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“You’re an amazing woman,” he said quietly. He lifted their hands, brushing them against his lips.
She smiled at him, soaking in his admiration. Her man. Who could have been the one hurt this night. Reality hit her like a splash of cold water. “Do you know who it is?” she asked in a whisper, not wanting to disturb the others.
“I did not lay eyes on anyone, and Langdon said it all happened so fast, and it was dark…” Nicholas let the sentence trail, shaking his head.
“What happened?” Catherine asked, wanting to reach out and ease the worry from his brow.
“Nothing as frightening as I fear you’re imagining.” He reached toward her with his free hand, his thumb smoothing the lines between her brows. She wanted to lean into him, forget this entire affair. However, it lay there still, a fresh chasm between them and the beginning of their lives together.
“Then tell me.”
His locks bounced as he ran his hand through his hair. “I left the bag on the step long before dusk, then circled back as planned.” He scratched the top of his mop, then leaned back, pounding a curled fist against his forehead. “The culprit must have been watching. He nabbed the bag before I got back there. It took me a while to find Langdon. I think he passed out.” He yanked at his hair. “You heard him. He took chase but tripped, and it nearly killed him. If I hadn’t found him in time…”
“But you did, Nicholas, you did.” She squeezed his hand.
His eyes darkened, his jaws clenched. “The man did not survive Badajoz to die because of my scandalous family.”
“I’m not dead, you know. I can hear the whole bloody pathetic conversation.”
Nan chuckled, but she kept knitting without looking their way.
“Now take your wife to bed. On second thought, send her to hers, and you take your own. You need your sleep. We have a battle to plan, and I need you sharp.” Langdon gave a long sigh and rested his head on the back of the chair, his mouth closed in a grim line now that he was done issuing his orders.
Nicholas grinned at her, his shoulders visibly relaxing. He stood, tugging her to her feet.
“I sometimes wonder who was actually in charge of my battalion.” He released her to go stand by Langdon. “I’ll find Fredericks and get you comfortably settled. The battle can wait until you are well.”
Nicholas moved to Nan and kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, sweet nurse. I shall replace your stores tenfold, I promise.” He crossed his heart like they’d used to do when taking oaths as children.
Nan’s needles continued their soft clicking. “See that you do.” Her gruff voice made a lie of her indifference.
Catherine smiled. All was right with the world…for the moment.
Nicholas grabbed her hand, and they headed back down the servants’ corridor she had run down ages ago. He paused at his study, the breakfast room, the dining room, finally letting out a slow, frustrated breath at the billiards room.
“Whatever is wrong?” Catherine asked.
“Where the devil is Fredericks?”
“Right here, sir.”
Catherine jumped at Fredericks’s voice. Where had he come from? He looked more stressed than she’d felt this entire night. His usually calm facade was missing, his cravat askew and his mane wilder than usual. Her face must have shown her surprise, for he quickly adjusted his neck cloth and patted at his hair.
“Forgive me, my lady,” Fredericks said as he ran a hand over his hair again. “It has been a trying night with my lord.” He turned his attention back to Nicholas. “Your father has been awaiting word. It has been difficult,” he repeated.
Nicholas’s eyes narrowed. If she didn’t know better, she would think he found Fredericks’s disordered state offensive.Ridiculous.He’d never cared about such things and, surely, would not be concerned about it in the midst of everything else that had happened this evening.
“Your father…,” Fredericks began again, floundering for words.
She’d never seen the butler so disconcerted. How horrible of Nicholas to leave him so.
“We did not catch the culprit tonight.” She had to save the poor man. Nicholas had obviously not recovered from the ordeal. He would never treat Fredericks like this under normal circumstances. “But we are not yet done, are we, Nicholas?”
“No, we are not done by far.”
“Good, sir…my lord. Not that you were not successful, only that…glad to hear you will not let this wastrel take advantage of this family. I shall go inform your father.”
“Fredericks!” Nicholas’s sharp bark rang through the hallway. What was going on? She’d never heard that tone before, certainly would never have dreamed he would address Fredericks that way.
“Langdon is injured.”
Fredericks’s impossibly pale skin bleached to an ethereal hue.
Nicholas locked gazes with the old servant. “He is with Nan. I would see him comfortable while he recovers.”
A slight flush of color softened the death pallor of old Fredericks. “I will see to it, my lord.” He turned to leave.
“And, Fredericks”—the old butler’s shoulders stiffened. He stood motionless, not glancing back at Nicholas—“Iwillcatch the blackguard.”
The statement hung, suspended, before Fredericks scurried around the corner to Lord Woodfield’s rooms.
