Page 21 of To Dance with a Devil

Miss Stone nodded at her maid. “Please wait outside, Rachel.”

The maid, an older lady with a fierce expression, glowered and sent a disapproving look in Jerome’s direction.

“You may leave the door ajar,” Miss Stone added, returning an equally fierce look as the maid subsided and did as her mistress bid.

Jerome waited impatiently as the woman left before turning back to his guest.

“What’s happened?” he asked again, clenching his fists against the need to shake the information out of her. “Is it Bonnie?”

Miss Stone nodded. “She’s gone.”

“Gone? Gone where?”

“If I knew that, I should not be here at this unreasonable time of the morning,” Miss Stone snapped at him before realising how rude she sounded. She took a breath and a moment to gather herself. “I beg your pardon, Mr Cadogan….”

Jerome waved her apology away. “No apology needed, Miss Stone. Tell me what you know. Did she say anything? Leave a note?”

Miss Stone nodded. She reached into her reticule and went to hand the note she withdrew to him, but then her fingers tightened on the paper as he began to pull it from her grasp. Jerome looked at her, the letter held between them.

“What is written here is private, Mr Cadogan. I would do my utmost to find her myself, only I am supposed to be going away with my father for a few days and I’m already cutting it very fine. He’ll kick up such a fuss if I’m not ready on time, and then he’ll want to know why I was late. If there’s anything even vaguely resembling a scandal, he’ll never let me out of his sight again.”

Jerome could well understand why Miss Stone would rather not have her father hanging around. He’d not met the fellow, but he had a reputation for vulgarity which did not aid Miss Stone’s chances of marrying well.

The young woman took a deep breath and ploughed on. “I am only here because… because I believe you were a particular friend of Bonnie’s and I hoped….”

Jerome felt a dull flush creep up the back of his neck at the woman’s words. Oh, Miss Stone knew exactly what kind of friend he’d been to Bonnie and that was why she was here.

“I understand,” he said, interrupting her. “I would rather die than see Bonnie come to harm. Whatever the problem is you may rely upon my help and my discretion.”

Miss Stone let out a breath and nodded before releasing the note and Jerome opened it with hands that were not entirely steady.

My dearest Ruth,

I hope you will forgive me for causing any worry or distress, but I have decided that I must go away. I am increasingly aware that Mr Anderson is likely to arrive on your doorstep at any time and I am not ready to return to Scotland. I will go, I promise. I just need a little time to myself before I resign myself to my fate. I beg you not to worry on my behalf. I have not taken Jenny as I know she spies on me for Morven, but I shall engage another maid and take lodgings in a respectable neighbourhood. I just want time to think and be by myself without the spectre of Morven or Mr Anderson breathing down my neck. It will only be for a few weeks, perhaps a month or two at most, and I will be quite all right. I have money enough to look after myself and I’m really not quite as hen witted as some people would like to believe.

I must thank you, my dearest Ruth, for being such a kind and loving friend to me, and I hate myself for causing you a moment’s worry, but I can see no other way of giving myself the time I need.

I will write again soon, once I am settled, to reassure you of my safety.

Your friend,

Bonnie.

Once Jerome was done, he looked up to meet Miss Stone’s eyes.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she said, twisting her hands together. “You’re thinking that it seems a perfectly sensible letter and that I should respect her wishes.”

Jerome hesitated. “In part,” he said, though it was only a small part of it. “My first instinct is to tear London apart, looking for her. A young lady ought not be alone in the city, maid or no, but Bonnie is not a fool, not by any means.”

Except for being foolish enough to fall in love with him, Jerome thought with a surge of misery.

Miss Stone nodded. “I know that. For all her madcap ways, she’s got a brain in her head. I do know that, believe me. It’s only—”

Jerome’s heart twisted in his chest. “Only?”

“Only I’ve been with her since we left Holbrooke and… and she’s not been herself. Not at all. I—” Miss Stone broke off, a tinge of high colour in her cheeks.

“You may speak plain, Miss Stone,” Jerome said, steeling himself. “No matter if it reflects badly on me. It ought to reflect badly on me, I’m afraid. I know I’m responsible for her unhappiness even… even if I did not intend to hurt her. Far from it,” he added in an undertone.