Chapter 25
Matthias’ blood turned cold at her words.
“Esmond?” Nick frowned. “She ran off with Esmond?”
“No, no,” Charlotte choked back her tears. “He dragged her into his phaeton! I was looking for her and I heard her cry out, but I couldn’t reach them! I heard him say he’d have her calmed down by the time they’d reached Gretna Greene! Oh, Nicky!” Charlotte had obviously reached her limit, because she next dissolved into floods of tears.
Holding his sister in his arms Nick looked a bit bewildered himself. “Beresford,” he said, ushering Charlotte back into the ballroom. “We must find Beresford.”
Charlotte dug her heels in at once, literally and figuratively. “Beresford. Nicky, are you mad? He can never know about this! If—”
“Charlotte, listen to me,” Nick shook her once, hard. “The o
