“No problem that cannot be surpassed, I am sure,” Francis said smoothly, earning her gaze another time. “What is the problem?”
“I only took a little money from the house,” she said quietly, so low as if she were afraid to admit as much. “My husband holds onto the money he got from my dowry. I…have nothing. How am I to pay for the lawyer?”
“I’ll pay it lieu,” Francis declared quickly. Lady Ridlington was not the only one to look surprised. Diana’s eyes widened to appear as large as the moon itself, and Josiah snapped his head toward him. “Careful, Josiah, you’ll break your neck from moving so quickly.”
“You’ll pay it?” Josiah asked. “I was going to offer the same.”
“You have a wife to pay for now. Fortunately, I do not have that burden,” Francis said with a smile, earning a roll of Dian’s eyes.
“I am hardly that expensive!” she said with dramaticism, but Francis just moved on.
“When you obtain your income from your separation, my Lady,” he turned to Lady Ridlington, “you may pay me back. In the meantime, the expense of a lawyer will not drain on my money.”
“You are very kind indeed,” she said, smiling up at him. This was a different smile now. It wasn’t like the ones where she laughed at his jokes, this was unique, it suggested something deeper that made her happy. He liked this smile even more than the last.
Yet the smile faded a minute later as she turned to Diana who asked more after her escape from the house. Francis was happy to sit back out of the conversation for a while as he used the time to peruse Lady Ridlington. Every now and then, he could just about see the tremble of her hands, betraying her fear, then she would smile and thank them all again for the trouble they were going to.
He could see exactly what Josiah meant about wishing to help the woman. He had known her for a few hours at most and was compelled to go far indeed to help her. He half wondered if he had known Lady Ridlington for a year or more, how far he would go to see her safe and happy.
* * *
When the carriage pulled up on a drive, Phoebe strained to see beyond the windows, but she couldn’t see anything except blackness. Clouds had grown across the moon, limiting what light there was.
“We’re here,” Hayward said, reaching for the door and opening it wide, stepping down quickly.
“After a couple of days, we will come to see you,” Lady Dodge said as Phoebe moved toward the exit. “I give you my word.”
“You have done so much for me, I do not know how to thank you,” Phoebe said, squeezing her friend’s hand one last time.
“If you thank us anymore, my Lady, I am certain you will make your throat sore from the effort,” Hayward said with a smile, looking back into the carriage. “You have thanked us enough.” He offered his hand to her to take. She gladly took it and stepped down, smiling at his jest.
He next helped down Louisa who hurried to help the footman with the portmanteau before they said goodbye to those still in the carriage.
“Josiah, let me know about the lawyer,” Hayward said to Lord Dodge.
“I will,” he nodded. “Now, Lady Ridlington. It’s time to relax. Enjoy yourself for a bit and rest assured the Viscount will not find you here. Hayward may not be the best of company –” he jested and was interrupted by Hayward.
“How rude!” he pretended to be thoroughly offended.
“But you can already see he’s a half decent man,” Lord Dodge said.
“Half decent? Very decent indeed!” Phoebe said quickly. No matter what the outcome of her escape tonight, she knew she would always be indebted to Hayward standing beside her, for he had facilitated her escape. “Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, my dear, look after yourself now!” Lady Dodge called as the door to the carriage was closed and the horses began to pull it away.
“Time to see your new home for a short time,” Hayward said, pulling up the portmanteau under his arm and beckoning Phoebe and Louisa to follow him toward the house.
“Have you ever seen a duke that carries his own luggage before?” Louisa whispered in Phoebe’s ear, so only she could hear.
“Never,” Phoebe said back, hurrying to follow Hayward up the pebble driveway toward the front of the house. “He is a different gentleman indeed.” The idea rather thrilled her.
She couldn’t see the frontage of the house clearly in the darkness, but as Hayward opened the front door, light from a myriad of candles spilled out of the space.
It made Phoebe yearn to be inside faster and she hurried up the front step and through the porchway into the house. The moment she was inside she stopped and gazed around, her jaw dropping in amazement.
Where Graham’s house was black, dark, full of shadows and was plainly uninviting, this house was the opposite. The walls were painted a bright white and the candles filling the space shone golden light around them. Even the floor was made up of interchanged squares of white and yellow-tinged marble, with not a dark spot in sight.
“Your Grace, back so soon,” a kindly voice came from a nearby doorway. Phoebe turned toward it to see a homely housekeeper, plump and ruddy-cheeked hurrying forward. “Oh, my! We have a guest! Two, in fact, but we are not prepared.”
