“Whatever do you mean?”
“I can see where your questions to Lady Sarah are coming from. Having told me of your arrangement with Lord Foster, is it not now the case that you believe Lord Gillespie had something to do with his misfortune?”
Alice nodded.
“Lord Gillespie was the one who sent Lord Foster and the other gentlemen to the east side of London.Hewas the one who gave them the names of the gambling dens they frequented, and for whatever reason, Lord Gillespie himself was unable to attend with them! That night, all six gentlemen found themselves robbed in one way or another - at least, that is what I believe took place.” Alice gave her friend a brief smile. “I cannot see what Lord Gillespie’s death has to do with Lord Foster’s predicament, but I believe there may be a correlation.”
Lady Florence shook her head, sighed, and pressed lightly at the bridge of her nose for a moment or two.
“I hope that you are not going to be in any danger.”
Alice smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
“I am afraid I cannot say for certain, my dear friend. But I have promised to aid Lord Foster in whatever way I can, and I fully intend to do so.” Catching sight of the very gentleman in question, her eyes widened slightly. “Forgive me, but I must go and speak to him. He is standing in the shadows but has been watching us speak with Lady Sarah, I think.”
Lady Florence glanced over her shoulder, but evidently not seeing him, let her gaze return to Alice.
“Very well. I should like to know if you discover anything.” A touch of pink came into her cheeks, and she pulled her gaze away. “It is not because I have any feelings for Lord Foster or wish that our betrothal continued, but it is more a mild curiosity. And, of course, I am eager to know that you will remain safe.”
“I shall do so.”
Giving her friend’s hand a light squeeze, Alice made her way across the ballroom, heedless of her mother’s presence and how far she stepped from it. Making her way to the edge of the room, she smiled as she approached Lord Foster. He was standing near the wall, his face half hidden in shadow, but he turned towards her a little more as she drew near.
“Miss Lawrence.” Offering her a swift nod, he kept his hands behind his back. “I saw you speaking with Lady Sarah.”
“Yes. Lord Gillespie and she were very close but were not yet betrothed, nor even courting. She seemed deeply upset at his loss, however. I believe that a betrothal would shortly have taken place had he not been snatched from her.”
“A very difficult situation, I am sure.”
Something flickered in his eyes and Alice took a step closer. From what she could see of his expression, his jaw was tight, and his eyes were searching her face as if he was desperate to know what it was that she had discovered, but yet was unwilling to press her.
“Lady Sarah told me very little, other than the fact that Lord Gillespie had spoken to her on occasion of a situation he found himself in. A situation that he wished to remove himself from, but where he was not permitted to do so. She believes it caused him a great deal of trouble.”
“A situation he could not remove himself from?” A frown darkened Lord Foster’s eyes even further. “What do you mean?”
“A business situation, I believe. There were no particulars and, as much as I would like to offer you more, I cannot do so. I am afraid that she knew very little.”
His shoulders dropped.
“That is better than nothing at all.”
“Oh, there was one other thing which was mentioned. She did state that she believed there were other gentlemen involved in this business affair and that one of them was a Viscount.”
Lord Foster snatched in a breath, stepped forward, and caught her arm, as a fervency filled his eyes. Her breath caught in her chest, and she looked back at him, a little mesmerized by his change in demeanor.
“A Viscount, you say?”
“Yes, Lord Foster.”
Alice’s heart began to quicken as his fingers wrapped around her arm a little more tightly. He was so very close to her, his breath brushing across her cheek, as if in a tender gesture.
“A sudden memory has just come back to me, Miss Lawrence.” Lord Foster’s eyes flared wide. “When you said that a Viscount had been involved, I recall now that the gentleman across the table from me on that fateful night was himself a Viscount.”
“Are- are you quite certain?”
There was no mistaking the excitement and anticipation in Lord Foster’s voice, but Alice wondered how he could be sure when his memory of the event was meant to be so very muddled.
Lord Foster moved closer still until his lips were only inches away from hers. No doubt it was so that they could speak in confidence, but Alice’s skin prickled, and her pulse quickened at the nearness of him. A gentleman had never stood so close to her before. And now that Lord Foster did so, Alice found herself quite overwhelmed. Her mouth was dry, her tongue was feeling a little too large for her mouth, and thus she clamped her lips shut, refusing to say another word until her heart rate returned to normal.