Chapter 11

Eleven

“ W hat happened?” Thomas asked as the three of them raced towards the exit of the ballroom.

“I don't know exactly,” Minerva said. ‘One minute, Chastity was dancing with Lord Dawson, and the next, they were gone.”

“And did you search the ballroom?” Cherie asked. “You're sure they didn't just go for some lemonade?”

“I'm sure,” Minerva whispered, her voice becoming very faint as she glanced about in all directions. “I checked everywhere: the lemonade table, with all her friends… I even looked out on the terraces to see if she and Lord Dawson might have gone out there to catch a breath of fresh air.”

“It would be highly improper of him to take her out to a terrace!” Thomas said, his anxiety increasing.

“Yes, but it's not unheard of,” Minerva said. “And the terraces are in view of the ballroom, so one can usually claim that they were still being chaperoned...”

“I would expect better of a viscount,” Thomas said.

Lady Minerva and Cherie shared a glance, and he read the understanding that passed between them.

“What?” he asked, looking between them. “You think a viscount would behave so improperly?”

“We’ve just had enough experience being treated terribly by titled gentlemen to know that rank does not necessarily guarantee virtue,” his wife said.

Thomas clenched his jaw. He knew she was right. And he would need to inquire more about her experiences with titled gentlemen—and which ones he needed to destroy—at a later date.

“Yes, I wouldn't like Chastity married to a man who would take such liberties as bringing her out to a terrace,” Lady Minerva said, “but it would be better than… well, whatever has happened.”

“We don't know anything is amiss yet,” Cherie said firmly. “Everything could be well, and this could all just be a misunderstanding.”

But even Cherie didn't look as if she fully believed her own words. There weren't many reasons why a young, innocent debutante would have disappeared from a ball with a wealthy, entitled, older gentleman.

The three of them were out of the ballroom now, and they all hurried towards the stairs, Thomas leading the way.

“Maybe she was hurt?” Lady Minerva asked uncertainly as they sped across the marble corridor. “And Lord Dawson went to fetch help?”

“He wouldn't have taken her from the ballroom if she were hurt,” Thomas said at once. “He would have sought help then and there and made sure her family knew what was happening.”

They turned right at the stairs, then Thomas paused, his foot on the top step.

“Should we check the gardens, Or…?” His gaze flickered upwards, towards where the private quarters of their hosts were. He looked at Cherie, and he could tell from the sick look on her face that she knew what he was asking: Is there a chance Lord Dawson took her upstairs to a bedroom? The thought made him sick.

“The gardens,” Lady Minerva insisted. “My sister might be young and naive, but even she would know something was wrong if Lord Dawson tried to take her upstairs. And I believe she has enough sense that she would say no to such a proposition.”

Thomas and Cherie shared a look. Unless he forced her upstairs , their eyes seemed to both be saying. It wouldn't be hard to overpower a girl as fragile as Lady Chastity.

“Okay, let's check the gardens first,” Thomas said, making a decision. “It would be foolish for Lord Dawson to take Lady Chastity upstairs where servants could see them. Dawson, I’m sure, would want the cover of night and the anonymity of the gardens to hide his ill intentions. He is a sneak, after all. He would operate under cover of darkness.”

“I thought you didn’t know him well,” Cherie said.

“I don’t. But I know men like him: the ones who pretend they are simply shy or sensitive , when really, they are monsters. They aren’t always as easy to spot as the outright rakes and cads, but they are just as dangerous.”

Lady Minerva looked as if she might faint, so Thomas said nothing more.

They hurried down the stairs, Thomas taking them two at a time, then out the front door. Thomas led the way around the side of the house to the opening to the gardens, which were hedged, providing the perfect cover for prying eyes.

“It's so dark,” Lady Minerva whispered. “We'll never find them.”

“We will,” Cherie reassured her.

If I have to die trying, the voice in Thomas's head growled.

Not only did he feel responsible for whatever had happened because he had made the introduction between Lady Chastity and Lord Dawson, but his wife's fear had awakened something primal in him. Everything inside of him had become single-minded. His mind was focused and clear. And he knew that he would go to lengths beyond the capacity of man to ensure Lady Chastity's safety and assuage his wife's fear.

They stepped into the gardens, and immediately, the light and sound from the house seemed to be swallowed up by the hedges. It was dark and very quiet. They crept forward, trying to peer through the trees to see if they could see anything, but for several minutes, there was nothing.

They rounded a corner, and then, all at once, two figures emerged from the darkness, holding hands. They didn’t seem to have seen Thomas and the ladies yet. The smaller one, a woman, was giggling, while the taller person was adjusting the front of his cravat.

“Chastity?” Lady Minerva said, rushing forward, but the couple drew back, and Thomas quickly assessed that this woman was much too tall and curvaceous to be Lady Chastity.

“I beg your pardon,” Lady Minerva said, shrinking back. The couple quickly turned and disappeared back into the bushes. Lady Minerva’s shoulders slumped.

“We’re never going to find them,” she said desperately.

“Don’t give up,” his wife said bracingly to her friend.

“Let's keep going,” Thomas said. With each passing moment, he could feel time running out. Lord Dawson might have compromised her already. We can only hope that Lady Chastity is made of sterner stuff than Dawson gives her credit for.

They moved deeper into the garden, until even the light from the moon seemed to have been blotted out by the thick trees and hedges. Lady Minerva and Cherie were now holding hands, and Thomas felt his own spine tingle with fear. Questions whirled through his head. Where are they? Did we choose wrong? Did they go upstairs? Is it too late for Lady Chastity?

And then Thomas heard something: the sound of a muffled cry, a man’s angry grunt, and then the rustling of bushes.

His heart began to race. Motioning at the ladies to be silent, he pointed to the thicket of bushes where the sound had come from. They all crept forward.

Then a voice hissed from inside the bushes: “Just be still! You know you want this.”

It was Lord Dawson’s voice.

Immediately, there was a muffled wail, then more sounds of someone thrashing around.

Thomas didn’t hesitate. Leaping forward, he tore back the bushes.

A terrible sight met his eyes: Lord Dawson was pushing Lady Chastity up against a hedge, using one of his hands to cover her mouth. With the other, he was pinning her against the hedge so that she couldn’t escape. Meanwhile, his mouth was fastened on her neck. He seemed to be mauling it savagely, with none of the tender passion with which a man should kiss his lover—and certainly not what anyone should do to a woman who looked as terrified and unwilling as Lady Chastity.

Even in the darkness, Thomas could make out her expression: her eyes were wild with fear, and from under Dawson's hand, she was crying out with muffled sobs. Tears poured down her cheeks. Her hair was in disarray, and there looked to be mud and leaves all over her dress.

She put up a fight, then.

Even now, she was struggling against her attacker, trying to push him off of her with her free hand, with the other trapped behind her back. But she was small and frail, while Dawson was much bigger, and she seemed to be weakening with every second.

“Get your filthy hands off of her!” Thomas shouted.

Sprinting forward, he grabbed the back of Dawson’s jacket, wrenching him backward with all his might.

Dawson let out a startled shout and stumbled back, almost falling to the ground. Thomas kept a firm grip on his jacket, which he used to throw the viscount to the ground.

Chastity, meanwhile, slumped down against the hedge, put her head in her hands, and began to sob.

“Chastity!” Lady Minerva shouted, and she ran to her sister, bending down and taking her in her arms.

“M-Minerva?” Chastity hiccupped, as her hands circled tentatively around her sister. “Y-you're here?”

“I'm here,” Lady Minerva said, clutching her sister even closer. “Everything's all right now. You're safe.”

Thomas, meanwhile, had turned to face her attacker.

Lord Dawson had managed to get back to his feet, and now he turned warily towards Thomas, his eyes flashing with fury.

“What are you doing here, meddling in my affairs?” He seethed at Thomas. “You have no right!”

“I have every right!” Thomas thundered, righteous fury burning through him. “Not only did I introduce you to this young lady, but she is a friend of my wife's! And any friend of the duchess has the full and unquestioning protection of the Duke of Wheaton!”

“If Lady Chastity is friends with the duchess, then the duchess should choose her friends more wisely,” Dawson sneered. “Or do you approve of your wife cavorting with loose, immoral women?”

Lady Chastity let out another sob, and Thomas's hands balled into fists.

“How dare you impugn Lady Chastity's honor?” he hissed. “When you are clearly the one who has taken advantage of an innocent girl.”

“Innocent?” Dawson laughed derisively and took a threatening step towards Lady Chastity. Before Thomas could move, his wife had dashed forward and put her body between Dawson and the Berrymoores. Her jaw was clenched, and she stood very straight and tall like she was ready to fight Dawson herself.

“Don’t you dare come near her again,” Cherie said, her voice surprisingly clear and loud, despite the fear Thomas knew she must be experiencing. “You will never lay hands on her again!”

“I will not be spoken to like that by a woman,” Dawson scoffed. He took another step forward, and Thomas drew himself up.

“Take one more step towards my wife and you die, Dawson,” he said in a low, deadly voice.

Dawson froze. The whole clearing seemed to freeze. Cherie’s eyes were wide, while behind her, even Lady Chastity had stopped crying.

Very slowly, Dawson turned around to face Thomas. His face was a mask of fury. After a long moment, he spat on the ground in the direction of Lady Chastity before turning back to Thomas.

“If that girl is innocent then I'm the King of England,” he said. “You've seen the way she's been throwing herself at me. She has no shame! The girl was asking for it.”

“It isn't true!” Chastity howled. “Minerva, I swear it isn't. He said we were going for a walk, and that he had an important question to ask me. I knew it wasn't proper to be alone with him, but I thought he was going to propose! Please, you have to believe me!”

“Of course, I believe you!” Lady Minerva said at once.

“Sure, believe her lies, if it makes you feel better,” Dawson sneered. “But you can't blame me if she was begging for it, only to change her mind once she realized she was in over her head. That's the problem with young ladies these days. They've been given modern notions of independence and taught how to tease men, but they aren't prepared for the repercussions of their disgusting tawdriness. That's why they need men to put them in their place, show them the consequences of behaving like wh?—”

Wham . Thomas’s fist collided with the side of Dawson’s jaw and sent him flying. Cherie gasped at the same time that Lady Chastity screamed, and even Lady Minerva let out a small, choked cry.

Thomas hadn’t even been thinking. He had simply acted on instincts. However, he had no regrets, even as his hand throbbed with pain. It had been a long time since he’d punched someone, and he had forgotten just how painful it could be. It was worth it, however, to see Dawson collapse on the ground in front of him, his eyes wide with shock.

Dawson let out a groan, then scrambled backward and pushed himself back to his feet. He spit, then rubbed his jaw. It appeared to have been cut, and blood was dripping down his chin. He glared up at Thomas and let out a low hiss.

Thomas, meanwhile, raised his fist again.

“Say another word and you'll feel my fist again,” he snarled. Dawson stared at his fist, and Thomas glanced at it as well. His knuckles were white, and there was blood smeared across the knuckles. It shocked him to see, and for a moment, he could do nothing but stare at it.

But he paid for his momentary lapse in focus.

“Watch out!” Cherie screamed, and a split second later, Dawson tackled him.

Thomas felt himself hit the ground hard. Pain shot through his hip, and the wind was temporarily knocked out of him by the weight of Dawson on top of him. He gasped, trying to catch his breath, but he didn’t have a chance to recover, because the next second, Dawson had hit him hard in the face.

Thomas brought his hands up in defense, then rolled, freeing himself from Dawson. He was larger than the viscount and stronger, and he pushed through the pain and sprang to his feet. His cheek and hip were throbbing, but he didn't care. All his senses were heightened and alert. He knew exactly what he had to do.

Defend the ladies. Defend Cherie. The words pounded through his head, giving him strength and clarity.

Dawson lunged at him again, but this time, Thomas was ready. He easily dodged the attack, stepping swiftly to his left, and by the time Dawson turned, his hands were already striking their blow.

This time, he hit Dawson hard on the nose. It was a brutal shot, but he knew it would stun his opponent and maybe even break his nose.

And indeed, Dawson stumbled back, confused and clutching his nose.

“You'll have to be quicker than that to beat me!” Thomas roared. “I learned to fight from the most fearsome Sikh Warriors in Amritsar, the bodyguards of the Raj himself.”

Dawson released his nose and stared at Thomas with fury.

“You can't intimidate me with your mumbo jumbo!” he shrieked. He threw himself once more at Thomas. This time, Thomas didn’t dodge. He leaned forward into the punch and met it with his own, pummeling again and again until he felt Dawson’s defenses begin to break. Only then did Dawson fall back, snarling and spitting.

“Done yet?” Thomas taunted. “Or do you want more?” He almost hoped that Dawson would say he wanted more. After all the frustrations of the last few weeks, after all the hurt and sadness his father had inflicted on him, it felt good to let it all out.

Not in front of Cherie , a small voice said in the back of his head. You are trying to be better for her.

Dawson wiped the back of his mouth. He seemed to be thinking, perhaps trying to buy himself time. There was a long moment when no one moved. Thomas waited, patient and taut, to see what Dawson would do next.

Then, without warning, Dawson darted towards Cherie.

Thomas had a split second to react, and he didn't even stop to think. With a speed and agility he never knew he had, he leapt across the clearing just in time to slide tackle Dawson and send him sprawling into the mud. The viscount howled in pain.

Thomas scrambled back to his feet and went to stand over Dawson. He towered over the viscount, and the look that Dawson gave him, as he stared up at him, was one of fear and even awe.

“I never want to see you in Society ever again,” Thomas murmured, his voice soft but deadly. “You will get out of London—the country, if you know what's best for you—and you will stay away. For good. Otherwise, you will lose even more than you already have today. I will ensure that. Nor will you try any kind of revenge against Lady Chastity. She is under my protection. Not just mine, but the Duke of Vaston’s as well. Do I make myself clear?”

Dawson moaned, then pushed himself to his feet. His eyes were full of hate, but also fear, as he backed away from Thomas.

“DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?” Thomas roared.

Dawson’s eyes had grown wide with horror, and he seemed to shrink under the force of Thomas’s shout.

“And if two dukes isn’t frightening enough,” Thomas finished, “then know she is protected by four fierce, strong women, and that whatever Vaston and I might do to you, it is nothing compared to what they will do.”

“That’s right,” Cherie said, and her voice did not so much as shake.

When Dawson still didn’t answer, Thomas took a threatening step forward.

“DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?” he repeated, for the third time, and his tone brooked no opposition.

“Perfectly,” Dawson spat. Then he turned and ran away into the night.

Thomas let out a deep, slow breath. He was suddenly exhausted. His jaw hurt, his hip was aching, and his hand felt as if all the bones in it were broken.

When he turned to the ladies, he saw that the three of them were now all standing. Lady Chastity was leaning against her sister, supported by her and Cherie.

“He won't be bothering you again, my lady,” Thomas said to Lady Chastity. “He is a weak man, and he might be spiteful, but he fears me now. He also knows I can crush him, and he will not risk my revenge.”

Her eyes filled with tears, and she opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.

“There is no need to thank me. I would have done this for any lady. It is the gentlemanly thing to do. I just hope you know that you are not in the least to blame.”

“I d-don’t know that,” Lady Chastity mumbled, her lips quivering. “I shouldn’t have agreed to go on a walk with him. It was foolish. I’m s-so s-sorry, Minerva.” She turned to her sister, the tears spilling once more from her eyes. “I let you down. You t-taught me so w-well to deal with gentlemen, and then I got s-swept away…”

“It isn’t your fault,” Minerva said. “You merely thought you were going for a walk. You were expecting a proposal!”

“And even if you had wanted more from him, it still wouldn’t be your fault.” It was Cherie who was speaking now, and the rest of them turned to look at her. She looked nervous but determined.

“It’s okay for women to have wants,” she said quietly. “It’s okay for them to have desire.” Here, her eyes flickered very quickly to Thomas’s, then away again, back to Lady Chastity. “And even if there had been a part of you that hoped for a kiss, or for something—and I’m not saying there was—then that would not be anything to be sorry for. The moment you told Lord Dawson to stop, he should have. It wouldn’t have mattered what you had agreed to already, he still should have stopped. But he didn’t care about your desires, Chastity. He only cared about himself. And no gentleman should ever treat your desires as if they don’t matter.”

There was a short silence as all of them absorbed these words. They were unusual, but Thomas was surprised by how wholeheartedly he agreed with them.

“That is very wise, Duchess,” he said, and their eyes met once more.

Lady Chastity stopped crying. She smiled very weakly. “Thank you, Your Grace,” she whispered to Cherie. “And to you, Your Grace.” Her eyes flickered to Thomas’s. “I know you said I don’t have to thank you, but I do.”

“Yes, thank you,” Lady Minerva said, her eyes also shining with tears. “You have saved my sister from ruin.”

“It is Lord Dawson who should be ruined,” he said vehemently. “And I will make sure he is. Now, we should get Lady Chastity home as quickly as possible.”

He, Cherie, and Lady Minerva helped Lady Chastity out of the garden as quickly and quietly as they could. There were still couples concealed in the bushes as they passed, although fewer than there had been on the way in. Some of them had undoubtedly heard the commotion and left, not wanting to be caught up in a scandal.

Good. The fewer of them who see us leaving the garden, the better.

Once they reached the drive, Thomas went on ahead of the ladies. “Stay here,” he called back to them. “I’ll have the carriage come here to pick you up.”

Once he reached the front of the house, he had a footman bring round the Berrymoore carriage, then he asked the driver to stop down the drive where the ladies were waiting, so no one would see Lady Chastity’s state of disarray. He then quickly followed the carriage back to where Cherie and the Berrymoore sisters were waiting.

Once Lady Chastity and Lady Minerva had been safely loaded into the carriage, Cherie turned to Thomas.

“I'm going to go with them,” she said. “Just to make sure they're all right.”

“That's a good idea. I’ll send our carriage to wait for you at the Berrymoore house to bring you home when you're ready. Take all the time you need, and if there is anything that Lady Chastity needs—a doctor, anyone—then please send word at once. I can find someone discreet.”

“Thank you.” Cherie was looking at him as she never had before, a hard, intense look in her eyes. His heart hammering, he held out his hand to help her into the carriage. She took it and ascended the steps of the carriage. But just before she slipped inside, she turned back to him. In the dark night, her eyes were silver stars radiating out of the inky blackness, shining just for him.

“Thank you,” she murmured again. “Thank you, Thomas.”