A Heartless Design (14 page)

Cordelia saw the new man swing his free arm. A sickening thud signaled the moment when the man’s fist connected with Hayden’s head.

Hayden went limp. As Cordelia’s would-be suitor slid to the floor, she saw the face of Sebastien Thorne, looking deadly dangerous, with something like fury in his eyes.

He watched his opponent go still. Then he focused on her, and the expression changed. “You’re all right?” he asked.

Cordelia nodded, then realized he might not be able to see her move. She cleared her throat. Instinctively, she put her hand up to her neck where it hurt. “He was going to…I didn’t ask him to…” It seemed very important that Sebastien understood that Cordelia hadn’t invited Hayden’s attentions.

He looked around at the disturbed furniture, carpeting, and knocked-over lamp. “I guessed you didn’t ask him to,” he said. Stepping over the prone body, he took her by the shoulders. “He must have been desperate, to try this in a house filled with people. He probably thought that showing you the knife would scare you enough to tell him what he wanted to know.”

“If only the knife had just been for show,” she hissed, remembering the flashes of pain at her back and along her neck.

“Did he actually use it?” Sebastien looked her over more carefully.

Cordelia inhaled when he laid one finger on her throat and traced a line, from her ear to just below her chin. She turned her head so he could see better. “There’s not a mark, is there?” she asked.

“This will be hard to explain away,” he muttered. “It’s just a scratch, but it will be red within minutes.”

Cordelia turned back to look at him. “I can perhaps wrap my shawl…”

“You’re not wearing one,” he said, taking in her whole appearance now.

“It fell off.” Cordelia moved a few steps, searching the floor where Hayden had first grabbed her. In the pale light through the windows, she saw the pile of fabric in a heap, and bent to pick it up.

“Wait,” Thorne said behind her.

Cordelia began to turn, but felt his hand on her back. “He tore your dress.”

She twisted to see the damage. “He was quite free with the knife, once he decided to use it.” 

“I should have hit him harder,” he said.

“I’m only sad that I didn’t get to hit him myself.”

“It’s not too late,” Sebastien pointed out.  

She contemplated the helpless man at their feet, then shivered. “No. I’d actually just like to get out of here.”

“Excellent notion. But wait one moment.” He grabbed Hayden’s arms and dragged the unconscious man over to an ottoman and heaved the body up onto it. Then he straightened Hayden’s clothes a bit. “There. Obviously, he passed out from too much drink.”

“No one will believe that.”

“They also won’t believe he’s a spy after the Andraste designs.”

“So you do know about them,” she said, watching Thorne with new eyes.

“Yes, and believe me, Miss Bering, that’s something we’re going to talk about very soon.” 

As she processed the events of the last few moments, Thorne was looking thoughtful. “Well. This is a slightly awkward situation.”

“You mean us being alone in a dark room? Or that we’re standing over a body?”

“Both, in fact.” He paused. “You seem to be taking this all rather well. So I’d like to suggest something scandalous.” 

“Trust each other?” Cordelia asked.

He was pleased that she guessed his intention. “Do you think you could you trust me?”

She looked again at the figure sprawled across the ottoman. “I trust you more than
him
, at any rate.” Which wasn’t saying much.

“Good. What matters now is getting you out of this room in such a way that no one ever dreams you were in it. I can do that, but you must follow me and do exactly what I say. I promise I’ll keep you safe and, God willing, uncompromised.”

With no other option, Cordelia accepted his word. She followed him through a series of darkened, deserted rooms and corridors until he pushed through one small door. “How do you know your way around this house?” she whispered.

He gave her a significant look. “I went through most of those rooms as I was looking for you, or more accurately, for the bastard who was also looking for you.”

“Oh. Where are we going?”

“I’m trying to find a way to get you to the gardens.”

“What good will that do?”

“From the gardens, you can reenter the house and say you stepped out for a moment because you needed a breath of air. That shouldn’t raise too many eyebrows. You seem to enjoy hiding in gardens anyway.”

“And you seem to enjoy finding me in them,” she said tartly. All the same, she smiled.

His answering grin was far too knowing. “You didn’t protest too harshly.”

She raised her chin and looked away, trying to look prim. “You forgot the part where I left you.”

“As you will need to do again, sadly,” he said, “I want you back with the other guests within three minutes. You can’t afford to be connected to the unconscious man that someone will eventually find in the library.” It would be extremely awkward if anyone discovered she’d ever been in a room alone with either of those men; in fact, she would be drummed out of society.

Sebastien led her through several more rooms until they found one with large windows overlooking the gardens. “This will do.” He pushed the sash of one window up. “Out you go.”

Cordelia was flustered. “That’s not a door.”

“It’s the best I can do at the moment.” He frowned. “What’s the problem?”

“I shall have to…lift my skirt hem somewhat to climb over the sill.”

He shook his head in exasperation. “After all this…oh, of course. You’re a proper lady. I promise I won’t look.” He took a step back and closed his eyes. “Are you moving yet?”

“Yes.” Alert to the fact that being seen climbing out a window would be as bad as being seen alone with Sebastien, Cordelia wasted no more time. She picked up the hem of her dress, sat on the ledge and swung herself around so she could place her feet in the garden bed. Fortunately, the window was low to the ground. She straightened up and allowed the dress to fall back down to her ankles.

“I’m outside.” She leaned over the sill and peered into the shadowy room. “You can open your eyes, my lord.”

“I already did.” Sebastien said. He stepped over to the window, leaning down so his face was level with her own. “Make your way through the garden and enter though the parlor doors. They’re open. If you have to explain yourself to anyone, claim you just stepped out.”

“What will you do?” she asked.

“I’m closing this window and then wandering back to rejoin the men.”

“And your explanation for going missing?”

He smiled arrogantly. “I’m an earl. I don’t give explanations.”

“I see.”

“Miss Bering?” he asked, in a different tone. “I need to speak to you. You understand that?”

She nodded. “About the plans, I know.”

“It’s vital. And our talk must be private.”

“What do you suggest?”

He paused for half a second, considering. “When you get back inside, plead a headache. Call for your carriage. And for God’s sake, don’t let anyone see your neck.”

“Wait, I don’t have a carriage,” Cordelia said. “I came with Mrs Ramsay.”

He waved a hand to dismiss her objection. “Even better. Tell the footman to hail a carriage for you.”

“And then?”

“And then you get in it, Miss Bering.” He grinned. “Leave the rest to me.” Without warning, he reached out to cup the back of her neck in his hand, then kissed her swiftly on the lips.

Cordelia was too startled to stop him, and then she was too mesmerized by the feel of his lips on hers. A very fanciful part of her hoped that he was imparting some of his strength to her. She breathed in deeply when he pulled away. “What was that for?”

“Luck.” He smiled at her. “Now go, Miss Bering. And be careful.”

Cordelia managed to slip inside the main doors with no one the wiser. She found a large mirror on one wall and looked for signs of the disturbances of the last half hour: first Hayden’s mishandling of her, then Thorne’s well-timed but exasperating rescue, and finally a walk through darkened garden beds and a dance to avoid a host of thorny rose bushes.

Fortunately, save for her shoes, which were soiled horribly, her outfit survived mostly intact. The rip at the back of the dress was slightly difficult. She draped her shawl to cover the hole, and prayed that the dim light of the candles would keep her secret for her. Cordelia patted her hair back into place, and pulled a few strands loose, drawing them down to at least partially conceal her neck. Then she heard a voice behind her.

“Cordelia, where have you been?” It was Elly.

“I stepped out to get a breath of air,” Cordelia said, proud of the way her voice didn’t shake.

“It is warm in here, isn’t it? My heavens, you’re quite flushed!”

Cordelia seized the opportunity. “My head aches quite badly, in fact.” She let her hand flutter up to her forehead, hoping she wasn’t overdoing it. “I think I should go home.”

“I’ll have our carriage brought round and take you myself. Mr Ramsay can find his own way home.”

“Oh, I couldn’t do that,” Cordelia said, thinking quickly. “You have been enjoying your husband’s company this evening.”

“But, dear…”

“No, no. I realize how rarely you can go to an event with him. Just allow me to bid goodnight to our hosts. Then the footman can hail a carriage for me. It’s a short ride, and I shall be quite safe.” Strange words for someone who had just been threatened at knifepoint, but Cordelia knew that Sebastien wanted her to get in a carriage…and she trusted him, at least in this.

Cordelia asked Elly to retrieve the reticule she’d left behind, while she waited in the dim hallway. Elly returned with Lady Priestley on her heels. Cordelia apologized for her imaginary headache and said a quick goodnight to the hostess.

“Thank you for attending,” Lady Priestley said. “You were a good sport about letting Lord Thorne escort you in to dinner, by the way. I can’t imagine forgetting that I issued an invitation!”

“Quite a turn of events,” Cordelia murmured, not trusting herself to say more.

“I thought he seemed quite taken with you, Miss Bering.”

“We had a most interesting conversation at dinner.”

“Perhaps the beginning of several conversations,” her hostess added, plainly delighted with the idea that her seating arrangements might lead to a match.

“Oh, I doubt that. We move in quite different circles.” Cordelia tried to put an end to any speculation that she had an interest in Thorne…or that he had any in her.

“Too bad,” her disappointed hostess murmured.

Elly accompanied Cordelia to the door, where the footman hurried out to fetch a carriage to hire.

“Are you sure you’re quite all right?”

“Yes, it’s just a headache. Shall I send you a note tomorrow?”

“I think I will call on you! You may have fooled our hostess, but you haven’t fooled me. There’s
something
between you and Lord Thorne.”

“Nonsense.”

“We shall see,” Elly said cheekily. “I saw him watching you, dear. He was mesmerized.”

The footman returned and escorted Cordelia out to the street. She climbed up into the carriage and heard the footman issue her address to the driver. She sat back, exhaling as she suddenly felt all the nervous energy run out of her.

“You were prompt getting out of there. Well done,” a man’s voice said. Sebastien leaned forward out of the shadows. He’d been sitting quietly on the other side.

Cordelia jumped. How had she missed him? “How did you manage to get into this coach? You told me to ride home alone!”

“I told you to get in the carriage alone,” he corrected.

“This is hardly proper.”

“Only if we’re seen. Which we won’t be. Besides, I’ve already seen you in quite an improper situation, Miss Bering.”

She flushed, remembering his kiss. “I shouldn’t have let you…”

“Let me what? Stop Hayden from stabbing you?” Then he stopped, guessing her train of thought. “Oh, I wasn’t referring to
that
situation.”

“Good.” She cleared her throat. “In fact, I’d appreciate it if you never refer to it. Or, in fact, ever think of it again.”

“I promise not to refer to it, if that’s what you request.” He grinned. “But I can’t promise not to think of it.”

“I believe any foolish transgressions on my part are not the reason you took such pains to meet me in this carriage,” she hinted.

He sobered instantly. “You’re right, Miss Bering. I do need to ask you something. Now that we trust each other, what if we tried something
truly
scandalous?”

“What might that be?” she asked, oddly excited by the question.

“Telling each other the truth.”

Cordelia felt a jolt through
her body, both from Sebastien’s suggestive tone and from the words themselves. The truth was not something she was prepared to part with. “Where are we going?” she asked first.

“I’m taking you home. But not until we understand each other.”

She doubted she would ever understand the man in front of her.

As the carriage rattled down the streets, Sebastien sat opposite her and looked her over. He leaned forward, and laid one hand on hers. “You can take a breath now.” Then, with far more calculation, he stroked the back of her hand with one thumb.

Cordelia exhaled, barely aware that she’d been so tense. “Did you hurt him badly?”

“Hayden? No. He’ll wake up with a headache,” he said. “That’s all.”

“I thought you meant to kill him.”

He released her hand for the moment. “I try not to do that, as a general rule. Would the loss of Hayden distress you?”

She raised her chin defiantly. “Not nearly as much as the loss of this outfit would. I pray it can be salvaged.”

He laughed softly. “You keep your head, Miss Bering, I’ll give you that.”

She unconsciously tightened her grip on her reticule. “I thought I could protect myself if I only acted sensibly.”

“I did warn you that the people after you would not be civilized.”

“I see that now.” She paused. “Yet you are also after the plans, and you didn’t attack me.”