Once Upon a Temptingly Ruinous Kiss - Bree Wolf Page 0,110

Gillingham’s face, he nodded. “Very well. I hope you will recover swiftly.” He turned his mount down the path. “Until tonight.” After a last word of farewell, he disappeared down the path.

Leonora breathed a sigh of relief, almost slumping down in the saddle, her balance hopelessly unsteady.

“What happened here?” Drake inquired, his voice tense and harsh. Yet, the look in his eyes held deepest concern as he urged his own mount closer. “What did he say? What did he…do?” Again, his eyes narrowed, and Leonora could see suspicions dancing in his gray gaze. “Did he—? Was he the one who—?”

“No!” Leonora rushed to assure him, suddenly afraid when she saw murderous thought begin to burn in his eyes. For so long, Leonora had been all but certain that they would never learn the name of her attacker. Now that she knew, she could not help but worry what might happen next. What if Drake found out? What if her family found out? Her father? Her brother?

All of them were deeply protective of her, willing to go to great lengths to shield her, to ensure her safety. It made Leonora feel cherished and treasured and loved, but it also made her fearful. After all, had Drake not called out men before? Would he do so again?

Tell me who hurt you, and I will put a bullet between his eyes. Had those not been his exact words?

No, he could not know. For his own safety and well-being, she could not tell him. Somehow, she needed to solve this on her own. But how?

If only she knew.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

The Dowager Speaks Again

Drake did not know what to make of Leonora’s strange behavior. Indeed, the day had not gone as expected, as he had hoped.

Unfortunately, he was not granted a chance to inquire after further details with regard to her conversation with Lord Gillingham because her two youngest sisters finally reached their side. Yet, neither one of them noticed Leonora’s distress, each one distracted by their own concerns.

“If we are to get ready in time for tonight’s ball,” Lady Christina stated, looking from one sister to the other, “then I believe it is time we return home.”

The youngest, red-haired sister barely stifled a groan, casting a sideways glance at him. “Must we truly attend? In truth, I would much rather stay home and teach King Arthur a few new words.”

Drake was momentarily confused until Lady Christina rolled her eyes and said, “Who on earth calls a parrot King Arthur?” She shook her head. “Will you not consider changing it? It does sound ludicrous!”

Lady Harriet seemed deeply affronted. “It is his name! I cannot simply change it. Perhaps you should change your name.” She grinned at her sister rather mischievously.

This somewhat nonsensical conversation continued for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile, Drake could not help but stare at Leonora, deeply upset by the paleness of her cheeks as well as the faraway look in her eyes. It seemed as though she had retreated from the world around her, locked in a place in her mind. What had brought on this shock? For she did look shocked, terribly shocked, by something that had come upon her unannounced. Had it been Gillingham? Could he have been the one who had attacked her the night of the masquerade?

Drake felt his insides tense at the thought, outrage starting to boil in his veins. He clenched his hands, only loosening their hold upon the reins when his gelding tossed up its head.

“Good day, Lord Pemberton,” Lady Christina said with a nod in his direction, bidding him farewell. Whatever had happened in the moments since he had lost interest in their conversation, it seemed that they had decided to return home. “Shall we see you at tonight’s ball?” Her watchful eyes moved from him to Leonora and back.

Drake nodded. “Most definitely.” There was no way he would not attend, not when it seemed that Lord Gillingham had every intention of meeting Leonora there that night. Clearly, she disliked the thought; yet, Drake wondered why she did not say something. Was it simply because her sisters were present? Truth be told, it seemed that by now, all of her family knew what had happened to her. Therefore, there was no reason to keep silent, to not alert everyone to her discovery.

Indeed, Drake had to admit that he was surprised to learn—presumably—that it had been Gillingham who had attacked her. Indeed, the young man had always seemed almost sickeningly polite and restrained in his manners.