“They carried her into the Great Hall,” said Ulverston, catching up with him. “But what’s all this, Ger? Come on, now! No humdudgeon! What tricks has that brother of yours been playing on you? Out with it!”
“None at all. I’ll explain it to you presently, Lucy, but not now! Only don’t look daggers at Martin! It wasn’t he who tried to murder me!”
“I suppose he told you so! Upon my word, Ger — ! And what about that Leek of his?”
“Lucy, how can you be such a greenhorn?” demanded Gervase, casting his hat and his gloves on to the settle in the vestibule. “Did you never see a Bow Street Runner before?”
He then strode towards the Great Hall, checked for an instant on the threshold, blinking at the unexpected number of persons assembled there, and then perceived Miss Morville, lying on one of the sofas, interestingly pale, and with one arm in a sling. She had raised herself from her supporting cushions, and was looking towards the doorway, so painful an expression of anxiety in her white face that the Earl forgot his surroundings, and, wholly ignoring everyone else in the Hall, quickly crossed the floor, exclaiming: “My poor dear! Why, what has happened to you, my poor child?”
He dropped on his knee beside the sofa, taking the hand that was trying to grasp one of the capes of his coat, and holding it comfortingly. Miss Morville, equally oblivious of her entourage, gazed worshipfully into the blue eyes so tenderly smiling at her, and said foolishly: “You are safe! Nothing dreadful happened to you!”
“Nothing more dreadful than being driven back to Stanyon by Martin!” he assured her. “But you! How came you to tumble down the stairs as soon as my back was turned?”
“The stupidest thing!” said Miss Morville, despising herself. “I wanted to stop Martin — I thought it was the one thing that would put you in danger! Only I tripped over my train, and fell! I cannot think how I came to do such a thing!”
The Earl slipped his arm behind her, and raised the hand he was still holding to his lips. “You guessed it all, didn’t you, most wise and most foolish Miss Morville?”
Miss Morville, finding his shoulder so invitingly close, was glad to rest her head against it. “Oh no! How could I think such a terrible thing? Was it true? I would not tell you the thoughts in my head, because they were so very dreadful! Besides,” she added, “it was not my business, and I was so very nearly sure that you knew!”