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“The assailant had a knife, and I turned it on him. He’ll be easy to search out with an injury like that.”

“Like what?” Loxton asked, and I realised I was not dealing with a pompous fool.

I kept opening my mouth without thinking and falling right into the shit.

“Well, he must have had a serious wound to leave this much blood about my person, so I imagine the ragamuffin will be easy to trace.”

The duke relaxed, at last satisfied with my explanation. He asked after the ball, and I answered Loxton’s questions, pleased with myself. A knock on the door interrupted us, and Lady Susan poked her head round.

“Come in, child, say your thanks,” Loxton demanded.

“In truth, that is why I interrupted you. Jacques…” Susan began familiarly, then paused as her father frowned. I winked, and Susan smiled slightly.

“Marquis Du Mont, I owe you thanks for your brave acts tonight. I dread to think what would have happened…” Susan broke off, paling, but pulled herself together.

Haughton had picked a good one.

“Lady Susan, the pleasure’s all mine. Now, if you will excuse me.”

Deftly, I expressed gratitude for the hospitality and left.

Susan winked in return as I left the room, and I smiled again. We had become slight friends, and I thought that our friendship might deepen when she married Haughton.

The next day, I was disturbed by a banging on my bedroom door (I slept a little due to my exertions and to give a semblance of normalcy). Before I could utter a word, it was flung open by an excited Haughton.

“Well done, Jacques!” he boomed, walking in uninvited.

I saw my butler agitatedly standing behind him and waved him away. No doubt that Haughton had marched straight in.

“What?” I asked, making a show of stretching and wiping sleep out of my eyes.

With a faked yawn, I sat up and threw on a dressing gown.

“With Susan. Your rescue was all I needed to get her hand in marriage. Loxton’s very impressed with the friends I keep. Old Loxton said that if my friends were willing to risk themselves for my daughter when she is not betrothed, then Susan should be very safe when married. I asked Susan for her hand this morning, and she said yes!”

I paused, trying to take in what Haughton was saying so quickly. Then I remembered the previous night.

Oh yes, the nasty, filthy vampires.

Well, there were two less requiring attention.

Haughton was trying to shake my hand as I waved him away. He sat on the edge of the bed as I disappeared behind a screen to wash and dress.

“Was Susan in real danger, Jacques?” Haughton asked more soberly. Haughton had been so elated at having his proposal accepted that he had forgotten what had happened.

“I can’t confirm how much danger, but Lady Susan was in peril. Who knows what the beggar wanted, but he left empty-handed, and that’s the end of the story.”

“My friend, we shall disagree. Susan must have been in serious danger, for he had knocked the carriage driver and her mother out. Poor Baker is beside himself that he didn’t protect the ladies properly. Not Baker’s fault if he received a blow from behind.”

“That is true,” I said, coming out from the screen and struggling with my cravat. “I hate these blasted things,” I muttered as Haughton rose and took over.

Haughton did it a lot nicer than I would have, and I thanked him.

“Now, I have to ask if you will do me the honour of being the best man at the wedding. After all, I owe you Susan’s life—and her hand.”

Happily, I grinned and nodded, pleased for him. Haughton loved Susan and would have been devastated should harm have occurred to her.

That made me remember that I planned to go hunting. The miserable weather in London allowed me to hunt during the day. Vampires had a God Almighty fear of daylight and slept in coffins or graves during it.