“Lord Barrington?”
Turning sharply, Charles looked at the gentleman who had approached him, his heart still filled with anger towards his sister and dread at what he might discover.
“Yes?”
It was none other than Lord Telford. Charles’ expression darkened all the more, for he thought very little of the gentleman and, given what had occurred recently with his sister, he was not at all inclined to engage with the gentleman in any way.
“I do not mean to speak out of turn, Lord Barrington,” Lord Telford began, taking a small step closer and lowering his voice so that even Lady Barrington struggled to hear what was being said. “But I am certain that I observed your sister being led out of doors by a gentleman. I am aware that I have no right to criticize given my own behavior of late, but it is your sister that I think of.”
Sucking in a breath, Charles felt his chest tighten.
“Indeed,” he said, a trifle coldly. “And you thought to come and inform me of this, rather than gossip about it?”
Lord Telford nodded and Charles felt a slight stab of guilt press against his heart.
“Then you have not spoken to anyone else of this?”
“I have not,” Lord Telford replied, earnestly. “Pray, might you attend with me? I will show you where she has gone at once.”
Charles had no other choice but to agree.
“Might you stay with my mother?” he asked Lord Banfield, reaching out to press his mother’s hand. “I will return very soon. And hopefully with Amelia.”
Lord Banfield nodded, whilst Charles’ mother made to say something, only to press her hand to her mouth. Charles stepped away from them, following Lord Telford, and wondering at what he might discover. His heart was pounding furiously, his anger growing with every step. He had warned Amelia, had he not? He had made it quite clear that she was not to do anything that might damage her reputation – and yet she had done precisely that. The sense of disappointment which enveloped him was utterly overwhelming. He had never wanted to force his sister into matrimony, had always wanted to give her the opportunity to find a suitable match herself, but if she intended to continue in this vein, then what choice did he have?
Unless I am too late already.
His brow furrowed and he shook his head as Lord Telford took him the open doors which led outside. There were only a few lanterns, meaning that he was enveloped in near darkness almost at once.
“I am sure that I saw them turn this way,” Lord Telford murmured, his voice a good deal quieter than before. “If we might –”
Stopping dead, he held up one hand, as though to silence any response that might come from Charles. For a moment, Charles heard nothing, only for a quiet voice to float towards him.
“I have asked you to unhand me!”
Amelia.
Closing his eyes, Charles took in a long breath and then stepped forward, pushing past Lord Telford and stepping further into the growing darkness.
“Come now, Lady Amelia!” he heard a gentleman say. “There is no need for any reluctance!”
“Unhand me!”
Charles frowned. There was a tremor in his sister’s voice which spoke of fear and upset, rather than any sort of delight. She was not laughing nor teasing the gentleman in question but, it seemed, was asking him to leave her alone. The gentleman was refusing.
It is a little late to have regret now, Charles thought to himself grimly, finally coming across the two figures in the darkness.
“Amelia!”
The gentleman released Amelia’s arm and stepped back, whilst Amelia herself let out first a gasp, and then a cry of relief, before flinging herself into Charles’ arms.
Charles stiffened.
“An explanation, if you please,” he said, only for the gentleman to laugh harshly and then quickly step away from them both in the darkness, leaving Charles all the more furious. Grasping Amelia’s shoulders, he bent his head and looked at her, trying to make out her features in the gloom. “You must understand the consequences of this, Amelia,” he said, forcing himself to keep his temper. “We are leaving at once.”
To his very great surprise, Amelia did not let him go. She did not step back and flounce away, nor try to defend herself. Instead, she began to sob against his shoulder, her whole body shaking.
“Amelia,” he said again, firmly. “That is enough. You must –”
“He would not let me go!” she cried, lifting her head to look up at him as Charles pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. She fumbled for a moment but took it, wiping her eyes and sniffing wretchedly. “I am telling you the truth, Barrington,” she continued, a little more calmly, her voice still shaking. “He would not let me go and I could not scream for fear of causing such a disturbance that you might be all the more ashamed of me.”
“Home,” he gritted out, his whole body burning with an anger that he knew he could not express. “At once, Amelia.”
Her shoulders slumped, her head dropping low.
“Of course, you do not believe me,” she said softly. “I speak nothing but lies to you, is that not so?”
Charles said nothing, for fear that he might explode with fury. Instead, he grasped her shoulder and turned her bodily towards the door.
“Charles,” Amelia whimpered, although she did move forward slowly. “Please, I –”
“Control yourself, Amelia,” he retorted, relieved beyond measure that none of the other guests had seen Amelia. “We will go back inside, find Mama, and then make our way to the carriage. And we will speak of this again in the morning. Plans will be made and you will do as I tell you.”
His sister lapsed into silence, although Charles could still hear her sniffing now and again. His heart was hardened towards her suffering, believing that everything she had said and done was entirely her own fault. She would not be able to escape from this situation now. It was much too serious and
