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“You will forgive me, I hope?”
Pushing the door open, he held the candle a little higher as he stepped inside.
There was no squeal of protest, no demand that he leave the room at once. Instead, the silence which lingered there seemed to mock him, laughing at his hope that Lady Albina would be present. His stomach twisted, his lips bunching together as his mind began to whirr with ideas. Just where was Lady Albina? He could not imagine that she had gone downstairs, not on the very same evening as the Ball, unless she had gone in search of something to eat? His concern grew steadily until it was a thick, dark cloud which hung over his head. Just where could Lady Albina be?
“A gentleman has taken her.”
Patrick swung around, his heart screaming in shock and his whole body alive with a sudden, fierce tension.
“I have tried to stop him, but he is now attempting to steal your smallest carriage. We must hurry.”
Holding his candle higher, Patrick took a slow, careful step forward. He recognized the voice, but his mind could not grasp the truth of it. As the light began to flicker across the gentleman’s face, Patrick caught his breath, hardly able to take it in. A thousand questions burned through his mind at once, but he could not utter a single one of them. His eyes flared and his breath hitched, astonished beyond any comprehension.
His brother, James Dutton, was standing in the doorway of Lady Albina’s bedchamber, as though he had never been lost at all.
“I know that you will have a great many questions, but now is not the time for me to answer them.” His brother took a step forward and put his hand on Patrick’s shoulder, as if to prove to him that he wasnota ghost or apparition. “We must get to the stables. I attempted to stop him myself but had not the ability to prevent him from preparing and taking your carriage and so I returned here in the hope that I could convince someone to help.”
Patrick nodded, trying to dispel the shock which currently held him captive.
“Lord Kingston has taken Lady Albina.”
“I did not hear all of the conversation, but I believe Lord Kingston was greatly astonished over some matter or other.” His brother tilted his head. “She is not ‘Miss Trean’, then?”
Wanting to ask how his brother knew that the lady had been using such a name, but lacking time, Patrick merely nodded.
“That would explain the loud exclamations, then.” Turning in the doorway, Dutton beckoned towards Patrick. “Come. We must go at once.”
Patrick forced himself to act, his limbs feeling wooden as he followed his brother. There was no simple explanation for his sudden reappearance, but that was not the pressing matter at hand. Patrick’s steps grew quicker as fire began to burn through his veins. Lord Kingston had not taken his leave, as Patrick had assumed. Instead, he had returned in secret and had made his way directly to Lady Albina. The fellow did not like being refused what he so obviously wanted, for Patrick was in no doubt that Lord Kingston had intended to have his way with the governess, simply so that he would not return to London having been denied what it was he wanted. Patrick could not imagine the shock that the man would have felt upon seeing Lady Albina standing before him, nor the horror which would have swarmed through the lady.
I am coming to find you, Albina.His jaw tightened, his hands tightening into fists.And this time, I will never let you go again.
Chapter Fourteen
“Kingston.”
Albina pressed one hand to her stomach as Lord Kingston’s expression turned from glee to utter shock. She had turned towards him as he’d opened the door and there was no hiding the truth any longer. Fear tied itself in knots in her core as she stared back at him, not understanding either how or why he had returned to the manor house. Lord Addenbrook had thrown him from it but now, it seemed, he had come back.
And he had done so solely for her.
Albina shuddered but did not move. From the expression on Lord Kingston’s face, it was clear that he had not had any prior knowledge of the truth of her identity. He had returned simply so that he might take what he wanted from her so that he would not be denied.
The filth in his character sickened her.
“Well, well.” Lord Kingston slowly began to smile as he stepped into the room a little more. “I cannot quite believe what I am seeing, but it has all suddenly become very clear.”
Chuckling, he reached out one hand, but Albina backed away, stumbling slightly as she hit the edge of the bed. The room was small and there was nowhere else for her to go, nowhere else to turn. She had stepped out of the schoolroom for a few short moments, intending to find her shawl, but now was trapped by the presence of the gentleman she had hoped never to lay eyes on again.
“You have no right to be in here, Kingston.” Her voice was a little tremulous, but Albina took in a deep breath, determined not to be moved. “I am under Lord Addenbrook’s protection.”
Lord Kingston chuckled.
“And does he know the truth? That you arenotMiss Trean?”
Albina lifted her chin.
“He does.” That took some of the bite from Lord Kingston’s smile. “And you should leave before you are discovered.” Albina flung the shawl around her shoulders and pinned him with her gaze. “I have duties I must fulfill.”
The narrowing of Lord Kingston’s eyes told Albina that he was not about to be so easily moved.
