Page 47 of Master Wolf
Chapter Fourteen
Drew returnedto the ballroom where he found Marguerite with a group of gentlemen that included Begg and Wynne—who must have arrived in the last few minutes.
“Excuse me, gentlemen. I must borrow my lovely wife for a moment,” Drew said. “Do not worry. I shall return her to you momentarily.”
There was some good-natured grumbling and laughter as he drew her aside.
“Is something wrong?” she asked quietly as they strolled.
“No, it’s merely that Lindsay is exhausted. I’m going to take him back to Albany Street. I won’t be gone long.”
Marguerite halted, forcing Drew to stop too. He thought she might argue with him, but after eyeing him for several moments, she nodded. “All right,” she said. “You need not rush back. I have snared Mr. Begg for the supper dance, which is the one after this. I will tell him you have been called away”—she quirked a smile—“It will give me an excuse to have a nice long tête-à-tête with him.”
Drew smiled back dutifully, but the truth was, he didn’t care what Marguerite would be doing. All he could think about was Lindsay, waiting for him outside, frail and exhausted.
Marguerite sighed. “Go then,” she said. “Just be back before the last dancing set begins. I may want you to insist that I dance it with you—we will see how things go.”
Drew nodded, not even bothering to ask her why. His mind was already on Lindsay. He wouldn’t put it past him to slip out of the Assembly Rooms and make his way home without waiting for Drew, and the way he’d looked a few minutes ago, he’d be keeling over halfway home if he tried.
Drew delivered Marguerite back to her admirers, pausing only to offer Wynne a quick nod, before he strode out of the ballroom again, heading for the stairs.
He wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or alarmed when he glanced down and found that Lindsay was almost at the bottom of the staircase, carefully descending the final steps, his movements slow and pained, his grip on his cane very tight.
He was moving like an old man.
Swallowing against a sudden obstruction in his throat, Drew made his own way down, slowing his pace to allow Lindsay to complete the journey before him.
At the bottom he asked, his tone brisk, “Are you ready to go?”
Lindsay sighed wearily. “Very.”
“Good. Shall we take the carriage? It’ll be quicker.”
Lindsay sent him a hard look. “I’m perfectly capable of walking for five minutes, Drew.”
Drew sighed. “Very well. Let’s go.”
* * *
It took them fifteen minutes.Fifteen slow and painful minutes. For the last few of them, Lindsay even allowed Drew to put his arm around him and take a bit of his weight.
“You’re bad tonight,” Drew said as they finally turned onto Albany Street.
“Yes,” Lindsay whispered, and in that moment, Drew was swamped by the conviction that Lindsay was killing himself. It was a thought that filled him with wild, panicky fear, but he didn’t know what to do about it. How to persuade Lindsay that he must stop.
He knew that Lindsay would not stop.
When they finally reached the front door, Drew reached for the bellpull. A moment later the young manservant from the previous day opened the door, stepping aside to let them enter the hallway before discreetly withdrawing.
Lindsay turned to face Drew, his face drawn and exhausted, but determined. “You need to get back to the assembly,” he said. “But thank you for seeing me home.”
“I’m in no hurry,” Drew replied, shrugging. “Marguerite doesn’t need me—she plans to monopolise Begg for the next hour or two. He’s panting after her like a faithful hound already.”
He stepped forward, reaching for the buttons on Lindsay’s greatcoat.
“What are you doing?” Lindsay said irritably.
“Getting your coat off. Once I’ve accomplished that, I’ll take you upstairs.”