Oh God. Now she remembered the story Sadie had whispered to her one night last week about one of their fellow debutantes who had been accosted. “Miss Duncan?” she asked, finally understanding that Sadie had been avenging an abused woman.
Sadie glanced at Iseabail. “She’s fine, thank God. A maid interrupted him and helped her.” She squatted down and deftly felt through Mr. Carr’s pockets. “But he broke her necklace and now she’s terrified that all men are like him.”
They might very well be.
Sadie held up a fat purse. “Excellent.”
Mr. Barrett cried out. “That’s robbery!”
“Actually, it’s recompense for the necklace and gratitude to the maid.” Sadie straightened up. “Now here’s my message, Mr. Barrett.” Her tone was ice cold. “We know about you and him now, and we’re telling everyone who might not know.Everyone.That means you’re no longer accepted in polite society. No woman will have you. No hostess will allow you in her doors.”
“But I didn’t do anything!” the man whined.
Iseabail looked at him in disgust. “Exactly. You didn’t stop him and that’s enough.”
“But that’s not fair!” he cried, as if he’d never learned that life wasn’t fair.
Meanwhile, Sadie pocketed the purse and linked arms with Iseabail. “Let’s go back inside. I’m feeling in the mood to dance.”
Iseabail laughed. How could she not? The girl had just knocked out her attacker and was practically singing with glee. With an airy wave, the two of them left the men to stroll quickly back to the ball.
“You planned for this,” Iseabail accused in a low tone. “You went with him on purpose!”
“Of course, I did. Do you really think I’d risk my reputation with a blighter like that?”
Iseabail had thought so. Apparently, she’d been wrong. “But you could have been seriously hurt.”
“Not me. Miss Duncan was pretty banged up. No one teaches these English girls how to punch.” She tapped her side where Mr. Carr’s coins clinked loudly. “But this will cheer her up.”
“You cannot do that again, Sadie.”
“Don’t plan to.”
“And if you do, then you must warn me. I could have been more help—”
“But you’re a terrible actress, Iseabail. And you would have hovered. It was best done this way.” They were back in the correct garden now and the lantern light illuminated them both. “Turn around,” Sadie ordered. “Let me see if your dress is ruined.”
Iseabail turned and heard Sadie’s grunt of dismay.
“Is my dress torn?” she asked, trying to look at her own behind.
Sadie shrugged. “We’ll need to leave. I just need to tell Miss Duncan’s grandmother what happened. She’ll make sure our reputations remain pure.”
“You told her grandmother and not me?” Iseabail huffed.
“You’re a terrible actress, remember?”
“I’m terribly cross with you, too,” she said, though there was no heat in her words. In truth, she was impressed by Sadie’s bravery. Iseabail had done some desperate things in her life, not the least of which was running across half of Scotland to find Sadie. But she’d done them because she’d had no choice. Sadie, on the other hand, had done something dangerous out of the goodness of her heart. That set her head and shoulders above anyone Iseabail knew.
Meanwhile, Sadie looked back one last time. “You don’t think I killed him, do you?”
A shudder went through Iseabail at the idea. Though she wasn’t sure if she felt safer with the man dead or alive. “I don’t think so, but blows to the head can be tricky.”
“Well, he deserved it—”
“Most definitely!”
“And Mr. Barrett will be able to help him. Or not. Honestly, I don’t care.”
On that, they agreed. Soon they were inside the ballroom where they headed directly to the cluster of older women. Widows, grandmothers, and chaperones sat on the edge of the dance floor, and they all looked up as Sadie approached.
There was approval all around as Sadie spoke with Miss Duncan’s grandmother and passed over the purse. Somehow the countess became aware of their activities and bustled over with a very tight expression. She seemed horribly upset by it all and worried about the consequences to their reputation. Fortunately, Miss Duncan’s grandmother was there to reassure them. Apparently, the grandmothers and chaperones had already been whispering about Mr. Carr and Mr. Barrett. Now, thanks to Sadie’s bravery, the women of thetoncould align against those two horrible men. Neither Sadie’s nor Iseabail’s marital prospects would be harmed from tonight’s antics, but they were admonished to never, ever do something like this again.
Iseabail agreed with alacrity, as did Sadie. Iseabail was being honest. She wasn’t so sure about Sadie. In either event, it wasn’t until hours later when she was in bed and had finally stopped whispering with Sadie that Iseabail had a shocking thought.
She realized that she hadn’t thought about Connall for hours now. And surprisingly, that didn’t bother her one bit.
