Page 103 of A Cinderella to Redeem the Earl

‘I haven’t been able to see him, but I sent a message saying I could come up with half of it...’

A gentleman dressed in Tudor robes, muttered something to his companion wearing a tricorn and powdered wig. ‘It is Long,’ his companion replied. ‘The effrontery of the fellow.’

They made a show of turning their backs.

A gap opened up around her and Mr Long. A circle of disdain.

Long turned fiery red. ‘Someone must have learned about me not meeting my obligation. Did he not agree to receiving a partial payment?’

Pamela’s stomach fell away. ‘No, but I have thought of a plan. I did not expect people to know...’

‘Everyone knew tonight was the deadline.’ Long looked mortified. ‘I would not have come if I had known he refused to wait. You should have let me know.’

‘I had no idea the deadline was tonight. You did not tell me.’ Her mind raced. She had to do something. ‘I will speak to him.’

‘It is too late.’ Long strode away, his head held high, but the view of thetonwas made perfectly clear as they moved aside as if his touch could cause contamination.

She felt slightly ill. Only one person could have let fall that Long had failed to discharge his debt of honour by the appointed time. Damian. She scanned the room, looking for his imposing presence. There. Near the orchestra.

She started towards him.

The clock struck midnight.

Oh. No. She did not want to be here for the unmasking. She would have to speak with him after the ball. She was not going to allow this to happen to poor Mr Long.

It would be even more of a disaster if she was recognised.

She turned to make her way out of the room.

A hand caught her arm. Pip.

‘Where are you going?’ he asked.

She tugged to free her arm. ‘Pip. You know I always leave before the unmasking.’

‘Not this time, I think.’

‘What?’

She glanced down the room to where Damian was already making his way up on to the dais with the orchestra. About to announce the unmasking.

‘Pip. Let me go. What are you doing?’

But he wasn’t looking at her. His grasp remained firm and he was watching Damian.

Chapter Sixteen

As arranged, the orchestra was finishing up a waltz a few minutes before midnight. Damian glanced around for Pamela.

This was the moment he had chosen to reveal her identity. To ruin her in the eyes of society.

He gave a sigh of relief as he saw her making her way to the ballroom doors. His plan had been to ask her to dance with him. One last dance, right before the unmasking, and then—

But of course he had not. Could not do so.

The thought of hurting her, of causing her any sort of pain, made him feel physically ill.

Call him a coward, dishonourable, whatever it was his father would have thought of him, he wasn’t going to ruin an innocent woman because her mother and father had behaved badly to his parents.