“Say nothing at all about my guest,” Lord Rankin said rapidly into my ear.
“Not a word to any of the staff, or my wife, or anyone in this household. Do
you understand?”
He punctuated his question with shakes of my arm. Because Lord Rankin,
as I said, was not much taller than me, I could look into his eyes, close to my
own. I saw in them vast rage and also terrible fear. The fear surprised me.
What on earth could worry him so?
I was not to find out tonight. Lord Rankin shoved me toward the top step and
so abruptly released me that I nearly toppled down the stairs. I caught myself
on the newel post, took one step down, and turned back.
“I would never betray a confidence,” I told him coldly. “Good night, my lord.”
I turned and walked down the stairs with all the dignity I could find in myself.
I felt Lord Rankin watching me go, but when I reached the bottom of that
flight and glanced up again, he had gone.