Eleanor stiffened so sharply she felt a stab of pain along her spine as thoughts spun wildly in reaction to the oddly familiar phrase.
“What?” she murmured softly.
Lord Ackerly bent toward her. His lips curled as his next words slid from clenched teeth. “You’re mine. As you always should’ve been. You cannot deny karma.”
With a burst of clarity, Eleanor remembered where she’d heard similar phrasing before. It was in the notes Phin had shared with her and Aadesh earlier today as they’d debated her plan. He’d received them as warnings, presumably from the British nobleman who coveted the necklace.
It couldn’t be a simple coincidence that Ackerly’s words so closely resembled the phrasing in the threatening notes. She thought of his shift in behavior toward her when she began interacting with the viscount. Could it be that it wasn’t simple jealousy that had upset him?
Could Lord Ackerly be the mysterious British nobleman behind it all?
The revelation was astonishing enough that, for a second, she doubted herself. But it made sense.
A shiver slid down her spine.
If he’d known all along that Waring had the necklace, he’d have been watching him closely. He’d have gotten reports of each time she and Phin had interacted.
She thought of the messages Phin had received.
They belong to me.
Was that refencing the necklace andher?
She felt so close to understanding. It was right there, dancing on the tips of her fingers, yet couldn’t quite connect the pieces.
Forcing herself to meet the man’s stare, she said quietly but firmly. “I do not belong to you.”
His smile was slow and far too confident. His voice was threaded with darkness and desire, “Not yet. But you will. It is fated.”
A delayed burst of panic rushed through her. She was convinced.
It was him.
Despite the trembling fear rising in her stomach and the icy panic she somehow managed to contain, she asked, “What is your intention?”
He simply smiled in reply. A disturbing, chilling smile.
Though his grip on her was unyielding, she sent her gaze about the room. She spotted Ralston immediately, standing at the edge of the ballroom, gazing outward with a scowl of distraction. He didn’t see her, but as long as he didn’t move, she could make it to him easily enough once Ackerly released her.
To her intense relief, the song faded to an end a moment later. When she pulled from his arms then, he had no choice but to release her or risk causing a scene. She didn’t hesitate to stride swiftly away. She didn’t care if her actions appeared rude or odd to anyone observing. Her only thought was to get away from him.
She reached Ralston without incident, only turning to look behind her once she was at her brother’s side.
Ackerly was nowhere in sight.
For some reason, his lack of pursuit was almost more distressing. As if he felt confident in having another opportunity.
As she contemplated that thought, she suddenly became aware of all the curious stares and surreptitious glances being cast her way. No doubt, there would be a great deal of speculation about her dance with the earl, considering she hadn’t danced since the start of last season.
Fortunately, Ralston took her obvious distress for her typical social panic and quickly rounded up Bridget to take them both home. Her cousin, however, studied her for a long moment, seeming to understand that there was more to the situation than assumed. But she said nothing about it in front of Ralston.
After taking Bridget home, Ralston took Eleanor to their father’s house. When he asked if she was alright, she could see the genuine concern in his face. She did her best to reassure him and sent him on his way.
It wasn’t until she was home and alone in her bedroom that she allowed the shock of her discovery about Lord Ackerly to fully claim her. As her insides began to tremble and her mind whirled through thepossibilities of what she strongly believed to be true, she sank down heavily on the edge of her bed.
“What happened?”
Eleanor gasped at the sound of the viscount’s voice as he swiftly approached from the shadows of her room.
