"Why did you punch him in the face?" Ella whispered, glancing around, making sure no one saw that.

Robert fixed his hands under the unconscious man's armpits and dragged him into the dark corner of the Corinthian column. Clapping his hands off imaginary dirt, he pointed at the double door that led to the courtyard.

"Behind that door is Gerrard," he said. "I don't know what he plans but the both of you alone out there can be dangerous."

"That's a lie," Ella disputed frowning, her hands on her slim waist. "My mother is in that courtyard and I don't have time for this, My Lord."

He casually raised a brow. "Me, or a stranger in a home you've never been to before, who would you believe?"

Ella took calculated thoughts on the right answer. She knew she was meant to trust him since she was looking for a way to show her worth to his cause. But she wouldn't let him think she was so inclined to him. He may begin to think she had fallen for him.

"I'll take my chances." She said, walking past him. Though there was no way in God's name that she would want to be in the same room with Gerrard. Dancing with him was disgusting enough.

"You're so stubborn." Robert gripped her tightly by the arm and began to lead her back to the ball.

"Leave me alone!"

Her protests and struggles were futile as he easily dragged her across the hallway, his motion as if he was carrying a feather. How could he be so strong?

"I won't let you ruin your honour by going into that courtyard." He said after a minute of ignoring her.

"Why do you care about my honour?"

He looked over his shoulder as he kept walking, his blue eyes carrying a feeling of warmth. And just like that, he looked away. Why did he care? Wasn't he the one trying to get rid of her a week ago? There was no way he was that man who yelled at her and asked her to leave his office.

Did he love her? No, that wasn't possible. Ella wasn't half as beautiful as London's finest. And he wouldn't fall in love, he was a rake. They used women and went over to the next one.

Soon, they joined the other visitors in the ballroom, the liveliness of the room overcoming the quietness of the hallway they were once in. Robert released her hand. She was about to yell at him for carrying her like a bag of rubbish but then saw her mother in the corner of the room. She had a facade of bother on her face and she kept glancing around, probably searching for Ella.

"You were right," she turned to look for Robert but he was already gone. When did he leave? Sighing, she walked to her mother, still wondering why Robert was so keen to save her.

Knowing that Gerrard truly tried to do something bad to her this night made her despise him even further. She had considered earlier that she could meet her father so he could help them stop Gerrard. Stopping him from the inside was a good idea.

But she realised that if she did that, her father would discover she worked for Robert and he would lock her in the house forever. Asking Robert to meet her father wouldn't work either, considering her father was very loyal to Gerrard. The bastard had his paws all over her father.

So she had no choice but to keep doing what they were doing without asking for her father's help.

******

Robert picked up the body of the man he knocked out, dragging him into the darkness. He smiled, remembering how beautiful Ella had looked in her pink gown. Her peach lips were beckoning for him to claim them once more but he had to hold himself. She had made it clear to him that she didn't like him.

Shaking her off his mind, he dragged the limp body to a door in the dark corner. It was the door he came in from. It led to the forecourt where carriages were parked. He slowly opened the door and peered outside, making sure the coast was clear. When he was convinced, he carried the body over his powerful shoulders and rushed down the dimly lit forecourt.

Tows of carriages sped past him in a blur as he dashed down an aisle of them. Taking a quick turn, he bolted to his carriage and knocked on its door, breathing heavily. It swerved open revealing Howard in a red coat, the moonlight reflecting in his dark eyes.

"My Lord, you look like you ran a marathon," He teased.

Robert shoved the body into the carriage, his breath heaving. "Who knew small men were this heavy."

"Who is he?" Howard asked, inspecting the body with his intelligent dark eyes.

"He tried to trick Ella into entering a courtyard alone with Gerrard. Luckily enough I deciphered the situation quickly and saved her."

"So apparently your mission was a success."

"Indeed." Robert combed his golden hair with his long fingers. "But I'll stay the rest of the evening here."

"Thank goodness, now I can return to my wife before she yells my eardrums out."

"I'm afraid you'll have to change your plans, Mr Lithstone." Howard pouted. "Send this man to the nearest Navy ship that's about to depart. Let the commander know I was the one who sent him."

Robert knew a few commanders in the British navy to who he supplied an endless amount of radicals like this man here. Most times they ended up fighting as soldiers in their ranks. So he was doing this bloody cow a favour.

"I better be getting a raise after this," Howard said glaring down at the unconscious man who just made his night tedious.

Robert chuckled, shutting the door. "You wish." Making sure no one saw him, he headed back to the ball.

******

"Ella, where have you been?" Her mother asked, holding her by the shoulders, her eyes threatening to tear up.

A good answer would've been to tell her about what just happened. But that would be stupid. Her mother would panic. So instead, she lied.

"I went to get some air."

"When I clearly told you to stay here," her mother retorted, not sounding happy in the least.

"My apologies, Mother." Ella comprehended that Gerrard wasn't the handsome gentleman she knew from her childhood. He had killed Cowper—even though she had no proof, she believed Howard and Robert— and was dangerous. Gerrard had been suspicious from the very start—from suddenly showing interest in her to sending flowers to her home. A man like that couldn't be trusted.

"Excuse me," A voice said. "Who's this fine young lady."

Fine young lady? And a familiar voice. She nearly jumped out of her heels when she saw Robert standing before them, his hands behind his back, blue eyes looking beautiful as the deep sea. All eyes followed him and some desperate mamas were already shoving their daughters in his direction.

Her mother was still in shock that he was here talking to them. Ella was sure that if Gerrard wasn't prodding, her mother wouldn't have a problem with Robert showing interest in her. Why would she even be worrying about that? Robert was a rake and wouldn't love her. So she had to take away such stupid thoughts and toss them into the smelling Thames.

"This is my daughter, Ella Featherington," Ella's mother introduced herself, beaming like she was offered the bank of London.

"Ella," he smirked. "It sounds very familiar."

Ella felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. He was messing with her. He should better stop it or she'll give him a very good knock in the head.

"Lord Robert Stark." He bowed, greeting. "Do you by any chance have any space left in your dance card?"

Ella pursed her lips, trying to hide her cheeky grin. The thought that they both knew each other and still managed to act like they didn't was funny to her. Robert Stark wasn't that bad after all.

"I have plenty of space left."

"I hope to fill them up with my name then." He held Ella's hand, his hard fingers digging into her soft flesh. She felt her body spark with jitters at his touch. Please behave yourself. You don't want him to think you like him. He wrote his name and extended a hand to her. She took it and he led her to the dance floor.

Ella spotted eyes watching them as he held the bodice of her corset, the heat from his hands making her stomach do jumping jacks.

"They're looking at us," she whispered.

"I'm afraid that's not the case." He smirked, pulling her closer to him, her breath hitching. "They're looking at you."

"Why?"

His eyes travelled to her lips. "They've never seen an angel before."

Where were all these coming from? Ella felt her cheeks heat up and she tried to look away but felt his finger on her chin.

"Look at me, Ella." She hesitantly, gazed at him, his dreamy blue eyes making her knees weak. He smiled positively, radiating brilliance and gorgeousness through the room. No matter how many times she saw this man, she never got accustomed to how good he looked. "You have beautiful brown eyes. Do you know they get hard when you're angry and soft when you look at me?"

Ella was sure by now her cheeks were as red as a rose. Did he notice these little things? She didn't even know that happened. That was the best compliment she had ever received, and it was thoughtful too.

"You flatter me, My Lord." She had finally gained the confidence to smile at him while maintaining eye contact.

"I saw you dance with Gerrard Finley."

Ella's eyes widened her hands on his shoulders which were hard as a rock.

"Ah, yes."

"What did you two talk about?" He asked, raising a brow.

"Nothing much, but he had asked me to join him for a hunting party tomorrow." He frowned, biting a corner of his lips. Was he jealous? "Is there a problem, My Lord?"

He smiled sharply. "Of course not."

"Okay." Ella shrugged, side glancing at him with a cheeky smirk. "It's okay to be jealous."

He chuckled. Even his laugh was beautiful. "If you say so. But I could never be jealous of Gerrard. I could as well be jealous of a pig."

Ella laughed so hard that she snorted like a bloody pig. She covered her mouth, face purple with embarrassment. "I'm sorry."

"Remind me notto make you laugh again." He was trying his best to hold back a grin.

"It's not that bad," Ella pinched him and relished at the sight of him wincing.

"Aye," he said, "What did you say when he asked you to go to the party."

"That I'll think about it."

"You must go."

Ella frowned, wondering why he would want her to visit a man she hated with every inch of her being. Maybe 'Reasonable Robert' had gone and the Rake of London was back again.

"Why should I go?" She asked, her voice laced with anger. Gerrard had already tried to do something unpleasant to her tonight. Why in the queen's name would she even want to lay eyes on him again?

"I need your help."

Her brown eyes softened, her anger dissipating. Robert needs my help. This was it. This was her chance to prove that she was a valuable member of the team.

"With what?" Ella asked, as he twirled her by her hips and caught her again.

"It's about Emily's parents. I have someone on the inside of Gerrard's house who will try to get some important information from his home office. I need you to find a way to make sure he doesn't get home till you see a green smoke signal in the sky. Can you do that for me?

Ella didn't need to know more. All she wanted to do was to help and that she would do.

She nodded her head.