count! No!” Lady Letitia shouted behind them.
She and Lord Tramondeley were suddenly shoved from behind.
“You stupid woman,” the count said.
Valor turned round and saw the count pushing his way through the crowd toward the house.
“Look,” Lady Letitia said, pointing at the ground. A large and very sharp-looking knife lay there, glinting as the fireworks burst overhead. “Tramondeley, he was coming at you from behind, holding it straight out and aiming for your back. He was inches away when I shoved you out of the way and knocked it right out of his hand.”
Lord Tramondeley looked down at the knife and said, “This ends now.” He began pushing through the crowd after the count.
What ended now? Why would the count wish to harm LordTramondeley? She wished to call him back, he should not chase the count. It was too dangerous.
“Gracious me,” Lady Letitia said, “I’ve never seen the like of that. I realize both gentlemen were competing for your attention, but that was…well I really do not know.”
Valor did not answer. She’d wished to call Lord Tramondeley back, but nothing had come out of her. Now it was too late. He was gone.
Her knees felt weak but there was nowhere to sit. The fireworks had ended and the surging crowd carried her forward. Lady Letitia was far ahead of her, both helpless against the hundreds of people who had now turned to get inside. She could not see her father or Lord Ledderbey at all.
She was squeezed in through the doors and began to be afraid that somebody would be trampled in their desperation to get to their table.
Valor grabbed at a door frame and pulled herself inside a room to catch her breath. She closed the door on the surging crowd, she could not think while being jostled like that. She did not know what to do. The count had come behind Lord Tramondeley with a knife and Lord Tramondeley had chased after him. She did not know why, but it seemed Lord Tramondeley had known why. What if the count had another knife? Her father would know what to do, but she did not know where he was.
The room was filled with statues and various pieces made of gold, some large and some small, all on raised marble pedestals. She presumed the prince wished to show off his wealth and royal possessions. Valor walked back and forth to calm herself. The knife, the suffocating crowd, it had all been too much. Her temperament was not made for such things. She must calm herself, let the terrible crowd in the corridor thin out, and then find her father.
Lord Tramondeley had been on the verge of asking and he’d almost been murdered right in front of her! Why did he have to chaseafter the count? It brought back all her fears about Lord Tramondeley—he took such risks! Was it a part of his temperament that would never change? Could she live with that? Could she live with terror in her heart every other day, never knowing what was to happen next?
What had he involved himself in that would cause the count to approach him with a knife in hand? Lady Letitia had claimed it was because both gentlemen were interested in her. She could not attribute such a violent action to that though.
And what a strange thing for Lady Letitia to say. The lady had seemed oblivious to either one of the gentlemen’s inclinations.
Valor stopped her pacing. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the smallest bit of a dark coat disappear behind one of the larger of the statues. She was not alone.
The count stepped out from behind the statue. Valor felt she was almost going blind with terror.
“Lady Valor, do not alarm yourself,” the count said smoothly, “Lady Letitia has gone quite mad, as it wasshethat held the knife. When she noted I had seen it, she dropped it and attempted to shift the blame on me.”
