‘Doubtful,’ he answered his sister; he could not imagine Lisette voluntarily calling upon Maystone.
‘You do believe she is innocent, Christian?’ his sister prompted anxiously.
‘Withou
t a doubt,’ he confirmed distractedly; he now knew that Lisette was far too headstrong, too outspoken—too forward, he added as he recalled their conversation of earlier—to be in the least proficient at subterfuge. ‘She has been gone for hours, Marcus.’ He gave a shake of his head. ‘She is headstrong and impulsive but she is not stupid, and I warned her that it is not safe for her here!’
‘Perhaps you should have thought of that before bringing her to England?’ Julianna said quietly. ‘Although I have to admit to a selfish need to see and speak with her in person, in order that I might thank her for saving my brother’s life...’
A sharp reminder from Julianna, perhaps even a rebuke, as to the reason Lisette was in England at all?
Christian sighed heavily. ‘I am well aware of what I owe her, Julianna. I just wish—’ His mouth firmed. ‘She never listens to a word I say to her!’
‘Perhaps that is because you do not ask but tell, Christian?’
His jaw tightened at this second rebuke from his sister. ‘Asking or telling; neither seems to make the slightest bit of difference. Lisette will always do exactly as she pleases.’
‘Another reason why I shall like her!’ Julianna’s eyes sparkled merrily. ‘But I can see how you might find that...irritating.’ She sobered as he continued to scowl.
Christian now gave an impatient snort. ‘She is stubborn as a mule!’
‘She is also missing,’ Marcus reminded softly.
‘I am well aware of that fact!’ Christian stood up to restlessly pace the room, more worried than he cared to admit.
What if Lisette had been set upon by thieves or pickpockets and was even now lying in a gutter somewhere, injured and alone? Or, worse yet, perhaps she had been accosted by those lower-than-low men and women who dealt in the sale of female flesh?
There were any number of scenarios Christian could imagine befalling the naive innocent that Lisette undoubtedly was, albeit a brave one, and each scenario was more horrifying than the last.
‘Perhaps you should return to Sutherland House?’ Julianna suggested gently. ‘Lisette may have returned in your absence and now be worried about you.’
Christian had already thought of that; he had just needed to vent some of his tension, created by his anger and worry over Lisette’s whereabouts, before he saw her again. Otherwise he knew he could not be responsible for his actions the moment he set eyes on her again, no matter where they might be or who might be present when it occurred.
‘Perhaps you should go with him, my love.’ Julianna smiled at Worthing. ‘I am sure that Christian would welcome your...moral support at this difficult time.’
‘I believe you mean to say my efforts might be required to restrain him from doing poor little Lisette harm when he sees her again.’ Worthing gave a boyish grin, obviously enjoying himself, no doubt at Christian’s expense.
‘Poor little Lisette, my—!’ Christian broke off before he was ungentlemanly enough to swear in front of his sister. ‘She is also responsible for causing absolute chaos in my life since saving it!’ Christian came back disgustedly.
‘Well, yes,’ Julianna conceded with a slight smile. ‘But is that not better than the boredom and ennui that has occasionally bothered you in the past?’
Christian stared at her dumbstruck for a few moments before turning away. ‘If you are coming, Worthing, I suggest we leave now.’ He did not have an answer to his sister’s probing question.
Mainly because he knew Julianna was in the right of it; who could possibly be bored or suffer from ennui when they had the irrepressible Lisette to prevent from becoming embroiled in her next escapade?
Where the hell was she?
If she was not back at Sutherland House when he returned, then he would—
He would what?
If Lisette had not returned, three hours after she had supposedly gone for a simple stroll outside in the fresh air, then something must have happened to her. In which case, neither his anger nor his threats to her would be of the slightest significance.
‘I am sure she is safe, Christian—’
‘You can no more be sure of that than I am, Marcus!’ Christian glowered at his brother-in-law a short time later as the two of them travelled back to Sutherland House in Marcus’s ducal carriage, a convenience Christian was more grateful for than he cared to admit, his thigh having now become a continuous and painful throb after so much physical exertion.
He somehow knew, as he stepped down from the carriage outside Sutherland House, that Lisette was not contained within its walls. He would have sensed her presence there, would have felt that quiver of awareness that always seemed to be in the air whenever she was near.