Smythe, however, had paled. It was well known that he fought with his tongue, and the thought of an actual duel evidently appalled him.
“Come, Captain,” trilled Naomi. “You gentlemen can have your discussions whenever you please, but the orchestra will be striking up for a country dance at any second, and you know how I adore the Roger de Coverly.”
Perforce, Rossiter extended his arm, and she rested her hand on it, fluttering her fan at him, and smiling her most bewitching smile.
Reginald Smythe said with a titter, “Do you mean to change your slippers before—or after the dance, dear lady? I have it on excellent authority you have vowed to do so.”
Rossiter felt the little hand tighten on his arm and from the corner of his eye saw that Naomi had lost all her colour. He said lightly, “Now there is a most excellent notion, ma’am.” Green eyes, wide and shocked, flashed to him. He shrugged. “’Tis the only kind thing to do, you will allow. The poor gabble merchants have nought to sustain ’em but gossip. You must put them out of their misery. Come, my lady. I will gladly escort you to Falcon House.”
Accompanying him from the room, horribly conscious of the countless stares that followed them, Naomi was thinking numbly that this was how a gladiator must have felt who had rescued a Christian from the lions, only to be thrown into the arena in his stead!
CHAPTER TWELVE
The night air was chill but dry, the sky a moonless blue-black but lit by great low-hanging stars. Naomi shivered, drew her cloak tighter about her, then woke up. “My heavens!” she exclaimed, turning to Rossiter who stood tall and silent beside her. “Whatever are we doing?”
“You came to my rescue,” he said urbanely. “Now I return the favour.”
“I am in no need of rescue,” she lied. “So you had best tell the boy to cancel your carriage.”
“But surely, ma’am, you do not mean to keep poor Smythe and his friends and Mrs. Golightly andherfriends in such fearful suspense? ’Twill take but a few minutes at this hour to reach Falcon House. You can change your slippers and—Ah, here is my coach.”
He took Naomi’s arm, and even as she argued she was somehow swept up the steps, Rossiter gave swift instructions to the coachman and climbed inside, the door was slammed shut, and they were rolling away.
“For a man in his cups,” she said bitterly, “you move fast, Captain Rossiter. I had thought to have offered you a dance.”
“You should be glad, ma’am, that I escort you to change your slippers rather than subject you to embarrassment on the dance floor.”
She gave a small sound of impatience and he smiled into the dimness. “You—ah,dohave at least one of the famous slippers, I trust?”
“What?” With a surge of hope she asked eagerly, “Do you say you know where the other—” She heard his soft laugh then, and drew back. “Oh! Horrid! You tricked me!” Tears stung her eyes. “Well, you may gloat over your shabby victory, and instruct your coachman to turn back. You do but waste our time.”
His hand came up to grasp her averted chin and turn her face. “You really judge me base, don’t you.” He saw the glitter on her cheeks then, and said in a gentler voice, “Now, whatever our differences, be a good girl and answer me. Have you the one slipper?”
“Y-yes,” she gulped. “But what good is—” His fingers covered her lips.
“When we reach Falcon House, run and get it. I will bring you the other, and—”
Tingling with excitement, she pulled his hand away. “No! An you know where the other one is, I go with you to find it. Then we will get mine.”
He frowned. “Very well. But on one condition. You must tell me—truthfully—how and where you lost it.”
“Hah! As if you need to be told! In a bedchamber, of course. Where I was dallying with—with August Falcon!”
He said contemptuously, “You cheapen yourself with such rubbish! Whatever else, Falcon is a gentleman. Besides, he was not there. And despite all I have heard of you, madam, I most certainly do not believe you were dallying in a bedchamber. With anyone! Now let us cry truce for this one night. Is it agreed?”
She fought a sudden and infuriating need to burst into tears, and to conceal this weakness, said tartly, “Agreed. You acquit me of dalliance in one of Lady Dowling’s bedchambers. I acquit you of arriving to escort me when you were foxed.”
Silence. Then he said, “As you have doubtless heard, my father is convinced his financial catastrophe was contrived. My efforts to prove it have evidently offended someone, because this morning I was, not very politely, requested to desist.”
She gave a gasp. “How dreadful! And I imagined—”
“Oh, I am aware. Your imagination is well developed, my lady. Will it stretch, I wonder, to an interesting account of the loss of your slipper?”
“If that is your notion of a truce, Captain Rossiter—” she began stormily.
He reached for the checkstring, and when the coachman opened the trap told him to disregard the first destination and proceed at once to the second. Settling back against the squabs, he said, “You are very right, my lady. Pray accept my humble apologies, and let us try again. Howdidyou lose your pretty slipper?”
She shrugged. “Very well, but I fear your sensibilities will be offended.”
