"Good Lord! He's getting away!" Trapped behind him, Phyllida lifted her skirts and leaped over him.
He caught her in mid-leap and hauled her back. "No!"
She fell on him. "But-" She wriggled furiously, silk skirts a-froth in his lap. "I might catch him!"
"Or he might catch you!" He tightened his arm around her and she quieted.
"Oh."
"Oh, indeed." Teeth gritted, he shifted her so her hip wasn't grinding into him, then tried to ease his shoulder.
She turned to him. "He was waiting."
"With this." Lucifer reached out and pulled a cane toward them, then lifted it so they both could see. The top of the cane was a lion's head, brass and very heavy.
"It usually sits in the corner by the door." Phyllida looked at the corridor door, and tried not to think about what might have happened if Lucifer's reflexes hadn't been so honed. If he hadn't ducked and the cane had connected with his skull, he might have died, or at least lost consciousness. Leaving her facing the murderer.
She turned to Lucifer and saw the same realization in his gaze. "We have to get back to the ballroom."
Chapter 16
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"Jonas, I wonder if we might have a word." Phyllida by his side, Lucifer smiled at the two young ladies with whom Jonas had been conversing.
The young ladies giggled; they bobbed curtsies, then bustled away, casting coy glances over their shoulders.
Jonas met Lucifer's eyes. "Any trouble?"
"As a matter of fact, yes." Lucifer smiled as if they were bandying observations.
Jonas looked at Phyllida. "I thought Phyl was with you."
"I was," Phyllida put in. "But that's not the trouble."
Jonas raised a brow. Phyllida looked away and decided to leave the explanations to Lucifer.
"Did you notice any of the gentlemen slipping away about fifteen minutes ago?"
Jonas raised both brows. "Cedric left, then Basil left. Filing had left before that. And Grisby, too. There had to be others missing as well, because there was a dance and there weren't many couples on the floor and not many men standing out. Lady Fortemain was beating the bushes."
"Has Cedric returned?"
"He came back a few minutes ago-Basil returned a bare minute before that. They both looked a trifle choleric. I haven't seen any others slipping back, but I wasn't watching." Jonas looked at them. "What happened?"
Briefly, Lucifer told him. Phyllida scanned the room, trying to determine which gentlemen were present. The crowd was still considerable. "Do you think," she said, when Lucifer fell silent, "that we might engineer a trap?"
They both looked at her, identical expressions of male incomprehension on their faces, as if she'd spoken in an alien tongue.
"What sort of trap?" Lucifer eventually asked.
"I didn't get a glance at the murderer this time and you only got the barest glimpse. He must know that-there's no reason for him to flee. Assuming he's still present, perhaps we can encourage him to show himself again."
Lucifer stared at her. "With you as bait?"
"If you both keep watch, then there's no reason I should be in any danger."
"If we're both watching-if either of us is anywhere near-he won't make a move. We've known from the first he's not stupid."