“Does he hurt you?” he asked the words plainly. He didn’t know whether he expected her to answer honestly, but her reaction told him everything.
Her lips parted and she tried to walk away, directly past him. He caught her free wrist as gently as he could, urging her to turn her head back to him. Her need to escape and not even answer the question was all the confirmation he needed.
Then his eyes rested on the dress she was wearing, with the high neckline and the long sleeves. All of it was far too much covering for this hot evening.
She is still hiding the bruises.He realized with disgust, then his eyes slipped to the ribbon around her throat. She pulled her hand away from his and rearranged that ribbon. In her attempt to reset it, she had actually revealed the secret she clearly didn’t want him to know. He could see a hint of a bruise for just a moment.
That sickening feeling was back, so strong that he was almost nauseous. He knew now how right Josiah was, her husband must have grabbed her around the throat.
“If you would excuse me, Your Grace,” she hurried to curtsy again, with her eyes turned away. “I…I should find my friend –”
“I’ll do it,” the words came surprisingly strongly from him. She paused and slowly turned back toward him with her green eyes wide.
“I beg your pardon?” she asked, apparently doubting the proof of her own ears.
“I’ll do it,” he said again. “I’ll offer you a place to hide, and Lord, I pray this decision does not come back to harm us both.”
Chapter 5
Phoebe waited until her husband reappeared from the smoking room, just as Lady Dodge had advised, before she approached him. She planned to feign a headache to create a reason to be sent home early. The nearer she got to Graham across the room, she found herself glancing back over her shoulder, toward where she had left Lady Dodge with her husband and her brother, Hayward.
Even at this distance, Phoebe could see the lines of Hayward’s face in detail, that expression so readable. Despite his assurance to help her, the nerves were there, coupled with his determination. She wasn’t sure what had made him change his mind to help her, she decided she would ask that another time, when she was far away from her husband. Now, she had to focus on escaping Graham.
She faced forward once more and crossed the room toward Graham, only he wasn’t alone, beside him was her father.
“Ah, Phoebe,” her father said, turning to her without really looking at her face. It was what he had always done, even when she was little. She could remember Christmases where the housekeeper would bring her to see him and he would pat her on the head without looking at her face before dismissing her.
“How are you, Father?” she asked, curtsying to him. Baron Gerard Lewis of Notley was not known for warmth or kindness, something he seemed to show her even more now as he glanced down to her dress and then turned away, in despair.
“I am worse now, what have you done to your gown?” he snapped before flicking his fingers in front of Graham’s face. “Lord Ridlington, look at your wife.”
Graham’s face turned purplish red in anger as he stepped forward, taking Phoebe’s upper arm in his hand. This was bold, even for him in public, as he pinned his fingers around her arm, hurting her again.
“We are in public,” she whispered to him, but he didn’t seem to care. It reminded her of a thought she’d had earlier that evening.
He’s getting worse.
“What kind of exhibition have you made of yourself this evening?” he asked, fuming and hissing with that fury. “You cannot stay here like this. You’ll make a pariah of yourself, and me.”
“And me!” her father said, turning away. “I cannot believe you would do this, Phoebe.”
“It was an accident,” she said feebly, knowing already it was useless as her words fell on deaf ears.
“You must go home, now,” Graham said. Phoebe turned her gaze toward him realizing how easy her task had been made.
“Really?” she asked as he took her arm and began to steer her across the room.
“I cannot have you making a display of yourself like this. Go home, now. Send the carriage back for me later.” As he steered her toward the exit of the room, she managed just once to glance across the guests’ heads, seeing Lady Dodge and the Duke of Hayward staring after her. From the way Hayward’s gaze had narrowed, she rather expected he could see the way in which Graham was holding onto her so tightly.
Once they were in the entrance hall, Graham made arrangements with a servant to have the carriage called round at once, then he sent one last glare her way before he returned into the ball. As he parted, a flicker of a smile appeared in Phoebe’s cheeks.
Could it really be this simple to leave him?
She almost didn’t dare to hope. She had always pictured that if she tried to live him, there would be pain involved and anger.
As the carriage came round, she hurried quickly inside and headed straight home. The entire way she was stuck between two emotions, part of her feared what could happen if Graham came home too early, another part of her was beginning to hold onto that hope. Maybe she really could escape Graham at last.
As she reached the house, she ran through the dark entrance hall and up the stairs, happily scrambling to take them two at a time. She didn’t bother keeping her posture straight, nor did she care when she stumbled and caught the banister. Graham would have no doubt been horrified at the lack of propriety, but soon that wouldn’t be her concern anymore!
