Wicked. Shannon Drake
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had taken a position in the matching chair, brooding as he stared into the flames and scratched the huge head of his Irish wolfhound, Ajax.
Brian Stirling, Earl of Carlyle, looked over at her, brows knitted, deep in thought. After a moment, he said, “How badly is he hurt?”
“Oh, not badly, I dare say. The physician said that he was merely shaken and sore, and he didn’t believe the man had broken any bones, though he did acquire some bruising from climbing the walls, then falling. But I think he’ll be fine in a few days’ time.”
“He will not be crawling about the house in the night?”
Evelyn smiled. “Good heavens, no. Corwin is on guard in the hallway. And as you know, we keep the crypts locked tight. Only you and I have keys to the gates below. Even if he were to wander, there would be nothing he could find. And he won’t wander. Since he was in some pain, he has been given a good dose of laudanum.”
“He won’t wander. Corwin will see to that,” Brian said with certainty. His staff at Carlyle Castle was small, far too small for the upkeep of such a property. Everyone here was not just in service, but considered a friend. And each man and woman was loyal to the core—far more than appearances would imply.
“You are right, of course. Corwin will be entirely diligent,” Evelyn agreed.
“What do you think possessed the man to do such a thing?” Brian asked. He turned his gaze from the flames to Evelyn once again. “The grounds themselves are so overgrown, a veritable jungle. It’s amazing he would risk a trek through them.”
“And the estate was so beautifully kept when your parents were alive!” she murmured.
“A year of English rain, my dear, can do wonders,” Brian said. “So we have a jungle and wildlife! What would make him risk it?”
“The promise of great riches to be stolen,” she said.
“You don’t believe that the man is working for someone, do you?” he asked sharply.
She lifted her hands helplessly. “Honestly? No, I believe he came to steal something of value, and nothing more. Yet, is it possible that he’s working for someone, seeking to find out what you have and what you know? Yes, it’s possible.”
“I’ll find out tomorrow,” Brian said. He knew the sound of his voice was chilling. He hadn’t meant for it to be so, but as far as Carlyle Castle and his current activities went, he did feel a certain ruthlessness. He was embittered, he admitted, feeling a strong right to be so. There was more than the problem of the past to be solved. There was the future.
Evelyn looked at him anxiously, worried about his tone. “He has said that his name is Tristan Montgomery. And he swears that he was acting alone, though you already know that, since you were with Corwin and Shelby when he was found.”
“Yes, I know. He also claimed to have merely ‘stumbled’ onto the castle grounds. How one stumbles over a nine-foot wall, I don’t know. Since he is claiming that he is innocent of any evil intent, he is naturally claiming innocence in any kind of a conspiracy. But we shall see. Shelby will go down to the city tomorrow and see what he can discover about the man. Naturally, he will remain our guest until his real intentions can be discovered.”
“Should I ride down on a shopping excursion, as well?” Evelyn suggested.
“Perhaps,” Brian mused. He sighed deeply. “And perhaps it’s time I began to accept a few of the invitations that have come my way.”
Evelyn laughed. “Indeed, I’ve been telling you that you should. But think of the fear in the hearts of many a debutante’s mama!”
“Yes, that’s a thought.”
“It’s a pity you haven’t a fiancée or wife to stand charmingly by your side. Proof, of course, that there is no curse upon the house, and that you are not a beast, just a man, wounded by a great family tragedy.”
“That’s true, as well,” he murmured, gazing at her as he considered her reply.
“Oh, good heavens, don’t look at me!” Evelyn said with a laugh. “I’m way too old, Your Grace!”
He had to grin at that. Evelyn was a beautiful woman. Her green eyes were filled with deep intelligence, and though nearing forty, she still possessed a face with such fine lines that she would be beautiful until the age of one hundred, should God grant such a life span.
“Ah, Evelyn! You know my heart as no other woman could or ever will, and yet, you’re quite right.” His face hardened. “And if I were to know a proper young marital prospect, I’d not bring her in on this charade. God knows what danger she could face.”
“Surely no one would drag an innocent into this tangled web of evil!” Evelyn murmured. “A lass could not be in danger.”
“My mother is dead, is she not?” he inquired tightly.
“Your dear mother was unusual, and that you must know. In her knowledge, in her pursuits, in her courage,” Evelyn said. “You will not find another woman like her.”
“No,” Brian agreed. “And still, that the fiends should have slain a woman turns my heart to stone, though I agree that I would have pursued this with no less resolve had it been my father alone who was so cruelly killed.” He hesitated a moment. “Ah, Evelyn, I am not happy that you are involved.”
Evelyn smiled. “I was involved before you were, actually,” she reminded him softly. “And I am more than willing to risk my life and all that I have. Still, I don’t believe that I’m in any danger. I haven’t the knowledge or the skill your mother possessed. And I don’t really believe that a young woman—a powder puff of a trophy on your arm—would actually be in danger, either. You are the one targeted, if there is to be any danger. Any enemy will know you will not let the dead lie buried until they do so in peace.”
“I am the one cursed,” he reminded her.
“And do you believe in curses?” she asked, somewhat amused.
“It depends on how one sees a curse. Cursed? Yes. I live in hell. Can the curse be lifted? Certainly. But I must find the cure, in all that I do,” he said solemnly.
Evelyn shook her head. “See? A lovely young woman, claiming to love you despite the hideousness of your face and all that has occurred in the past, does much to change the appearance of Carlyle—man and castle, if you will. Perhaps there is someone we could…hire.”
“You’re serious!” he said.
“I am. Honestly, what you need is someone quite beautiful at your side. Someone to accompany you into the rooms of society, someone to prove you human.”
“And I’ve worked so hard to create my image of bountiful kindness already!” he said sardonically.
“Yes, and that was necessary,” Evelyn agreed. “We’ve had no intruders at the castle—until now.”
“None that we know about,” he said sharply.
“Brian! It’s time for a change.”
“I cannot change my course until I have come to the end.”
“You may never come to an end.”
“You’re wrong. I will.”
She sighed. “Fine, then see it my way. Add a layer to your charade, Brian. You’ve done what can be done from the shadows, and you will continue to do so. But I really believe it’s time that you must reenter society. There is the invitation to the fund-raiser. You are certain we are dealing with members of scholarly organizations, and that is certainly a valid supposition. And who better than those who shared your parents’ love and fascination with the wonders of an ancient world? You’ve told me that you actually have your list of suspects narrowed down.”
He rose restlessly, paced before the fire. Ajax, nervous, sensing his master’s mood,