“Get away!” Fitzgilbert cried as Celia reached for him.
She skittered back and returned to at once to Rosalinde’s side. Celia helped her to her feet and immediately the sisters fell into each other’s arms.
Gray looked at Rosalinde. There were finger-shaped bruises on her throat. His vision went red again at the sight and he lunged toward Fitzgilbert, but Folly and Lucien kept him steady.
“Enough,” Lucien said in his ear. “Enough.”
“Keep him away from me,” Fitzgilbert said, covering his bleeding nose and pushing through the crowd to exit the room. Gray could hear him calling for his horse as he left.
“All right,” Gray said, shrugging from the hold of his brother and friend. “All right.”
They released him at last, and he straightened his coat as he made his way directly to Rosalinde. He took her hands and guided her to a chair. She sat and he knelt down before her, tracing her face with his fingers as if to tell himself that she was whole.
She was pale and shaking, her eyes filled with tears as she stared at him.
“Are you all right?” he whispered.
She held his stare. “Yes,” she whispered, but her voice was rough from being choked.
He squeezed his eyes shut. “I should have killed him.”
She covered his fingers with her hands and squeezed. “You did enough, Gray. Thank you for coming to my aid.”
“Everyone out,” Stenfax said, looking toward the crowd.
It was only then that Gray really realized what was happening. A good portion of the party had seen at least some part of his pummeling of Fitzgilbert and all of his comforting of Rosalinde. They were staring, whispering. The story was too good not to spread like wildfire.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered before he stood. She clung to his hand a moment, then released him.
As Lady Stenfax hustled the crowd from the room, exhaustion on her face, Felicity entered and crossed to Gray. She looked up into his face and sighed. “You don’t know how to do anything by half.”
He shook his head. “Fitzgilbert tried to kill her.”
Felicity jolted back. “Oh, Rosalinde,” she said, looking toward her. All the blood had gone out of her face and she swayed ever so slightly as she saw Rosalinde’s bruises. Gray frowned as his sister lifted her hands to her own throat in response, as if remembering. “I’m sorry,” she said at last.
Rosalinde blushed and dipped her head. “I’m fine. I’m fine.”
Felicity hugged Gray and he felt her tremble for a moment before she whispered, “I’m sorry. I tried to keep them out. The noise was so loud, I couldn’t distract them all.”
“It’s not your fault,” Gray reassured her.
Stenfax sidled up and Felicity stepped back. “I’ll try to help Mama mitigate the damage,” she said, squeezing first one brother’s hand then the other.
She departed the room, leaving only Folly behind. He shook his head slowly at the brothers and bowed to Celia and Rosalinde. “I’m glad you were not injured, Mrs. Wilde.”
“Thank you for your help,” Celia said when Rosalinde didn’t look up.
Her gaze seemed locked on the floor now, and Gray wasn’t certain if she was reliving the moment when her grandfather had actually tried to kill her or if she were swamped by the humiliation of what had followed.
Perhaps both.
It stung Gray to see her so still. So somber.
Folly closed the door behind him, leaving Gray, Lucien, Rosalinde and Celia alone at last. Celia took a place beside her sister and took her hand as she stared up at the two men.
Stenfax took a long breath and moved to the women. “Rosalinde, are you certain you aren’t injured?”
She looked up at him. “I’m certain, my lord,” she said, though the scratchiness of her voice persisted. “Gray’s quick action kept me from any permanent harm. I was shocked more than anything.”
