Slap your assailant, more like.
But no. Escape was a far better plan.
“May I?” She infused the question with hopeful wonder.
“Yes.” His approving smile returned. “That’s a good girl. Doesn’t it feel nice to please?”
She forced a bashful expression. “Idearlywish to pleaseyou.”
Gently puckering her lips, she raised herself to her toes.
He closed his eyes.That’s a good boy.
“Oh, my lord…”
He smiled slightly, a cat with a bowl of cream. She cracked the door. The light picked up the blade, now only loosely held in his hand.
There you are.
In a little less than a wink, she ducked beneath his arm, snatched away his knife, and slipped out into the loud, undulating mass.
Chapter Seven
Millie’s heart thunderedin her ears as loudly as the applause just a few minutes before. She mingled with the milling crowd, and, to keep herself from Willard’s detection, she kept her head lowered and, with slightly bent knees to lessen her height, she mimicked the movements she’d observed the man in the pit using earlier in the evening.
Sidling proved more effective for her than for him as she made her way through the corridor outside the box. Being smaller, she was able to slip past several groups of gentlemen and ladies without causing too much stir.
Behind her, the door to the Eltenham box clattered.
“Damnation!”
Willard’s cry—a shocking, openly uttered oath—echoed against the walls. Every eye turned to him. Every eye but Millicent’s.
She used the distraction to duck behind a column.
A moment of stunned silence followed. Then, slowly, murmurs rose again as men returned to their conversations.Of course, most men would ignore a gross infraction made by one of their own. The ladies, on the other hand, remained wide-eyed and frozen, gazes fixed on Willard.
Where was Lady Eltenham? Wasn’t thereanyonepresent to whom she could turn?
Frantically, she studied faces.
Unfortunately, she recognized none. Perhaps she should have paid more attention when Lady Sarah had been pointing out the people she should know.
“Me boys, Me boys…”
She pressed herself against the wood painted to look like stone. Across the corridor, she recognized the man who’d been seated next to her leading the pack of Willard’s friends out of the lounge she’d passed on the way in.
“…High time we return,” he continued. “He’s expecting us. We’ve our own parts to play.”
Low laughter rumbled among the men. She backed away.
“What about his mum?”
“Out cold on the bench.”
“Dastardly.”
“As ‘ole Will says, whyaskwhen you canensure?”