Page 54 of Redemption of a Marquess

“Too late?” he repeated. “Peigi, her reputation is as safe with me as it would be with you.”

She gave a frustrated humph. “It isn’t that. I heard the whispers behind her back at the party.”

He stilled. “What sorts of whispers?”

“You cannot be surprised, Valan. She is a country girl. The ladies in town are not kind to girls of her ilk.”

“If, by ‘her ilk,’ you mean girls who are not obsessed with wearing a new dress to every party and throwing themselves into the path of any eligible man, then, aye, you are right.”

Her gaze sharpened on him. “Hmm,” she hummed.

The door abruptly swung open and Miss Stone hurried in. Strands of hair had fallen loose of her chignon, making her look younger, and a shadow troubled her usually tranquil eyes. She scanned the room, then stilled when her gaze fell on them. Valan had never seen Miss Stone look anything but serene and well-maintained.

“You have returned from the card party, Miss Stone,” he said. “Where is Miss Matheson?”

She hesitated. He’d never seen her hesitate. “I must speak with you, my lord—alone.”

“You may speak freely in front of Lady Guilford,” he said.

“As you wish, sir. I fear you will turn me out without a reference. I only ask that, once you find Miss Matheson, that you let me know that she is safe.”

Valan dropped both feet to the floor and leaned forward. “You alarm me, Miss Stone. What do you mean by ‘once you find her’? Is she lost?”

“Not lost, sir. Kidnapped.”

When Miss Stone finished her story, Valan again stared at the emerald ring he wore. “When I said today was a singular day, little did I know how right I was.”

“We must go at once to Lord Gordon’s home and demand that he return Jeanine to us,” Peigi exclaimed.

“That is exactly what he would expect us to do,” Valan said grimly.

“You don’t mean to leave her with him?” Peigi cried.

“I do not.” Valan looked at Miss Stone, who sat on the chair to his left, her hands clasped on her lap more tightly than usual. “You searched for half an hour with no sign of her?” he asked. “Gordon was with you that entire time?”

She nodded. “At least for that time, he could not have been aware of her whereabouts.”

Valan nodded. “I wonder that my carriage has not returned. You instructed them to stay there until they saw Jeanine?”

“Aye, my lord.” She met his gaze squarely. “Despite her command not to tell you, I should have come directly to you.”

“On that point, we are in agreement,” he said. “We will leave that for later. First, I would like to know if my carriage is still there. If it is, then Gordon will expect a visit from me.” He rose and crossed to the door, then pulled the bell pull.

A moment later, Baldwin appeared. “Please have my bay saddled immediately,” Valan instructed. “I shall be ready to leave in fifteen minutes.”

Baldwin bowed and left.

“You cannot go alone,” Peigi said. “Lord Gordon would love nothing better than to finish what he started twenty years ago.”

Valan lifted a brow. “Only an hour ago, you told me that I should have forgotten that incident.”

She tsked. “An hour ago, he hadn’t kidnapped Jeanine. Oh, how I would like to shoot him myself.”

He looked at her in surprise. “Peigi, I have never seen you roused to such passions.”

Her brow knit in a deep frown. “You’re awfully blasé for a man whose ward has been kidnapped.”

“Quite the contrary,” he said. “But I plan to save my passions for Gordon.”