Well, if whatever is going on affects Emma, then it’s definitely my business.Determination crystallized within her. She crossed the floor to where Reeves stood talking to one of his footmen.
“May I speak with you?” she asked as soon as the footman had been sent off to accomplish a task.
Reeves turned to look at her.
Bridget’s heart skipped a beat. Just the sight of him was enough to put her right back on that window seat last night. Her ankle tingled slightly at the memory of having his fingers there, and she felt her lips part as if in a gasp. She bit them closed, determined not to allow him to see her reacting to what was going on.
"Did you need something?” he asked curtly.
Agnes had been right. He was hardly himself right now. Not to say that Bridget had never seen this side of him—she had, of course. But she had thought they’d moved beyond it, and that he was ready to be more open with her now. He couldn’t be throwing these barriers back up because of what had happened last night, could he? That had been his idea. She was the one who had been taken by surprise. She was the one who ought to be pulling away, not him.
Bridget bit her lip. “I… well, I wanted to apologize for sleeping later than usual today.” It was as good a way to begin things as any.
“You don’t owe me any of your time,” he said.
“I should have been with Emma, though.”
“You don’t work for me, Bridget. You’re here to help her settle in, that’s all. In fact, once the ball is over, I think we shouldseriously consider that it might be time for you to head back to the orphanage.”
The words stopped Bridget’s heart briefly, and she heard herself suck in a breath. “You—you think it’s time for that already?”
“Yes. I appreciate the help you’ve given us, but this morning made it clear to me that Emmaiscapable of getting by without you. And this was never going to be a long-term solution. You know that as well as I do. I’m sure you want to return to the orphanage, don’t you?”
Bridget nodded slowly, beginning to recover herself. Reeves was right, of course. She did want to go back. She couldn’t help noticing that being away for as long as she had made her feel as if she were neglecting her duties, an unpleasant feeling that niggled at the back of her mind and never really went away.
And yet, it did shock her to realize that Reeves was ready for her to leave so soon. He had resisted her at first, threatening to send her back at every turn, but she’d thought they were beyond that now.
“Is this… because of last night?” she asked hesitantly, embarrassed to pose the question.
He didn’t mock her. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, and for a moment she thought he was angry with her. She took a quick step back. Did he blame her for what had happened between them? But how could he? She hadn’t initiated it.
“How do you know about last night?” he asked her.
Bridget struggled to make sense of the question.
“What do you mean?” she managed.
He gritted his teeth, and she saw his hands form fists. “There was a break-in,” he told her, his voice low. “A man came into the house and snuck into Emma’s room.
Bridget gasped, forgetting to keep quiet. The sound resonated around the ballroom, and both Emma and Agnes turned to look at her.
Reeves gripped her arm, perhaps a little more roughly than he might have meant to, and pulled her close. Lowering his voice, he growled, “Don’t make noise. I haven’t told Agnes about what happened.”
“Why on earth not?” Bridget asked. Her heart was pounding at the realization that something so serious and dangerous had taken place, and her mind raced trying to figure out what ought to be done next. “Don’t you think she should know? The whole household is in danger, Reeves.”
“There’s no danger. The man was run off before he could do anything, and we’re doubling the guard to make sure nothing like this happens again.”
“But this is why you’re sending me back to the orphanage,” she guessed. “You don’t want the added responsibility of having me in the house at a time like this.”
“It’s not about responsibility. You should be far away from here if we’re going to be attacked like that. You don’t need to be involved in what’s happening.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You just said there wasn’t any danger, though.”
Reeves sighed, a low growl escaping him. “Don’t make things difficult.”
“I don’t mean to do that, Reeves, but I’m not going to turn my back on things here. On Emma.” She paused. “Did she see the person in her room?”
Reeves nodded slowly.
