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Gregory took in his words, his jaw clenching. “Then we must assume the worst, and plan for it.”

“I would assume exactly that, Your Grace, in your position.” Pell drew out a folded paper from his coat and set it on the desk between them. “I have had a man watching the house where Dornet has lodged this past fortnight, modestly. Either way, he has purchased new boots and a coat this week, so I would assume that he wishes to make a good impression this week.”

“So we know for sure that he will be in attendance,” Gregory replied.

“I would have footmen stationed at every door that leads toward the nursery floor, discreetly, as though merely attending to the evening’s service. I would see to it that Her Grace’s promise to stay clear of him is one you enforce rather more firmly than you perhaps enforced your earlier instruction.”

Gregory allowed himself a thin, humorless smile at that. “You are not wrong to say so.”

“I have rarely met a lady so determined to see justice done. It is, if I may say so, Your Grace, rather a remarkable thing to watch in a woman of her station, who might very easily have left the whole business to the men around her.”

“She has never once, in the whole of our acquaintance, been content to leave a thing to the men around her.” Something in Gregory’s voice, saying it, had gone unmistakably fond. “It is, I have come to learn, one of the very best things about her.”

“Then I should simply plan for both of them, Your Grace. The danger, and the Duchess, as well. In case she decides to take matters into her own hand again,” Pell rose, gathering his papers. “I will have my men in place by the first carriage. Whatever else happens tonight, he will not leave that house a free man, if I have any say in the matter at all.”

The duke nodded at him, and he stood to take his leave before he paused at the door, something almost gentle in his usually unreadable face.

“I will say this much. I have followed a great many sorrowful stories to their endings in my years at this trade, and very few of them end as well as I believe yours is about to. I am glad of it, for your sake, and for the boy’s, and, if you will permit me to say so, for hers as well.”

He left Gregory alone with that thought.

Meanwhile Phillipa had decided to make another visit to the orphanage.

“He was at the gate again this morning, Your Grace. Only looking through the bars at the yard, same as before but he did not knock.”

She had been unable to stay entirely in the house with her own thoughts for company, and found Mrs. Fairley waiting for her.

“How long did he stay?”

“The better part of an hour, by the boy at the gate’s reckoning. He did not come in. He only stood across the lane, where he could see the children at their lessons through the window, and when Tom spotted him and waved, as children will, he lifted his hat very politely and went away again.”

Something cold settled in Phillipa’s stomach. “He is watching for the ball. Counting the days, I expect, the same as the rest of us.”

“I expect so, Your Grace. I have told the staff to keep the gate latched of an evening, and the older boys know to fetch me the moment any stranger lingers past a reasonable hour.” Mrs. Fairley folded her arms, studying Phillipa’s face. “I hope that this doesn’t worry you too much. I can that you are not sleeping well, I think.”

“Is it so very plain?” Phillipa said with a small smile.

“I don’t mean to overstep, of course. But I only say it out of concern. You have done so much for the orphanage and continue to do so. I just hate to see you so upset about this stranger.”

Phillipa knew that this man was no longer a stranger. Or at the very least, she knew who he was. But she wasn’t going to let Mrs Fairley know about that.

“I’m not upset about him,” she lied easily. “It’s just that the preparations for the ball have been keeping me very occupied. I’m sure that the children must be quite excited to attend.”

It wasn’t completely a lie. She had been completely busy with the ball, and wanted to make sure that everything went perfectly.

Now even more than before, as it felt like there was a lot on the line.

“Oh they’re very excited,” the woman said with a delighted laugh, the previous topic fading in the background. “They ask me about it nearly daily. I can tell this because, well, I don’t think any of them have ever attended a ball before. And so this means a great deal to them.”

Phillips’s heart ached at the sentiment. This was part of the reason why she wanted them there.

“I will make sure that they have a great evening,” she promised, partly to herself.

“I have no doubt that you will.”

When Phillipa returned to the estate, she felt an even greater sense of responsibility resting on her shoulders now. Without wasting any time, she called for the housekeeper, who appeared at the doorway without any delay.

“I was hoping that we go through the guest list again,” she said. “Have all the invitations been sent out?”