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“Take me to her” He had no desire to be alone in a room with the vixen

Hopkins appeared behind them, his breathless pants audible “Sir, has … has Robert—”

“Yes, yes I know about Miss Pearce Follow me, Hopkins”

They allin the centre, shocked to find no sign of the injured Miss Pearce

“Where the hell is she?” Matthew stabbed his finger at the eone?”

“But I don’t understand” Robert scratched his head “She was here a few o”

With his heart pounding hard in his chest, Matthew scanned the room “Well, she’s not here now” He strode over to theand searched behind the drapes, noticed the slight breeze coe Surely she’d not climbed out of the ? “Why the blazes did you leave her alone?”

You’d be surprised how helpful your staff can be when a lady feels unwell

Miss Pearce’s words had come back to haunt him

“Perhaps she felt better, sir, and wandered back to the ballroom”

“Then let us go and speak to John”

They returned to the hall

“After Robert and Hopkins carried Miss Pearce to the drawing room, at any point did she return to the hall?”

“No, sir Other than Mr Chigwell and Mrs Wilson, I’ve seen no one else”

Hopkins cleared his throat “I was in the ballroom at the time, sir It was John and Robert who carried Miss Pearce into the room and made her comfortable”